Oh snap, I got a jorb!!!!!!!

OK. So I just got the call from the HR Manager......

I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'M MOVING TO HAMILTON!!!!!!

Craziness!!!!!

HOLY CRAP. This is nuts.

Ok... so... I guess I should fill you in on where I left off....
I got up to Hamilton without a hitch (unless you count the 5-airport, 10-hour travel day a hitch), and got sqaured away at the hotel... very nice. I go out for a bit of a stroll.... then I start to think to myself.... "Reid. You're in downtown Hamilton. This isn't Grand Falls." So after a short walk I headed on home.

Up early on Wednesday for the interview at 9am. Although, truth be told, it wasn't really much of an interview. More like.... an introduction to the place and people I'd be working with. My boss, Cyril (from Cape Breton I should add), took me all over the mill... which was a lot bigger than I expected. He also introduced/dropped me off to a few managers for an impromptu mini-interview. It all went very well... and most importantly for me, the people working there seemed to be best kind. After the touring was over the HR Manager (Barrie), plus another HR fellow and my boss took me out for lunch. We had a good chat about all kinds of stuff... mostly non-work related, which I liked! I could tell I was in with a good bunch on the car ride back to the plant after lunch. The entire 15 minute conversation was about beer and drinking! Nice.

We were due to clue things up after lunch, but then Barrie and Cyril brought up the fact that I wasn't flying out until the morning. Thus, they decided that they should take me out for a steak dinner at the Keg as well! (Score). That evening's meal was much more laid back and candid... like 3 friends having beers and steaks. The guys asked me what my overall feelings were about the plant and the company, and I had to be honest with them - I was impressed. So needless to say, I was feeling pretty good about it all, definitely thinking that things were going well. (I knew for a fact that the other second round interviewees didn't get no steak :)

Then, as we're walking towards the door, my boss leans over and says with a nod "If I were you.... I'd get my bags packed." So at this point, I'm flippin out! I head on back to the hotel and give my folks a call to tell them the very promising news. Then, to "celebrate" I head down the road to the theatre to catch Saw 2.... pretty good moive.

So I get home again late Thursday evening from another crazy travel day involving a cancelled flight out of Hamilton and burning in my rental up the QEW to Toronto Pearson Airport to make a replacement. Nonetheless, I got home safe and sound. Friday morning, the phone rings around 11:30am. It's Barrie calling.... and you guessed it.... I got the job! Turns out I'll be getting a damn fine starting salary for a young engineer, plus full medical and dental, and a signing bonus to boot! SCORE!

So yeah... I took the job. I am now officially a project engineer! The plant that I'm working at is about 30mins south of downtown Hamilton. Crazy shit.... I'm pretty pumped. At this point, the starting date is still up in the air. Both my boss and I would prefer it if I started after Christmas.... so hopefully that will be the case. Otherwise, it'll be Christmas alone and working (there's an xmas shut down - I'd have to work Dec 26 - 30th) up in Hamilton. I mean... I'll do what I gotta do... but I'd definitely like to have one last holiday season home with my friends and family before I get out there in the real world.

So yeah... big changes in my life man. Wild stuff. Does this mean I have to become a grown-up now? Yikes. Gotta start looking at places to live and vehicles to drive! That sounds kinda grown up to me. Anyway.... one step at time.... here's hoping I'll be home for Christmas! Update soon.