Longest entry ever....gonna read this?...pack a lunch.

So I am currently working as a framer in Langley. I'm really liking the job and my boss and crew are excellent. I actually wake up and look forward to going to work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not super passionate about framing, but i do enjoy learning something that is such an obviously practical life skill. The wage is fair and me and kerianne are getting by. But no one is going to get rich framing. Not that I want to get rich...but I gotta be honest, I will do everything in my power to not scrape by in life either. I married Kerianne and therein have said that I will do my best to provide for her, and that includes the money I bring home.

So here I am finding myself enjoying my work and the days are getting colder and wetter with each week, and yet I am still enjoying it. But I must be the luckiest man alive b/c not only am i married to Kerianne, I have another potential opportunity. I have been tipped off about a job on the rail road that pays significantly more money than framing.

So I applied. I got a call back the other week and was called in for an interview. Now, i was told about a Trackman position which would have me working a day shift in abbotsford (where I live) for almost $10 more p/hr than I am making now. So needless to say, I was pretty stoked about the interview. When i went in for the interview, 5 minutes in it was clear that they were interviewing me for a different position! They were interviewing me for a brakeman position which is about $2 more p/hr than trackman, but i would be working nights and graveyard shifts mostly in new west minster (about a one hour commute in normal traffic).

This meant that i wouldn't see Kerianne as much. I would also have an absolutely CRAZY schedule for the first 6 months minimum, because you get put on the spare board and get whatever shift they need a person for. That means one day you could be in abbotsford on an afternoon shift, and the next day you could be in New West for a graveyard. However, the man in the interview (we'll call him jim to keep things anonymous) really encouraged me to talk this over with my wife before I decided anything, which I really appreciated.

I talked with Kerianne about it a bit, and phoned jim back to ask if there were any differences between the trackman position and the brakeman position. He called me a couple of days later and said that the main difference was that trackman was dayshift, monday to friday, and $2 less an hour. I asked if there was a better chance to get on as a brakeman and he said yes because they were only hiring 2 trackman and already had 4 guys vying for those positions, some with front end loader and back hoe experience. So the odds are clearly stacked against me. He asked if I still wanted him to put my name in for trackman and I said yes, knowing that even if I was offered the brakeman position, I would not be able to take the job.

Kerianne and I decided that nights and graveyards would be a much added stress that we really don't need right now. The first year of marriage is a pretty crucial year and we wanted to stay dedicated to our relationship and keep our priorities straight (that is a quote from the old man, there). Jim said he would put me down for trackman as well, and the dissappointment in his voice was not lost on me. I spent the rest of the day at work knowing i had just made a decision that would shape the next few years of our life, and possibly MUCH more than that. But eventually that day, I felt a peace about the decision, and basically moved on, never expecting to hear from them again.

So this monday I check my phone at break (I always do cause kerianne makes me) and see that there is a voice mail on there. I almost didn't check it before calling kerianne to find out what she wanted, thinking that it was obviously her. It wasn't, it was the railway calling me in for a second interview. I was sort of shocked. I had the rest of the week to mull over how I was going to say that I couldn't take the brakeman spot b/c i didn't believe it was a really wise move this early in my marriage.

Yesterday morning I showed up at the office and prepared myself to give them the news. While I was waiting to be interviewed by a different guy than the first (we'll call him doug), jim walked by and said, "see me after your done with doug". I siad ok and ,shortly after, went in and talked with doug....who, as it turns out, was interviewing me for a trackman position!!! We talked about heavy equipment, my travels, his daughters travels, how easy it is for canadians to get work visa's, working outside, and a number of other things. It seemed to go pretty well. Doug said he needed six trackman, and seemed particularily pleased with the fact thta i was living in abbotsford seeing as 4 of the 6 new hires would be working there.

After the interview with doug I darted outside and ran to the car to tell Kerianne the good news (she came with me for support...did I mention that I kinda like her?), and totally forgot about going to see jim! Well I wasn't 2 minutes down the road before I realized it and ripped back. He just wanted some references and stuff, but he asked, "so you and your wife decided no on the brakeman position huh?" I said, "yes actually. We thought it would be unwise for us to take a position that wil have me working nights and graveyards this early in the marriage." I thought he was going to think I was a pansy but was willing to stick to my guns. He said, "you know, it really is true. The first year is stressful and you need to give it your best shot. And we want to hire for careers here, so people should really consider what they are signing up for when their offered a night job."

I couldn't believe it...we were totally on the same page! So I left that interview, which i was originally considering to be a funeral, with the feeling of hope again, that something may come from this after all. We'll see what happens.

If i took the position, I would really have a hard time leaving my current job. My boss Josh is the best boss I have ever had. The last 2 years have had me work for 4 different companies. Standard aero (before i moved to b.c.) had me under Kevin and he was the best up until Silvaram, where I worked under Lyle and he was the best up until JSN concstrucion, my current job, where I work for Josh. He is awesome. I wish that every man find a woman that he loves as much as i love Kerianne, and a boss that is as great as josh. The crew is really cool as well. It would be hard to leave a group of guys like that. But my decision would have to be with my role as a husband, and welfare of my wife in mind. If i took the trackman position I would be closer to work (I car pool to langley everyday right now), making more money, and have full benefits. So what is the problem , right?

Before this framing job i would have agreed that I would have to be crazy not to take the railway job, if it was offered to me. To be honest, I still feel that way. I would take it but not without wondering if the satisfaction of a trackman's wage can live up to the satisfaction of working with the people that i am working with now. It would be a sad departure for me. Much like the bittersweet transition of Gretzky from the oilers to the kings. Not that i am the great one or anything, but like wayne, I to would be leaving something that i loved for reasons that are bigger than myself.

You know what though? If i never hear from the railway again, I wouldn't cry myself to sleep at night. Sure I would be dissappointed, but i am already enjoying work. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn't it? Enjoying work. I am truly blessed. I feel like I am caught between a breast and a soft place.

What an incredible asset it is to like what you do for a living. Praise God.

Later