This post will have nothing to do with DVDs (unless I choose to mention what I'm doing to pass time) but simply to inform anyone here who cares of a few changes and happenings in my personal life.

The company I have worked for 14 out the past 17 years (including more than the past ten years straight) has decided to earn profit in a different manner than in the past. I have been a manager in training, ready to manage a retail store immediately. The 22-store district I worked in had nine MiTs and assistant managers (5200 stores nationwide). As an MiT, they paid me $1.20 more per hour than a sales associate, but we would earn the same commission and SPIFF rates. I not only have never failed to earn commission, but usually was the top saleperson (on dollars per hour sold) in the district. First, the company decides to reduce the MiT/AM number to two in the district (demoting the other seven to the same as a newly-hired salesmaker), then decides that all future store managers will be hired from outside the company with zero promotions from within. (Sound vaguely Circuit City-ish to you?) (How about KMart and Sears?) So, I opted out. Because of my tenure, they owe me ten weeks pay (as well as the earned pay and vacation). So I am currently unemployed (except for my advertizing, design, and band work).

As I was working my last hour with the company Friday, I received a call from my church. My wife had been at a bank one block away from the church and felt too poorly to drive, even to the emergency room. She walked to the church where one of the ladies who work there drove her to the ER. I left my job early. My daughter was flying home from college Friday to spend Mothers Day weekend with us. Our daughter spent Saturday night in her mom's hospital room. So, until yesterday evening, my wife was undergoing tests at our local hospital. The tests showed that she has a variation on moyamoya desease (it in itself is an extremely rare condition). Dehydration had caused her to have a very mild TIA, and now the surgeons are deciding how to prevent a stroke.

Life remains interesting. I had my second (of three possible) interview today for a sales job which the base pay (before commission) is more than twice what I was making with commission at my job I just left. I hope to get the call for the third interview and then the job itself.

Other than that, I'm trying to catch up on all the TV shows on my DVR I want to see, delayed by my formerly busy life.

Gee, you're having a helluva year, Cliff! 

In my experience, job changes invariably turn out for the better. 

Hope your wife recovers quickly.

Good luck, cliff. You are in my thoughts and prayers, old friend

Quoting Danae Cassandra:

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Good luck with your interviews, and we'll be certain to keep your wife in our prayers.

This.

Quoting 66armageddon66:

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hope you and your wife  do better vibrocount. also is the store you worked at walmart. cant think of any other company with 5200 stores.

Sorry, no, not WalMart... think smaller stores, 4 to 15 employees each.

Bets of luck to you, Cliff!

I am so sorry for the things life has heaped on you the past year. I hope that things turn around and get better. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Cliff.