Anne and I took a four day weekend to the Blue Ridge mountains to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. We stayed at my parent's summer house which they vacated a few weeks ago. The house was recently fixed up, and it is a great escape from the troubles of the world. We needed a break from our kids and work.

Time Life, my clumsy employer, single handedly ruin this get-away. One of the backend systems failed, and because Time Life laid-off most the e-commerce team and all of my backup. No one at all Time Life had the skills (Enterprise Java + Unix) or wits to fix it. I spent three days working on it. Anne was not pleased. I was very stressed out. Time Life was an idiot last year for expecting every employee to double their efficiency. They are idiots this year for lowering goals, but halving the staff to accomplish them. Last year and this year have the same set of liabilities, the company is too dependent upon specific people. The company cannot succeed because no one person is permitted to fail in the plan.

I had decided some months ago that I would leave the company when it moves from Alexandria VA to Tyson's Corner VA. Now, with family gatherings fast approaching, I've decide to resign in the next few weeks. I have a few job opportunities already lined up, just for such an crisis. None would be ready for me in the next two weeks. I have a few weeks vacation saved up, so I may just resign, take some time to spend with my family, select the job I want.