New Job + Travel + In Laws Back Home + End of Semester= Busy!

It's called new math.  It's accurate and I'll show my work.

Dave started his new job last week.  He was supposed to start this week so he could (mostly) finish his temp job (he would have missed the very last day).  However, just after they settled that start date, the company announced that the manager who would train Dave (Kristof, the same guy Dave is friends with who helped him get the position in the first place) is leaving the company at the end of May.  So in a rush to conduct a knowledge transfer (Kristof had been in charge of the sales territory Dave is taking over), the bumped up the start date and Dave hit the ground running.  Quite literally.  He spent an afternoon connecting with another sales person to get his company car (it's another Jeep. Seriously? We're starting to look like a dealership.).  After spending the weekend cleaning the car (it was filthy--and that was just the inside) and organizing all his materials, he started last week by visiting clients, former clients, and would-be clients with Kristof, learning pretty much everything he knows and presenting at a vendor show in Boston.  And then he traveled to Chicago this week to do the normal training stuff (first day on the job, ease your way into it thing) before heading to Pittsburgh last night to go to another vendor show with another sales person.  The good news was that he got to see my brother while he was in Chicago and he'll get to see my dad tonight in Pittsburgh.  I'm just hoping he thinks enough to bring me a Smiley cookie from Eat N Park when he comes home tomorrow night.

In the midst of this, Dave's parents came home last week.  It's nice to see them after they've been away for over 4 months, but of course having all of us living in the house is a bit of an adjustment.  We're working it out though and staying out of each others' way (I think).  But with Dave out of town this week, I've been taking advantage of getting a bunch of errands and other stuff done after work, so we really haven't gotten into an actual routine yet.  Maybe next week we'll figure it out.  Madaline and Ernie will be home for a few weeks and then have some short trips planned in the summer and fall before they figure out exactly where they're headed in the winter.

And of course, work is busy with the end of the semester and the crazy things that come with that.  Like students who can't read and faculty who ask really bizarre questions that I've answered six times already this semester.  But it's not all bad.  We've had some lovely guests in class the past week who were actually delightful and appreciative, which is always nice.

Plus Dave and I got to see the Avengers last weekend before he left.  It was awesome.  Go see it.  Like right now.