Monday, November 1, 2010

New Adventures (Maybe) for us (The Pughs)

If dad can announce the death of our grandpa on facebook, then I can announce this here.


We are looking at a possible job opportunity with a subsequent move to Denver. I know this is WAY out of the blue, but it is for us too. Here is the deal-- Rob was referred to some guy that owns a business that makes stuff (my knowledge at this point is quite vague, so stay with me, more details will follow) I know they make chemicals and such things and they want to start a line of wood finishing products. Rob and this dude have been corresponding for a month or so, neither of us put much (any) stock in it until this week when the owner flew to Utah with the sole purpose of meeting with Rob face to face to talk (that kind of got our attention). He mentioned wanting Rob to kind of design that leg of the business and then head the department. Rob and I are a little shell shocked to tell you the truth. During the meeting, Rob just couldn't help wondering why this was happening to him. He also described himself as feeling like George from Seinfeld when he didn't know if he had the job or not at the end of the interview, but didn't want to all out ask the guy for fear of sounding stupid. The guy did say interesting stuff like, "let me know what we have to do to make this happen". So, today Rob officially emailed him and told him we were interested. So I guess negotiations will follow.
What we don't want is to go into this blind or stupid. We want to have a sure footing and make sure it will work (and if not- make sure we don't get into something that puts us in a worse situation or something) Ok, we just don't want another Jacque fiasco. Rob put all his eggs in her basket, which turned out to be a crazy, evil basket indeed. So, we are going to proceed with our eyes open.
Anyway- it's a long standing company, and the best part is--- it's an actual job (can you say salary and benefits??-- I think I'd faint). It's no secret we are very unhappy where we are and frankly the thought of moving from Utah makes my heart leap with glee a little. I would be really hesitant if it was really far away but Denver? We couldn't pick a better location in my eyes that would make moving away from family any easier (and be in a respectable city): If I'm not mistaken, it's about equal driving time to Riverton is it not? This is far from a sure thing, but it's kind of exciting to think about. I've never even been to Denver......I've heard things about the airport though. Also- Rob's brother Travis lives there which is a bonus. What do you guys think? Family in Denver-- good?

36 comments:

Amy said...

That sounds exciting. Denver is a great place as far as I know. Scott and I have even talked about that being a place we would consider retiring to some day. The weather is pretty good. I think it might be slightly better than Salt Lake, maybe more snow. There are so many nice suburbs of Denver. Keep us posted. Sounds like a good opportunity.

Haley said...

Wow! This is exciting. I'm sure it would be nice to have a steady income and to be more stable. Denver is great! I have been very impressed with the city every time I have been. The downtown is very clean. Of course there are going to be scary parts of every big city but it's not like you are going to live right in it. The suburbs around Denver are really nice. I hope this works out for you guys if it is the right thing. Scary and exciting! We are applying to a med school in Denver so that would be fun if we both were there. I was really scared before I saw "Denver" and thought you guys were moving out east or something. Denver is just a tad longer drive to Riverton, 45 min or so. It's a pretty drive though. If you guys do move, I'm sure it will be refreshing to get out of Utah. Definitely keep us posted.

Cat said...

I would totally move to Denver. How exciting, you guys!

Dan W said...

I hate the sports teams (seriously HATE), but it has the Tattered Cover bookstore, one of the biggest in the world with both new and used books. I have enjoyed my couple of times through there.

Good luck with the decision! Excited for the possibilities for you!

B said...

Denver is awesome!!! That would be so awesome to go visit you guys there!!!! I hope it works out for selfish reasons, but it sounds like it would be great for you guys!!! Definitely keep us updated!!!!

Matt Wright said...

Sweet! I think all of you guys should get the hell out of Utah! hehe. Denver is cool. Lots going on there, as with any big city. Haley is right about it being clean.
One other good thing is the Riverton airport has flights to and from all the time to Denver. Maybe that would come in handy if driving seems like a nightmare, and you have this new salary! Exciting stuff!

And B, it's going to be ok... chill the bip out.

Amy said...

Matt, don't you remember it takes 12 hours to fly to Denver? See post below.

Emily said...

We think it would be pretty cool, glad to have your support.
Dan- that bookstore made me very excited!
Matt & B- Glad you guys are excited, I worried a little since you guys like to come out to see us and see friends too, so I didn't know if you'd be gung ho about Colorado.
Haley- That would be great if you went to school there too. We could look out for each other (and carpool to Wyoming!) We may need a bigger car though. I think to fit in out there, we would need to get a hybrid SUV -instead of an Escalade.

Rob pointed out to me last night that Radiohead may be more likely to play in Denver. I told him believe it or not, I had thought of that on Friday while he was driving home from his meeting at the airport. He believed it.

Sue said...

That is exciting Em! At least Denver isn't too far away. And how fun to start out in a new city.

Haley said...

Yeah on the Hybrid SUV, but I'm sure there are a few Escalades running around with all the pro athletes. Haha. With 8 of us we would need a pretty big car! Maybe we could just caravan. The med school is in Aurora so look at some houses there. :) Haha on the Radiohead. Of course you would think about that!

Emily said...

With Marcus in school and Rob working I figured we'd be going without the boys for most of the time. That's 6- so either a biggish suv or a minivan (which you would have to purchase cause I still want nothing to do with a minivan.)

Haley said...

Very true, Marcus will be pretty much be MIA for the next 10 years. :( If I got a Routan I would be ok with a minivan! Haha. Yeah I would way rather have an SUV but minivans are so much cheaper. It's just not fair. :)

Matt Wright said...

Of coarse we are stoked about it. I'm mostly just excited to see you guys get out of Utah. I don't know if you really know what you are missing. You seem like the kind of people who would enjoy being outside of the weirdness that is Utah county.
B and I have made a few weekend trips to Denver for a concert getaway and shopping and stuff. We really liked it. Plus, B has two other siblings (Joe and Keirwyth) who live near Denver.
RADIOHEAD!
Pixies played in Denver on the last tour too. They get lots of bands. Man, maybe we will just follow you!
haha.

Pops said...

Denver is fine if you can put up with
John Elway stuff all over and the Nuggetts (Bugetts). There is other good stuff there i.e. Temple, 7 flags, an Aquarium with otters, lots of music and cowboys and good steak eating places.

Sounds like a good job opourtinity (sp) even with the sketchey details. Go for it and get out of Cedar Hills.
I don't like people putting the knock on Utah and Utah County. There are truly some wonderful people living there if you can find them among the wierdos.

Emily said...

7 flags huh?
I looked up the aquarium and it looks really cool (holy crap I want to see the otters! Rob would too I'm sure, he's been in love with otters since he saw a little family of them in our canyon this summer). Glad there is a temple and I know that there are wonderful people in Utah Country, I have met many -BUT- there are wonderful people everywhere and I am sick of many of the "distinctions" that come with this area. Especially my present area. I have NEVER EVER experienced such a quirky, closed off community in my life. I say this now, with a perspective of living here over two years and actually now feeling like I have a few friends and such (there are people here I really genuinely like and think are truly good people).

However, it is still mind boggling to me how people act around here and I need to get out before they turn me into a stepford wife too.

Haley said...

7 Flags haha! I want to see the Otters! I LOVE Otters, they are seriously the cutest things. Sure there are good people everywhere, but it is kind of refreshing to live in the "real world" again. It really comes down to your attitude, if you try and want to like where you live then you will. At least some of it in Cedar Hills case. :) If you have a bad attitude and choose not to like it, then you won't. I'm excited to find out if this is for sure or not!

Emily said...

Ummm..... when you say "real world" you don't mean Rexburg do you?

Matt Wright said...

HAHA! Good one Ems.

HARRAAYYY POTTTAAAA!!

Sorry, Rexburg just brings that to mind. Oh, and
"I'll build you a rain booowwww..."

Good point though Haley. Attitude is dope for sure.

Matt Wright said...

Wait... if Rexburg is the "real world", and Riverton is too... what did you mean by "again"? You didn't live somewhere else right? Prego-brain?

Emily said...

I'm a little curious about the again too. Please explain oh prego brain.

Pops said...

The otters you can get real close to and they are just swimming on their backs breaking up clam shells on their tummys and looking sooo dang cute. Not many things in this universe that beats sea otters for cuteness. Maybe the Scout.

Haley said...

No I do NOT mean Rexburg. I'm really tired of the bubble life already. I'm ready to get back into the real world again. Didn't you live in New York for a while Em? That's what I meant. I guess you have pretty much lived in Utah your whole life though.

Haley said...

I guess I said again without really thinking about it too much so just stop reading into it you analytical people! :) I was talking mostly in general and about Em living in New York for a little while. And I have lived in Orem, Concord, Riverton, Laramie, and Rexburg. So yes, I am excited to get into the real world AGAIN. :)

Emily said...

Ah, you meant me. So yes, it would be nice to get back into the real world again. Yes, I lived in New York and even in Salt Lake things were drastically different then here.

ps- you forgot to mention that you lived in Portland for a week.

Otters! We may just have to get a season pass. ESPECIALLY if they have penguins. When Rob and I were in Boston we went to the aquarium and spent most of our time there watching the penguins.

Dan W said...

I like marine animals who have lots of teeth or are otherwise really weird like rays, squid, and octopi. "Cute" ones, not so much. Still always good to have a great aquarium near by!

The "Buggets"--hadn't heard that one, George. Love it! I pretty much hate every city that has won championships (like Denver with the Broncos) when awesome cities like San Diego have no major titles to boast of. I'm a jealous guy, I guess...

Amy said...

I think he meant "Thuggetts". That's the nickname I've heard around here. Maybe he heard it wrong? Or Dad, would you like to explain your "buggetts" name?

Pops said...

No I just made it up at the moment. They bug me so I figured "Buggetts" would work.

Pops said...

Dan, I'll trade you 10 squid for an Otter any day.

Dan W said...

"George and an otter, sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g . . ."

Hey Em, any update on the job and move possibilities?

Dan W said...

Oh and I like Buggetts and your explanation.

Go Jazz!

Matt Wright said...

I second the request for updates!

Emily said...

Nothing much going on, the owner guy has been sick for 2 weeks and is currently on a business trip to Louisiana (they are supposed to talk, but Rob doesn't want to bug him. So he's waiting to hear back). They are still just talking about what it would take to get something like this off the ground, so the job doesn't even exist yet (if he doesn't like the numbers, it will never exist). So, negotiations are slow and very young. We want it more by the day, but we are trying not to get our hopes up too high, but we are still cautiously hopeful.

Pops said...

These things take time, but in the waiting time it kills. In the meantime the Buggets beat the Lakers. That's a good thing.

Emily said...

***Update***

So Rob gave the guy some time for his sickness, then some time for Thanksgiving and then sent him an email on Sun night with a, "hey, let's set up a phone call and talk about this" kind of a thing. He heard nothing, so Mon evening Rob was done. He wrote him an email telling him that he (well, I don't know exactly what he said) but the message was that he had a lot of questions about all this and would really like to know now either way this guys thoughts so he could either put this past him or move forward. Basically a "dude, just tell me if you've changed your mind, aren't interested, whatever so we can move on". It's Thursday without a peep from this guy, so Rob and I have declared this to be over and we are moving on (but not to Denver). Frankly, Rob is now thinking that this was all a way for this guy to get some free information. Rob is happy he hadn't given him much.

Emily said...

***Update on the update***

So I get a call from Rob today telling me that he decided to just give the guy a call (as a strange coincidence, it seems to have been precisely when I was writing that last comment -we hadn't said anything about the affair for at least 24 hours and Rob gave up on the guy a day earlier then I did.) Anyway, the guy was full of a bundle of excuses as to why he didn't get back to Rob, all of them explainable, and make sense, but still- lots of excuses. But basically, they talked for an hour and the guy seems to have found someone else to do the consulting, but still considers Rob his guy to run the operation. We just don't have the first clue what to think. But this does mean that there is still a glimmer of hope, except that he told Rob that he doesn't need to move, the guy is moving to Dallas (I will tell you all right now that I am NOT moving to Texas- no way, no how). But this guy doesn't think moving is necessary for us by any means. Which is kind of crappy to me, I was really warming to Denver. Whatever though.
We don't know what to make of the whole thing, especially since he was telling Rob that "he couldn't ask for too much". What the crap?? Of course Rob could ask for too much- who says that?? But hey, who are we to question- so, in light of that, Rob and I have decided to ask for the following things:

1. that they move Rob's branch to Puerto Rico.

2. we will ask for 5 million a year. (I thought one million would be fine -I didn't want to be too greedy-, but Rob wanted to be sure we had enough to eat, so we figured we might as well settle for 5. Besides, if it doesn't work out, we could probably make it work out for at least a few months, enough to make one million, make a few sound investments and do alright for ourselves.

B said...

Definitely at least 5 million. Then you can have one of those gold leafed sundaes with the diamond encrusted spoon flown in every day you're in Puerto Rico.