The Blanding Bugle

Volume 18 Issue 1

January 2009

A Job!

So long Microsoft; hello Real!
by Steve Blanding

This has been a difficult year for Steve.  Late this summer Steve made the difficult decision to leave Microsoft.  Things had been going kind of sour with his most recent job and it was pretty clear that he needed to find something else.  Unfortunately, with the economic recession hitting the computer industry pretty hard, this was not a very good time to be looking for another job.  Still, it was pretty clear that if our family was going to remain happy, healthy, warm and well fed, that was exactly what Steve needed to do. He started looking in August and really started looking hard in September.   

As time dragged on, we began to get worried that he wouldn't find anything.  He'd already had a few interviews (even flying to Salt Lake to interview for the Church) but nothing seemed to be working out. 

In late October, Steve applied for a job with Real Networks.  He'd heard that their casual games division might be hiring so he went to their web site and submitted an application to the only development job that looked like it might possibly be related.  He was very surprised when he received a reply within 24 hours. It turned out that the job wasn't with the games division (there were no development openings there) but Steve decided to interview for it anyway. 

A day later he had a phone interview with the hiring manager that seemed to go very well.  They called back and arranged for a round of interviews.  The week before Thanksgiving, Steve took an afternoon off for "personal time" and went in to their Seattle headquarters for an afternoon of interviews that was very similar to the interview process at Microsoft.  Steve was very happy with how it went and he was convinced that an offer was forthcoming.  He was told that he'd be contacted that Friday, or Monday at the latest.

Monday before Thanksgiving came and went.  Then Tuesday.  Steve figured that there must have been some mistake and that the recruiter must have forgotten that this was Thanksgiving weekend coming up.  So he waited.  Finally, on the Monday after Thanksgiving he sent an email to the recruiter asking "Hey! What's up?" The reply was that "there's been a slight change and we should be able to get back to you by Friday."  We were nervous.  Knowing the state of the economy, we feared the worst but we waited and fasted and prayed and hoped. 

Steve's winter vacation was arriving fast and we still didn't know whether or not he would be coming back to Microsoft in January.  It was a very tense time and waiting was very nerve wracking.  Finally we heard back from them that an ex-employee had decided to come back to the company as the new team lead.  He wanted to do a phone interview with Steve to see if he felt they could work together.  The next day, Steve called this guy, who wasn't even officially a Real Networks employee yet, to do a phone interview.  Again it went very well.  Steve was told that he probably had the job.  But once again we were going to have to wait to be sure.

We had been told that we'd know within a day or two but again several days went by.  Finally we got word that they still needed to interview an internal candidate and it was between Steve and this other guy.  We crossed our fingers, prayed, went to the temple, and did everything we could do to keep from going crazy during the wait. 

Finally word came.  Steve got the job!  He'll be starting on January 12, working on a new team that's making the next version of the Real Player, a media player that competes with Windows Media Player, iTunes, and the Zune Player (among others).  It's not the market leader by any stretch but it's a good job working on an interesting piece of software that has a lot of potential.  More importantly, it's a chance for Steve to work for a new company and really start out on the right foot.  The pay is slightly better than his old job but the benefits are a little worse so we figure that financially it's probably a wash.  But frankly, in this economy, it's better than we feel we could have hoped for. 

Steve will be working in their downtown facility which is right on the waterfront near the Victoria Clipper ferry terminal, just down the hill from the Space Needle.  The commute to Seattle is going to provide its own set of challenges but it's really not all that much farther from home than Microsoft so it should only add about twenty minutes to Steve's commute, provided he doesn't elect to take the bus (which is a real possibility). 

In hind sight, the timing couldn't have been better.  Our health care provider will be changing just as Doreen has finished up her physical therapy from her shoulder surgery.  Had we changed jobs a few months earlier, it would have cost us quite a bit in medical fees.  Furthermore, the change is coming at the end of Steve's long winter vacation.  Steve's been at Microsoft long enough that he had quite a bit of annual vacation time and having the change come this late meant that he was able to enjoy almost all of it.  So while the sleepless nights and anxious nerves were a bit difficult to take, in the end we feel very blessed.  Things seem to have worked out better than we could have hoped. 

Finally, we'd like to thank all of you who have kept us in your prayers.  We really appreciate your faith on our behalf.  Your prayers have helped sustain us more than you will ever know.

Our house

Chris playing Jingle Bells

The Lord's Timing

Seldom do we ever like the Lord's timing. In fact I don't recall ever liking His timing at the moment, but always looking back, I'm amazed to see how the Lord's timing is perfect timing.

With Steve taking a new job that also means that a lot of the perks and benefits that came along with being a Microsoft employee went away. We have enjoyed 100% medical coverage as well as a relative short commute.  Those two things are gone.  We join the ranks of million of other Americans in now paying co-pay for every visit and prescription.  Steve also joins the ranks of billions of other workers of commuting into a big city and dealing with traffic head aches.

The timing couldn't have been better.  My shoulder surgery and therapy are coming to an end as well as my neck and back therapy. The very expensive allergy medication that seven of us take is not over the counter and costs about $40 a month per person, but they also lost their exclusive rights so now the house brand can be had over the counter at only $4 for three months. 

Steve commute, though into downtown Seattle is at a time in our family's life when we have a third, almost fourth, driver and even though the children have tons of after school activities, their parenting needs have gone down quite a bit. Although we would welcome Steve home in the evenings to help out with the running of errands, making dinner and all those crazy things that happen in the evening, it isn't necessary that he be at home. 

Truly the Lord's timing is always perfect.  We might never like it, but it is perfect and for that we are eternally grateful.

Christmas

This year the kids must have been darn good because Santa left the family a Wii.  Yes, we have joined the ranks of double gaming platform system families.  Personally Doreen likes it because she can laugh at the kids as they try to bowl a perfect game or golf or hit a baseball. 

Steve got a new computer so the kids got his old computer.  They are excited because that means two computers for the kids and that is always easier to divide among the six of them.

But the biggest present was snow! We have a WHITE CHRISTMAS for the first time in Washington.  The snow hampered many things including getting to church on the Sunday before church.  We were lucky in that the Bishop gave us permission to hold sacrament meeting at our house.  With Steve presiding, Kray (Priest), Jason (Teacher) and Mike (Deacon) we had the sacrament and a brief message by Doreen.  Jessie bore her testimony as well as lead the music.  It was pretty cool.  We did miss the typical before Christmas block of meetings as well as the annual Stake Christmas Devotional (Doreen always sings in it) but it was pretty cool having sacrament meeting in our family room with the snow softy falling outside. 

We also had to postpone our trip to Steve's parent's home. We just couldn't drive safely. 

The Nativity
with shepherd Chris, Joseph Mike, Ninga/wiseman Matt & Mary Jessie

Jason enjoying the music Christmas Eve

Master builder Kray

Mike reading the direction to his new video game.

Jessie/Mary & Baby Jesus

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Above: This is how much snow there was on Sunday the 21st.

Steve then cleared it off later that week so the expected rain wouldn't weigh down the deck.

Christmas day it was like this again: Below