So, a trip to Texas...

Well, the last interview I had was apparently quite successful.  They indicated at that time that it would have been an on Campus interview and that was amazing news.  Got the call today that they want me to come down for an on Campus visit.  Timing is still up in the air, and it will be some time in June when the travel restrictions are lifted to some degree...  This one just feels right.  So, hoping for an offer of course :-)...

Amusingly, I got word from another place down there to schedule another interview...  So I am apparently quite popular in Texas?  Ironic, working here in Illinois for 20+ years and now with so many of the places I am applying to entering hiring freezes, just not filling the positions or the like...  Guess we'll see...

Mid May in Quarantine...

So, beginning another week in the seemingly endless quarantine J…  We have a large and probably growing number of Cats here, all of whom feel like this is “Every Day is Caturday”.  They are thrilled that their people are here in their home almost all day, every day.  So, they are thrilled by all of this…  Being VERY social little creatures, they have been working on their pack hunting…  Amusing when the 9 here decide they are hunting something…  My wife’s wee dog is “less thrilled” by this behavior as he is smaller than almost all of the cats now and it is frankly kind of terrifying when the lads DO pack hunt something…  But I usually have 2-4 of them down on and around the dining room table where my ad hoc “desk” is set up to work from guarding me as I DO work from home.  Amusing until they decide that it is attention time and Heimdall for instance decides that my beards needs to be groomed like he just did J…  So a pause while typing for a bit.

Gaming wise?  Not a lot going on.  I cleaned out a bit of my basement and rebuilt my painting station there in a different location.  And have been painting a LOT of Legion things…  So I should have two fully painted 800 point armies easily for my factions there.  Rebels of course have FAR more options that I could field as the original faction in the game.  Republic is limited, but I have more than enough to field a decent force there by now.  Only have my Sabre class tank to assemble and paint and I have everything currently produced for the faction…  Waiting on more releases, but of course with the global issues we are all waiting it seems. 

I HAVE TTS and Vassal on my computer but have yet to carve out the time to play a game in either system.  So, actual gaming?  None.  My Hyperspace list is set with the 4 Aethersprites…  Fun at least.  Not sure I’ll ever actually WIN anything with it, but this is a list I will enjoy flying so I am going with this. 

The leaked “upcoming” stuff from Europe indicates that the V-Wing and ETA-2 will be coming at some point…  The ETA-2 should be interesting as the last Jedi starfighter, and an improvement on the already excellent Aethersprite?  Yes, I DO think I will take a few of those.  Actual screen time for these in at least the one movie and of course the “Clone Wars” TV series.  The specs indicate it is closer to the TIE perhaps?  Well-armed, maneuverable and lacking Shields.  Maybe they will not make it as powerful as the Aethersprite, but I suspect it will be an improvement in many ways.  Base 3 Attack, probably 3 Agility would be where I suspect it will start.  3-4 Hull though making it a powerful but fragile platform…  Rewarding Ace play and punishing mistakes.  And as Anakin Skywalker was one of the main Pilots flying these things, there should easily be the I6 there…  So things to look forward to I guess?

Legion?  Not a lot…  Painting and I ordered some acrylic silhouettes for the new LOS rules…  Waiting on the physical release of the new stuff?  So, nothing much on there for me…

Gen Con?  Still officially “on” at this point I suppose…  Kind of annoying that I get the downtown hotel attached to the Con Center the year that it seems somewhat unlikely that there will even be a major convention…  At this point I am not entirely sure that the convention will even be a go at this point…  And with the complete dearth of events this was the one I was REALLY looking forward to…  They have delayed the release of the event catalog and REALLY hedging to get to this one for both X-Wing and Legion…  Guess we’ll see.  I am leaning toward not going though as I suspect my wife will not be interested in going…  So maybe drive over for a day or two?  We’ll see I suppose…

Job front, holding the line here at my current job…  Things are going fairly well as we have done the transition to “online only”…  There are a number of things upcoming and fights I am looking to avoid as directions are coming from our CIO…  Coming from a Military and corporate IT background, it never occurred to me to question them as “them’s the orders”…  Will see how things go I suppose, I am personally OK either way it goes as my own concerns are not those of the folks who are dead set against it…

Still in the running for that position I have interviewed for I suppose?  Waiting on word for that.  If I get an offer, I’ll be figuring out the living situation.  It is a REALLY good position, and Texas appears in a much better position over Illinois going forward…  And that University looks amazing.  So, wait and see…  Travel restrictions prevented an early trip for an in person interview, but I am of course willing to travel either by air or just drive…  J  Yes, THAT motivated for this opportunity.

Running 3x/week still and getting back to “in shape”…  Weight loss is continuing, and starting to work out more while we are in quarantine…  Projects around the house getting done…  Wife and kids are healthy and finishing school for the year so all in all, things are actually going well for us…