The deal is done. The paperwork is signed and delivered. Notice has been given. We’re headed to Pocatello, Idaho, in one of life’s interesting twists.

I’m changing jobs and companies. I’ll be going to work for AMI Semiconductor in Pocatello, Idaho, in charge of their information services department. It’s a very good job, an excellent title and position, along with a set of very interesting challenges. I’ll start there on Monday, May 10th.

I had really thought I’d retire from LSI Logic, even though that job was becoming less and less interesting and challenging. I felt that looking for another job would just be frustrating and perhaps somewhat demeaning, as seasoned professionals at my age just aren’t very much in demand. However, events proved to be somewhat different. Towards the end of March a recruiter called to see if I was interested in this new opportunity. We talked at some length and she was still very interested. They set up a video conference interview for the next day which went very well. They called later that day and set up an interview trip to Pocatello, Idaho. I flew in on a Wednesday night, spent the day in interviews, and flew back to Colorado Springs that night. I felt the interviews went very well. I spent the next week on a business trip to Milpitas, California. Mid-week the recruiting company called and set up another meeting with the recruiter who then told me that AMI was very interested and wanted to know what kinds of issues and questions I had. I gave them a long list of questions and concerns. I didn’t hear anything else for more than another week.

Meanwhile, I had a couple of conversations with my management about future job possibilities. One such opportunity might be an assignment in India. Someone will definitely be needed in India to manage the work being outsourced over there, but when that will happen and whether or not I would be the right person were decisions that would be made some time several months or more from now.

My job has been getting smaller and smaller since we came back from Japan. The company has been downsizing dramatically. The areas of responsibility have been adjusted and reorganized. While all of that made sense from a company point of view, it wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. Further, the company is spinning off a third of the business into a new entity, a transaction that’ll happen in the next couple of months. I was once again faced with another significant reduction in budget and possibly another reduction in people. I’d pretty well resigned myself to this continuing unpleasant situation.

About the time I had decided that AMI was going to do something else, the recruiter called to talk through the outline of an offer. Compensation was good. Relocation was included. The job content was everything I expected. The company has operations in Pocatello, Belgium, and the Philippines, good places to spend time (and I’ll spend significant time there). I told the recruiter that if AMI could put together the offer substantially as he outlined it, I would seriously consider it.

The official offer arrived two days later and needed only some minor alterations. I sent that information back to AMI and on this past Monday I got together with my boss to tell him that I had a good offer, there were some details to work out, but if those details did work out, I was planning to accept the offer. He asked for some time to see what might be done at LSI Logic to convince me to stay, beyond his asking me to stay.

There just wasn’t much the company could offer other than the prospect of an assignment in India sometime in the future, if everything worked out. AMI came through with the needed changes to the offer, so I’ve officially given notice to LSI Logic Corporation after nine years of service.

So, we’re busy uncluttering the house — making it a sterile environment for the Realtor to show. All of Nina’s wonderful collections are being put away. All of the pictures and other stuff that says "Roland and Nina Live Here!" are going into boxes and to the basement. When people look at the house, we want them to see the possibilities of how they would live in the house, rather than feeling like this is some kind of an eclectic museum. It’ll take until the end of next week to get enough done that the house can be listed. Hopefully it’ll sell quickly so we can really be "On the Move … Again!"