Where has the time gone?
It seems like just yesterday I finally got my first professional job as an IT Support Specialist. The last 12 years have allowed me to grow from my initial position. I became a subject matter expert on a leading cloud-based CAFM product. I was responsible for all technical aspects of its deployment. Occasionally, I troubleshot and performed on-the-fly hot-fixing in a language that’s almost as old as I am. That all changed in early July of 2025. My position was no longer sustainable because the company was beginning to go a different direction.
Little did management know, I had grown way beyond the initial expectations of my position. I went from a server and cloud administrator to the responsible party for all things technology for the business. VMware virtualization, NetApp storage appliances, Cisco switching, Palo Alto firewalls, and Aruba access points became my forte. It feels like this was ignored when the decision to cut my position was made. The new corporate overloads specialized in handling all the overhead. They let the software business be a software business.
So now here I am, enjoying my preview of retirement. I’m finally getting back to the side projects I always wish I had time and energy to do. One example is this living resume site. I need to find a way to sanitize some of my creations from the last 12 years. If I can do that, I may host them in a repository on Github. For now, I’m leaving La Crosse on an extended hiatus. Will I return? Only time will tell. If a job happens to drop in my lap that requires me to stay put, I may come back. But if not, I’ll be sayonara La Crosse. Thank you to everyone that’s supported me through all of life’s events the last 15 years. Stay tuned for more nerd speak!