The picture with today’s post is from Chris’ camera.  It is one my favorites from the collection of  his studio photographs that he graciously donated to this humble effort.  Today’s header shows a Yellow Crowned Night Heron, that Anne photographed yesterday.  She was biking in the Park.  She actually saw two of them, this was the better picture.  She got fifteen miles on the bike.  I got ten hours at work.

This week at work has been a little bit stressful.  I had a deliverable due this week, hence my extra workload.  I also got some bad news about some additional work that I had been expecting.  While I still hold out hope that this work will be needed, I have to at least think about alternatives.  I am confident that if needed another assignment will present itself, but it is that element of the unknown, that is causing me some stress. 

In the thirty plus years that I have pursued my professional career, I have faced this situation before.  Over the years, I have worked for multiple employers and have worked in multiple industries.  One thing that I am proud of is that for more then thirty years, I have stayed employed.  This includes the six months that Anne and I took off for our Great Adventure.  Then I was technically still employed, just on a leave of absence and I was back under contract within a week of returning to Saint Louis.

This moment of doubt comes at an interesting time.  The kids are pretty much out of the house.  The house is pretty much paid for.  Other than Dan, who is making plans to roam, we have no family here.  While we would hate to leave Saint Louis, where we have invested almost thirty years, we are free to do so.  If necessary, we can once again become Babes in Toyland, jumping off into the unknown.

I fear now that I have become too maudlin and way too alarmist.  Let me leave you this way.  On my way to work everyday, I pass a Powerball sign proclaiming the current jackpot.  When the pot is over eighty million, I buy a single ticket.  I reap the benefit of that ticket in the ten minutes after I pass the sign, until I get to work.  I dream of a different life.

This fork in the road is at the moment no more real in my mind then any Powerball alternative.  Think of this post as my own version of speculative fiction, born from a seed of truth, but raised to fruition in the imagination of my mind.  It feels good to get this off my chest.  Now I wonder if I will have to work on Saturday?