OT Thinking out loud

[George Herold]

Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.
(Along with a signed severance agreement, thanks for the
attorney suggestion.)
Big sigh of relief... 'ahhh'.
(and also some sadness, I'm leaving all my babies (instruments)
behind, and they will be worse for my absence.)

My ex-boss was all hyped to get me to come in for IP transfer.
I said go away, I'll write you an email. I'm working on
said email, but I am conflicted and wanted to come and think
out loud here, and welcome any of your opinions.

I've mostly committed to come in for a day or two 'for free'.
The 'for free' bit is for my sanity, I set the terms.
Mostly to exclude one ex-co-worker from discussion/ demonstration,
but other 'power' things too. I don't work here any more and
whatever small knowledge I have is now mine. Your mistake for
not extracting it before I left, and now feeling aggrieved expect to pay.
(Right, the whole 'pay' thing doesn't fit in with the 'for free' bit,
let me note my ambiguity and move on.)

Where I'm conflicted is what comes next.
Option one: pay me.
You want more time/ wisdom? Pay my three weeks of unused
vacation for this year. And you can have another day.
Then expect some similar pay scale moving forward.
Is ~$1.5k/ day an unreasonable amount? More?
(I'm trying to put together a guesstimate for number of days
needed... once over lightly for ~5 instruments looks to be
about five days. (that just covers how to measure things when
everything works right)

Option two: f-you.
I feel aggrieved to the tune of $100's of kilo bucks,
(past and future)
So go figure it out for yourself.
It's nice to think about a quick separation,
less stress for me and ~$10k more this year is
not worth the stress.

Questions;
I worry about option 2, hurting my reputation.
(Thinking about my future I could totally see being
'the lab guy' at some physics department... maybe
making new 'babies' on the side. :^)

George H.

Unrelated but I've been reading "Tragedy and Hope",
A history of the world in our time.
I'm only ~100 pages in (it's a tome at 1300)
and I'm enjoying the writing and the history lesson.
Chapter III "The Russian Empire to 1917" has a lot
of stuff I didn't know.

 

[Tom Gardner]

On 05/11/19 18:17, George Herold wrote:

Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.
(Along with a signed severance agreement, thanks for the
attorney suggestion.)
Big sigh of relief... 'ahhh'.
(and also some sadness, I'm leaving all my babies (instruments)
behind, and they will be worse for my absence.)

My ex-boss was all hyped to get me to come in for IP transfer.
I said go away, I'll write you an email. I'm working on
said email, but I am conflicted and wanted to come and think
out loud here, and welcome any of your opinions.

I've mostly committed to come in for a day or two 'for free'.
The 'for free' bit is for my sanity, I set the terms.
Mostly to exclude one ex-co-worker from discussion/ demonstration,
but other 'power' things too. I don't work here any more and
whatever small knowledge I have is now mine. Your mistake for
not extracting it before I left, and now feeling aggrieved expect to pay.
(Right, the whole 'pay' thing doesn't fit in with the 'for free' bit,
let me note my ambiguity and move on.)

Where I'm conflicted is what comes next.
Option one: pay me.
You want more time/ wisdom? Pay my three weeks of unused
vacation for this year. And you can have another day.
Then expect some similar pay scale moving forward.
Is ~$1.5k/ day an unreasonable amount? More?
(I'm trying to put together a guesstimate for number of days
needed... once over lightly for ~5 instruments looks to be
about five days. (that just covers how to measure things when
everything works right)

Option two: f-you.
I feel aggrieved to the tune of $100's of kilo bucks,
(past and future)
So go figure it out for yourself.
It's nice to think about a quick separation,
less stress for me and ~$10k more this year is
not worth the stress.

Questions;
I worry about option 2, hurting my reputation.
(Thinking about my future I could totally see being
'the lab guy' at some physics department... maybe
making new 'babies' on the side. :^)

Personally I wouldn't feel I owed much /to them/.
Doubly so if they initiated the divorce.
What I "owe myself" is far more important in the
long term.

So, firstly, I would ensure I didn't /lose/ anything
because of them. Examples
- my time
- my money
- conflict with a future employer
- my self-respect w.r.t. wanting to do a decent (in
all senses) job
- my reputation
- my satisfaction w.r.t. my babies

Secondly I might think about continuing a financially
rewarding relationship with them. That requires not
allowing myself to become a doormat.

Finally, if you have your "drop dead money"[1], you
would probably be happier if you forgot about the money.

[1] https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Drop%20dead%20money


One example from my past...

I had a patent application in progress, the employer
shut the site, and made everybody redundant. I moved on
and got another job.

A few months later they wanted me to help them getting that
patent in other territories including the US. They sent
me a standard document to sign with phrases such as I
"would do everything necessary to progress the application".

Now I wouldn't have minded signing a single document or so,
but there's no way I was going to commit to doing "everything
necessary"!

I inserted modified the clauses to "everything reasonably
necessary" and signed and dated each change. Since they
hadn't bothered to send me an envelope, I simply stuck it in
a non-stamped envelope and returned it to them.

They sent me another copy a few months later; I repeated
that process.

 

[Tim Williams]

"George Herold" <ggherold@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:94c55032-ac9b-4a79-b545-bdd841753bcf@googlegroups.com...

You want more time/ wisdom? Pay my three weeks of unused
vacation for this year. And you can have another day.
Then expect some similar pay scale moving forward.

You didn't cash out vacay? Call the labor board or a lawyer. Stolen wages
aren't a matter of politeness.

Tim

--
Seven Transistor Labs, LLC
Electrical Engineering Consultation and Design
Website: https://www.seventransistorlabs.com/

 

[Lasse Langwadt Christense]

tirsdag den 5. november 2019 kl. 23.19.10 UTC+1 skrev Tim Williams:

"George Herold" <ggherold@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:94c55032-ac9b-4a79-b545-bdd841753bcf@googlegroups.com...
You want more time/ wisdom? Pay my three weeks of unused
vacation for this year. And you can have another day.
Then expect some similar pay scale moving forward.

You didn't cash out vacay? Call the labor board or a lawyer. Stolen wages
aren't a matter of politeness.

here your vacation "account" just continues, i.e. when you leave an employer the vacation you have accumulated gets paid into an account to pay for your next vacation regardless of where you work at that time

 

[mpm]

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 1:17:32 PM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:
> Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Here's the thing, George.
It really doesn't take much "f-you" money to exit immediately and completely.
Money routinely fosters unhealthy relationships.

Just let it go.
It literally is only money.

 

[Bob Engelhardt]

On 11/5/2019 10:00 PM, George Herold wrote:

I've got this anger, and think... make 'em pay.
But then when I think about it the money doesn't do much for me.
So what's the point.
...

And making them pay won't affect any of the assholes who you're angry
at. It's not their money. Really is no point.

 

[George Herold]

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 7:17:02 PM UTC-5, mpm wrote:

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 1:17:32 PM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:
Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Here's the thing, George.
It really doesn't take much "f-you" money to exit immediately and completely.
Money routinely fosters unhealthy relationships.

Just let it go.
It literally is only money.

Right, thanks. (and Tom above)
I've got this anger, and think... make 'em pay.
But then when I think about it the money doesn't do much for me.
So what's the point.

I can do my day or two of show and tell and then close that book.
That feels acceptable to me.

George H.

 

[Robert Baer]

George Herold wrote:

Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.
(Along with a signed severance agreement, thanks for the
attorney suggestion.)
Big sigh of relief... 'ahhh'.
(and also some sadness, I'm leaving all my babies (instruments)
behind, and they will be worse for my absence.)

My ex-boss was all hyped to get me to come in for IP transfer.
I said go away, I'll write you an email. I'm working on
said email, but I am conflicted and wanted to come and think
out loud here, and welcome any of your opinions.

I've mostly committed to come in for a day or two 'for free'.
The 'for free' bit is for my sanity, I set the terms.
Mostly to exclude one ex-co-worker from discussion/ demonstration,
but other 'power' things too. I don't work here any more and
whatever small knowledge I have is now mine. Your mistake for
not extracting it before I left, and now feeling aggrieved expect to pay.
(Right, the whole 'pay' thing doesn't fit in with the 'for free' bit,
let me note my ambiguity and move on.)

Where I'm conflicted is what comes next.
Option one: pay me.
You want more time/ wisdom? Pay my three weeks of unused
vacation for this year. And you can have another day.
Then expect some similar pay scale moving forward.
Is ~$1.5k/ day an unreasonable amount? More?
(I'm trying to put together a guesstimate for number of days
needed... once over lightly for ~5 instruments looks to be
about five days. (that just covers how to measure things when
everything works right)

Option two: f-you.
I feel aggrieved to the tune of $100's of kilo bucks,
(past and future)
So go figure it out for yourself.
It's nice to think about a quick separation,
less stress for me and ~$10k more this year is
not worth the stress.

Questions;
I worry about option 2, hurting my reputation.
(Thinking about my future I could totally see being
'the lab guy' at some physics department... maybe
making new 'babies' on the side. :^)

George H.

Unrelated but I've been reading "Tragedy and Hope",
A history of the world in our time.
I'm only ~100 pages in (it's a tome at 1300)
and I'm enjoying the writing and the history lesson.
Chapter III "The Russian Empire to 1917" has a lot
of stuff I didn't know.

Thinking is dangerous.
Results can be disastrous.

 

[Klaus Kragelund]

I would make them pay

Then if you don’t want to keep the money, donate it to charity or buy pizzas for the entire firm (don’t know the size of it).

 

[Tom Gardner]

On 06/11/19 03:00, George Herold wrote:

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 7:17:02 PM UTC-5, mpm wrote:
On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 1:17:32 PM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:
Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Here's the thing, George.
It really doesn't take much "f-you" money to exit immediately and completely.
Money routinely fosters unhealthy relationships.

Just let it go.
It literally is only money.

Right, thanks. (and Tom above)
I've got this anger, and think... make 'em pay.
But then when I think about it the money doesn't do much for me.
So what's the point.

You're welcome.

There /might/ be a point to screwing them: if you actively
get pleasure from exacting revenge.

Of course, if they find they do need your expertise for to
dig them out of a hole, you could charge them the proverbial
$100 ($1 for digging and $99 for knowing where to dig).

 

[Jasen Betts]

On 2019-11-05, George Herold <ggherold@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Option one: pay me.

Option two: f-you.

Seems you want revenge.

Option three: tell them who needs to leave before you'll return.

--
When I tried casting out nines I made a hash of it.

 

[Rick C]

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 10:00:11 PM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 7:17:02 PM UTC-5, mpm wrote:
On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 1:17:32 PM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:
Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Here's the thing, George.
It really doesn't take much "f-you" money to exit immediately and completely.
Money routinely fosters unhealthy relationships.

Just let it go.
It literally is only money.

Right, thanks. (and Tom above)
I've got this anger, and think... make 'em pay.
But then when I think about it the money doesn't do much for me.
So what's the point.

I can do my day or two of show and tell and then close that book.
That feels acceptable to me.

I don't recall the details you laid out in your previous thread on this, but it sounds like you have some real issues with them. I suggest you just chill a while and let things settle in your mind and heart. So take a week or two. You don't need to go in to educate them right away do you?

Once you have had a chance to stop thinking about this you can have some new ideas and likely get past some of the anger/frustration to figure out what will make *you* feel the best you can about it all.

Work for pay, work for free, rake them over the coals, whatever. Just give your self time to relax and figure out how you really feel about helping them.

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[Martin Brown]

On 05/11/2019 18:17, George Herold wrote:

Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.
(Along with a signed severance agreement, thanks for the
attorney suggestion.)
Big sigh of relief... 'ahhh'.
(and also some sadness, I'm leaving all my babies (instruments)
behind, and they will be worse for my absence.)

That bit you have to let go of and accept that they are now someone
else's problem to worry about. If they can't make them work then they
will come back to you cap in hand in a few months time.

One of my former employers was on the phone within weeks of me leaving
(although it was my decision to leave them and go independent). I got
fed up with them importing "consultants" whose bad advice was followed
when my good advice was ignored so decided to let them get on with it.

My ex-boss was all hyped to get me to come in for IP transfer.
I said go away, I'll write you an email. I'm working on
said email, but I am conflicted and wanted to come and think
out loud here, and welcome any of your opinions.

FWIW My advice is don't do *anything* for free.

BTW At least in the UK you are *entitled* to be paid for any outstanding
holiday entitlement. Check your contract of employment carefully.

I've mostly committed to come in for a day or two 'for free'.
The 'for free' bit is for my sanity, I set the terms.
Mostly to exclude one ex-co-worker from discussion/ demonstration,
but other 'power' things too. I don't work here any more and
whatever small knowledge I have is now mine. Your mistake for
not extracting it before I left, and now feeling aggrieved expect to pay.
(Right, the whole 'pay' thing doesn't fit in with the 'for free' bit,
let me note my ambiguity and move on.)

Obviously it is your choice but if you want to make a living consulting
then contacts can be valuable and other people from the organisation may
also move on and remember that you were a handy guy to have around.

I would never do anything for nothing (unless it was for a start up I
liked where I could make a big difference with minimal effort and I felt
the project was worthwhile and interesting).

Where I'm conflicted is what comes next.
Option one: pay me.
You want more time/ wisdom? Pay my three weeks of unused
vacation for this year. And you can have another day.
Then expect some similar pay scale moving forward.
Is ~$1.5k/ day an unreasonable amount? More?
(I'm trying to put together a guesstimate for number of days
needed... once over lightly for ~5 instruments looks to be
about five days. (that just covers how to measure things when
everything works right)

Do you want a clean break or not?

This depends a lot on how you got on with your co-workers and managers.
I generally managed to stay on relatively good terms with all the ones I
rated but I never got made redundant. People I know who have been fall
into two camps - the ones who retain contacts with their former boss
(accepting that they were just doing their job) and those that never
speak to their former boss ever again. It is your choice but if your
boss was one of the good guys it does no harm to retain contacts in the
business for when they need help in some future role in another company.

Option two: f-you.
I feel aggrieved to the tune of $100's of kilo bucks,
(past and future)
So go figure it out for yourself.
It's nice to think about a quick separation,
less stress for me and ~$10k more this year is
not worth the stress.

They terminated your contract of employment. Do you get any redundancy
as a result or was it pure and simple sacking with no compensation.

Decisions have consequences and you are under no obligation to help them
out even if they are desperate. They may make it more worthwhile if you
play hard to get.

Questions;
I worry about option 2, hurting my reputation.
(Thinking about my future I could totally see being
'the lab guy' at some physics department... maybe
making new 'babies' on the side. :^)

George H.

That is only a problem if there are contacts in the company that you
might hope to keep onside as referees for job applications or offers of
future work. I got a proportion of offers of contract work from various
former managers and contacts made at my former employers. I was known
for being able diagnose complex faults and make things work.

My brother in law used to work as a university lab technician in various
roles. Not massively well paid but secure and a chance to work in a very
stimulating environment with great people and on cutting edge toys.

If you are going to go contracting you need to develop a more brutal pay
me reliably or you get nothing useful by way of advice style. I had a
habit of being unavailable for any new work if I had unpaid invoices
from particular clients that I knew were very bad payers.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do next.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

 

[Tom Gardner]

On 06/11/19 08:22, Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2019-11-05, George Herold <ggherold@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Option one: pay me.

Option two: f-you.

Seems you want revenge.

Option three: tell them who needs to leave before you'll return.

Option four: charge them $X for consulting if person Y is there,
and X/10 if Y has left

Sometimes /thinking/ about revenge can be fun - but make sure the
emphasis is on fun

 

[George Herold]

On Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 3:19:31 AM UTC-5, Rick C wrote:

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 10:00:11 PM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:
On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 7:17:02 PM UTC-5, mpm wrote:
On Tuesday, November 5, 2019 at 1:17:32 PM UTC-5, George Herold wrote:
Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Here's the thing, George.
It really doesn't take much "f-you" money to exit immediately and completely.
Money routinely fosters unhealthy relationships.

Just let it go.
It literally is only money.

Right, thanks. (and Tom above)
I've got this anger, and think... make 'em pay.
But then when I think about it the money doesn't do much for me.
So what's the point.

I can do my day or two of show and tell and then close that book.
That feels acceptable to me.

I don't recall the details you laid out in your previous thread on this, but it sounds like you have some real issues with them. I suggest you just chill a while and let things settle in your mind and heart. So take a week or two. You don't need to go in to educate them right away do you?
Hah, they have product to ship and don't know how to test it.

Once you have had a chance to stop thinking about this you can have some new ideas and likely get past some of the anger/frustration to figure out what will make *you* feel the best you can about it all.

Work for pay, work for free, rake them over the coals, whatever. Just give your self time to relax and figure out how you really feel about helping them.

Right, Thanks. I am doing some thinking.

George H.

--

Rick C.

- Get 1,000 miles of free Supercharging
- Tesla referral code - https://ts.la/richard11209

 

[George Herold]

On Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 2:31:21 AM UTC-5, Klaus Kragelund wrote:

I would make them pay

Then if you don’t want to keep the money, donate it to charity or buy pizzas for the entire firm (don’t know the size of it).

Ten to twelve people, depending on how you count part time.

It's not so much about the money. It had become a toxic atmosphere
for me. I kept my head down and did my work. Now it's hard to imagine
an amount of money that would make me go back to that...
I guess the only pull (back) would be to know my instrument were
going out in good order.

George H.

 

[Tom Gardner]

On 06/11/19 16:32, George Herold wrote:

On Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 2:31:21 AM UTC-5, Klaus Kragelund wrote:
I would make them pay

Then if you don’t want to keep the money, donate it to charity or buy pizzas for the entire firm (don’t know the size of it).

Ten to twelve people, depending on how you count part time.

It's not so much about the money. It had become a toxic atmosphere
for me. I kept my head down and did my work. Now it's hard to imagine
an amount of money that would make me go back to that...
I guess the only pull (back) would be to know my instrument were
going out in good order.

Old joke:
“Doing a good job here is like peeing your pants in a dark
suit — you get a warm feeling but no one else notices.”

 

[Tom Gardner]

On 06/11/19 16:37, George Herold wrote:
> Hah, they have product to ship and don't know how to test it.

.... so perhaps the customers will notice problems and
complain. If the customers are important to the business,
they may come back to you.

Could you do consulting for the customers?

Might depend on what you are doing:
- getting it working for each and every customer - OK
- giving ammunition to sue your ex employer - questionable

 

[George Herold]

On Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 3:31:05 AM UTC-5, Jasen Betts wrote:

On 2019-11-05, George Herold <ggherold@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.

Option one: pay me.

Option two: f-you.

Seems you want revenge.

Hmm revenge is not quite right.
Anger and sadness, the anger is directed at me as much anyone else.
I lost my 'mojo' (fire in the belly, that thing which gives
you shower ideas in the morning and plans for the day as you drive
into work.) years ago, that was the time to leave.
I guess that is my lesson learned.

George H.

Option three: tell them who needs to leave before you'll return.

--
When I tried casting out nines I made a hash of it.

 

[George Herold]

On Wednesday, November 6, 2019 at 4:32:17 AM UTC-5, Martin Brown wrote:

On 05/11/2019 18:17, George Herold wrote:
Hi All, Well I moved my stuff out of my PPOE yesterday.
(Along with a signed severance agreement, thanks for the
attorney suggestion.)
Big sigh of relief... 'ahhh'.
(and also some sadness, I'm leaving all my babies (instruments)
behind, and they will be worse for my absence.)

That bit you have to let go of and accept that they are now someone
else's problem to worry about. If they can't make them work then they
will come back to you cap in hand in a few months time.

One of my former employers was on the phone within weeks of me leaving
(although it was my decision to leave them and go independent). I got
fed up with them importing "consultants" whose bad advice was followed
when my good advice was ignored so decided to let them get on with it.

Yeah, my boss and I had a parting conversation.
(it was a doozie) One thing he said that, struck me is
that he had lost confidence in what I was saying or suggesting.
That explained a lot to me!

My ex-boss was all hyped to get me to come in for IP transfer.
I said go away, I'll write you an email. I'm working on
said email, but I am conflicted and wanted to come and think
out loud here, and welcome any of your opinions.

FWIW My advice is don't do *anything* for free.

BTW At least in the UK you are *entitled* to be paid for any outstanding
holiday entitlement. Check your contract of employment carefully.

I've mostly committed to come in for a day or two 'for free'.
The 'for free' bit is for my sanity, I set the terms.
Mostly to exclude one ex-co-worker from discussion/ demonstration,
but other 'power' things too. I don't work here any more and
whatever small knowledge I have is now mine. Your mistake for
not extracting it before I left, and now feeling aggrieved expect to pay.
(Right, the whole 'pay' thing doesn't fit in with the 'for free' bit,
let me note my ambiguity and move on.)

Obviously it is your choice but if you want to make a living consulting
then contacts can be valuable and other people from the organisation may
also move on and remember that you were a handy guy to have around.

I would never do anything for nothing (unless it was for a start up I
liked where I could make a big difference with minimal effort and I felt
the project was worthwhile and interesting).

I guess I agree, the 'for free' thing in this case is very different.
Since the money is not that important, it's about power.
I'm not training person X and ~1/2 of a day will be spent with
person Y showing them stuff.

Where I'm conflicted is what comes next.
Option one: pay me.
You want more time/ wisdom? Pay my three weeks of unused
vacation for this year. And you can have another day.
Then expect some similar pay scale moving forward.
Is ~$1.5k/ day an unreasonable amount? More?
(I'm trying to put together a guesstimate for number of days
needed... once over lightly for ~5 instruments looks to be
about five days. (that just covers how to measure things when
everything works right)

Do you want a clean break or not?

This depends a lot on how you got on with your co-workers and managers.
I generally managed to stay on relatively good terms with all the ones I
rated but I never got made redundant. People I know who have been fall
into two camps - the ones who retain contacts with their former boss
(accepting that they were just doing their job) and those that never
speak to their former boss ever again. It is your choice but if your
boss was one of the good guys it does no harm to retain contacts in the
business for when they need help in some future role in another company.
Right, A clean break.

Option two: f-you.
I feel aggrieved to the tune of $100's of kilo bucks,
(past and future)
So go figure it out for yourself.
It's nice to think about a quick separation,
less stress for me and ~$10k more this year is
not worth the stress.

They terminated your contract of employment. Do you get any redundancy
as a result or was it pure and simple sacking with no compensation.

Oh, from previous posts, I hired a lawyer, ~$500 and
she changed the language in the severance agreement to something
I could sign. 3 months pay and health care, and 3/4's of
the yearly bonus.

Decisions have consequences and you are under no obligation to help them
out even if they are desperate. They may make it more worthwhile if you
play hard to get.

Besides other things, there are 4-5 aligned diode lasers on the
shelf.

Questions;
I worry about option 2, hurting my reputation.
(Thinking about my future I could totally see being
'the lab guy' at some physics department... maybe
making new 'babies' on the side. :^)

George H.

That is only a problem if there are contacts in the company that you
might hope to keep onside as referees for job applications or offers of
future work. I got a proportion of offers of contract work from various
former managers and contacts made at my former employers. I was known
for being able diagnose complex faults and make things work.
Right there are many more contacts between (past) customers and vendors.

My brother in law used to work as a university lab technician in various
roles. Not massively well paid but secure and a chance to work in a very
stimulating environment with great people and on cutting edge toys.

As in many jobs having the right boss/ co-workers is a big part of it.
If you are going to go contracting you need to develop a more brutal pay
me reliably or you get nothing useful by way of advice style. I had a
habit of being unavailable for any new work if I had unpaid invoices
from particular clients that I knew were very bad payers.

Hmm Is there some standard consultant contract that clears you of
all reasonable liability while you consult?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do next.

Thanks, I do so appreciate the input from ya'all here on
SED.

George H.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown