Blacksburg, Virginia

So, I am now in Blacksburg Virginia, starting out on my new job. This is a startup, something I thought I was prepared for, but apparently not because everything needs to be done, we need testing, procedures, equipment, design rules, flow of information, and a million other things. This does not make me feel secure, but then again, that was the intent, to break out and do something different in motors because the old way is not working and the old ways are dying despite all of our best efforts.

To make things worse, I am not all that fond of Blacksburg. Not much Chowhounding opportunities, not a decent bookstroe around, in a college town yet. Not much Chinese culture, and its a red state. I still have confidence in the company and I need to make it all happen, which is what I had intended to do, but it keeps making me second guess my decision.

Mind you I am not about to quit, I am just going through one of my millions of moments of doubt. The work can be so good, and I guess the attraction is the promise of success, but it is so hard to predict the future. Of course not everything is negative here, there are interesting work and there are smart people I work with, and as if right now we have funding so we can do it up right.

I can hack it, I recover pretty quickly, but my poor mom keeps wanting to move somewhere and settling into her old age, meanwhile I am dragging her all over the place. Guilt, what a feeling.

Strange thing

I went to eat at a Subway here in Blacksburg last night. They now have an interactive screen with a credit card swipe, so if the line is long you can use the touchscreen to order your subs, the first screen is a menu with all the food that they have and then you work your way down the options systematically.

On the one hand I was intrigued by the technology and the application of the technology. Ont he other hand, the concept was a little abhorent, just from a service point of view. How is it that the economy is is a headlong rush towards service and yet, less and less service is being given to the customer. Very strange.