decision day.

[lwoodbloo]

Tomorrow is the first day I can fax in my retirement papers at Verizon. I am going to do it. It was actually something I was thinking about for a long time, and honestly, it's time. I'm taking a leave anyway to student teach. There is nothing in the way of movement at work. I can't go anywhere else or do anything else. There are no promotions, no lateral moves to something new and different. And you all, being the technologically inclined folks you are, know that wirelines phones are dying. For most people, anyway. God knows most of us don't use them fifty percent of the time anymore, and I know at least one person on my flist who has a wireline phone for internet access and for 911 access.

So. Essentially, I'm walking away from verizon with a fistful of money, a stocked 401k, and a master's degree. I believe we've exploited each other quite neatly. Don't you think?

Comments

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

I do.

I also have a landline, part out of superstition, part out of habit. Also because when we had the power hit, the landlines were all that were working!

[lwoodbloo.livejournal.com]

Actually, most cell towers work on a generator, AFAIK.

[offbalance.livejournal.com]

Well, whatever happened, they didn't work last time!

[phoenixsong]

I know Dad's work Blackberry (Cingular or T-Mobile, I believe) cut out when Buffalo's power went down in October. Ditto for mom's cell phone not working. So the landline was the only way I had to reach them until power came back (and I had Dad reset the BB).

Stuff like that is the only thing keeping me from looking into VoIP with Cox cable right now.

[drexplosivo.livejournal.com]

If I might make a suggestion about VoIP?

Try it before you buy it by getting SKYPE first. There are some "interesting features" to VoIP that make it odd, like time-delay, or really suddenly losing a call for no reason whatsoever except that "shifting router packet-transfer needs caused your MAC address to be assigned a new IP lease thus cancelling all upload traffic". Or other techno-babble.

But, like most other things...Your Mileage May Vary.

[dawnstar.livejournal.com]

Also check prices first. TimeWarner keeps making this big huge deal over their VoIP prices, and how great a deal it is. We pay substantially less through Vonage, and that includes international calling, where TWC does not. Service has been excellent - no dropped calls, great reception. And I figure in most emergencies, we would have cell service. In the rare case where we wouldn't, there's always the option to go to someone else's home (neighbor, friend, etc.) to make calls.

[karmakazesal.livejournal.com]

most cell towers work on a generator, AFAIK.


The big issue is gas or diesel. Last time there was a blackout, my cell worked for about 12 hours. At that point, my local tower ran out of fuel. Then it went from 5 bars to zero bars in a split second. While I was on the phone.

The same problem bit me with my DSL service around 9/11. About 36 hours after, my net access died. The CoLo ran out of diesel.

The moral of the story is, if you're going to set up a back up generator, invest in natural gas.

[lwoodbloo.livejournal.com]

Good points all. I'd LIKE to think E911 will not be an issue...

[aliasa.livejournal.com]

i have a landline -- i prefer talking to people on it than the cell phone (which I abhor).

[ladyjendifi.livejournal.com]

yes.

And if the cash flow is ever short, I owe you a bill. ;)

[phoenixsong]

Sounds pretty sweet to me. If you're content with it, I'm not going to talk you out of it. I take it student teaching is this spring semester, and then you're done?

[bixxy.livejournal.com]

Wow, what a great position to be in!

[karmakazesal.livejournal.com]

Tomorrow is the first day I can fax in my retirement papers at Verizon.


To quote St Milton; incentives matter. And Verizon in their infinite lack of wisdom, is bribing the best and brightest to get better jobs elsewhere.

Everyone who a) doesn't have to work or b) can get another job will take the package. Verizon will then be stuck with those who can't do any better than the current job.

BTW, my suggestion is to roll your 401k into an IRA as soon as you can. Just in case you get tempted to blow it all on booze and hookers, the IRA is tricker to blow.

[lwoodbloo.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. That's not something I'm too worried about.

Except that I really ought to call fidelity and figure out what I need to do as soon as I'm sep from payroll...

A bit late....

[zrealm.livejournal.com]

But you might appreciate this matt (Kinda NSFW)...

http://www.tommyv2.com/05march14b.htm

how can we get in touch with you by email now?

Re: A bit late....

[lwoodbloo.livejournal.com]

give me a call later if you still want to hang out.

[daisyconfused.livejournal.com]

Wow! Retiring at the ripe old age of ... how old are you now? 31?