today I celebrate two anniversaries...
My 5 year wedding anniversary and my 17th year working on a Chrysler program anniversary (prior to August 2006, the anniversary was celebrated as my “years with Chrysler”).
So, as the Mirena commercial says; a lot can happen in 5 years. Actually, all I can currently remember from that commercial is: buy a house, learn French and move to Memphis. I’ll have to really listen the next time it’s on. Well, in the past 5 years many things have happened, we bought a house and moved to Romeo (18 miles west of Memphis, MI) and I haven’t really learned to speak French (although, I know one person who wishes that I had).
Marriage is a hard thing to make successful. Mundane everyday issues, sensitivities, stubbornness and pride get in the way of complete happiness. You really DO have to work on it – both people do. Some days it’s as easy as pie – other days you’d like to cut up the other person like a pie :)
We have now and have had in the past a lot of things going on since we’ve been together (officially November 2000). It seems we are always so busy, never a dull moment. If it isn’t social events, it’s work around the house. I’m sure we're not the only people who experience this.
We are celebrating our anniversary the same way we do every year; by throwing a big party at the house. We will have it this coming Saturday, August 30. We currently have 88 people that say they will come. Close to the same amount we had last year. We are ramping up the preparations as we speak.
All in all, marriage is a good thing and there are a lot of memorable things to reminisce about.
Regarding my other anniversary; I’ve changed jobs three times in the past 5 years.
Just a mere one week prior to getting married, I was laid off from a job I had with Chrysler working in the Chassis department for Jeep. Within a few minutes of getting my 2 week notice, I was able to use my networking abilities (by then I had been with Chrysler for 12 years), and landed myself a job with my old department; Truck Interior. I stayed with them for 2 years but was looking for someplace to pay me more money. Chrysler had stopped handing out raises to people who were contracted. I found a job with a Chrysler supplier EDAG, Inc. working on the Minivan Body-In-White and Exterior Systems department (more on that at a later date). That job lasted just over a year. One of the four vehicles I was working on was cancelled, so they laid me off. Within two weeks, I was able to find this job at FEV, Inc. Again, I am working for a supplier to Chrysler, this time on engines for FWD Powertrain.
For all of these positions, my title has been VPM Coordinator. VPM is an acronym for Virtual Product Modeler. This is a database that was created by Dassault Systems and handcrafted to meet Chryslers CAD file management needs.
When I was working in the Truck Interior group, I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of work that I had managing their CAD data. Never in two years did I have “down time”. Since I’ve moved on, I can’t say that I’m an expert any longer. I have not been given nearly as much work. I’ve been stripped of my powerful roles and have been told that I cannot do the things that I used to do. It’s very frustrating since I was the “go-to” person for Product Data Management for Interiors. In fact, the last job I had (Minivan BIW & Ext Sys), they were starting to finally get the idea that I really could be useful to them…then bam! LAY OFF! That one I still fail to understand, but how can you question the judgment of management?
So, as the Mirena commercial says; a lot can happen in 5 years. Actually, all I can currently remember from that commercial is: buy a house, learn French and move to Memphis. I’ll have to really listen the next time it’s on. Well, in the past 5 years many things have happened, we bought a house and moved to Romeo (18 miles west of Memphis, MI) and I haven’t really learned to speak French (although, I know one person who wishes that I had).
Marriage is a hard thing to make successful. Mundane everyday issues, sensitivities, stubbornness and pride get in the way of complete happiness. You really DO have to work on it – both people do. Some days it’s as easy as pie – other days you’d like to cut up the other person like a pie :)
We have now and have had in the past a lot of things going on since we’ve been together (officially November 2000). It seems we are always so busy, never a dull moment. If it isn’t social events, it’s work around the house. I’m sure we're not the only people who experience this.
We are celebrating our anniversary the same way we do every year; by throwing a big party at the house. We will have it this coming Saturday, August 30. We currently have 88 people that say they will come. Close to the same amount we had last year. We are ramping up the preparations as we speak.
All in all, marriage is a good thing and there are a lot of memorable things to reminisce about.
Regarding my other anniversary; I’ve changed jobs three times in the past 5 years.
Just a mere one week prior to getting married, I was laid off from a job I had with Chrysler working in the Chassis department for Jeep. Within a few minutes of getting my 2 week notice, I was able to use my networking abilities (by then I had been with Chrysler for 12 years), and landed myself a job with my old department; Truck Interior. I stayed with them for 2 years but was looking for someplace to pay me more money. Chrysler had stopped handing out raises to people who were contracted. I found a job with a Chrysler supplier EDAG, Inc. working on the Minivan Body-In-White and Exterior Systems department (more on that at a later date). That job lasted just over a year. One of the four vehicles I was working on was cancelled, so they laid me off. Within two weeks, I was able to find this job at FEV, Inc. Again, I am working for a supplier to Chrysler, this time on engines for FWD Powertrain.
For all of these positions, my title has been VPM Coordinator. VPM is an acronym for Virtual Product Modeler. This is a database that was created by Dassault Systems and handcrafted to meet Chryslers CAD file management needs.
When I was working in the Truck Interior group, I was completely overwhelmed with the amount of work that I had managing their CAD data. Never in two years did I have “down time”. Since I’ve moved on, I can’t say that I’m an expert any longer. I have not been given nearly as much work. I’ve been stripped of my powerful roles and have been told that I cannot do the things that I used to do. It’s very frustrating since I was the “go-to” person for Product Data Management for Interiors. In fact, the last job I had (Minivan BIW & Ext Sys), they were starting to finally get the idea that I really could be useful to them…then bam! LAY OFF! That one I still fail to understand, but how can you question the judgment of management?
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