There's a pretty significant change on the horizon for myself and Jen - her contract gig with Intel (via TeamPeople, a contracting agency) ends 8/29. As of September, we will both be unemployed.
I exited my VP of Engineering position in the first Quarter of 2023 for what was initially positioned as a three-month leave of absence. That ended up being permanent. Around the same time, Jennifer had been laid off from Intel (from a full-time employee position) with a substantial package. Both of our circumstances at the time allowed us a brief opportunity to take a break from decades of daily and off-hour demanding positions.
Just as her resources were thinning in September of last year, she was brought back on board as a contractor, with far less demanding responsibilities. Although the pay and benefits were lower, the demands were also less. It worked well for her and us.
During this time, I have filled my days with interests and hobbies, an idea related to EOL planning that I've since reconsidered, numerous household undertakings, and sporadic dives into writing "the book". It's been a rewarding time yet somewhat scattershot to the point that I have felt compelled to reinvigorate my routines and focus more on 'clearing the deck' of languishing tasks of high importance and otherwise diving more fully into the book and my own mental and physical well-being.
All of this is happening while waiting for an anticipated increase in demand on my time as my mother approaches the two-year point of her 12-24 month terminal prognosis of Acute Myeloid Leukemia. This is the right time for me to have the flexibility I need. It's already starting to get filled up with more ad-hoc needs, and even though at times it's inconvenient or interruptive, it's also the only time left that we will have with her, and I strive to be consistently conscious of that as a gift.
Come September, we will begin another likely short stint between jobs. A time when we get to enjoy ourselves. Another break, heading out of summer and into the end of the year. The Fall. The Fall of Jennifer.
We're already coordinating on a range of day trips and projects. Ideally, we'll have the rest of the year to pursue and accomplish tasks and initiatives while also enjoying more day trips, walks in nature, and the home we've created with friends, family, or just each other.