So How Has Our Week Gone Since The Big Move?

Pretty good, actually!

If the local temperature would rise by about 100 degrees or so, it would be darn near perfect!

I got this beautiful bouquet of flowers this week from Stan's new boss at Stifel.

 I got this letter from Stan's old boss, telling me Stan was no longer my broker, but they are still fully committed to me and wanting to help me with my account.  Oh good.  I've been worried about that.
 Just between you and me, as far as surprises from the boss go, I liked the flowers more than the letter.

In other good news, Megan's battered knees are healing nicely.  Although she's completely clueless about how she managed to injure herself, she has been in considerable pain since last weekend. It must have been "Bad Luck Saturday" at our house a week ago. This mysterious injury happened the same day my computer took that disastrously suicidal fall down the stairs. Did you notice how those bruises are the exact size of the stair tread on the staircase the computer threw itself down? Weird.

 

In more good news,  my replacement computer screen arrived.

Stan unscrewed a few things,

removed a few things,

 and attached the new screen.

Ta-da! I'm up and running again. 

If Stan's new job doesn't work out, he's always got that computer repair career to fall back on.

In still more good news, Stan appeared in the Billings Gazette today. 

Oh, look! He's opening a new office! And he's Vice President!

I checked out his new office for the first time on Saturday. Stan is in a temporary space in the Transwestern building, waiting for the permanent space in this same building to open up.  Stifel worked hard to open an office so that Stan didn't have to commute to Bozeman.

I found Stan hard at work, calling clients.  His response from his clients has been very positive.  I think almost all of them are going to follow him to Stifel. As of Saturday night, he has contacted 147 out of 500 clients. Don't worry--he's going to call you soon! He's putting in 14 hour days, 6 days a week.  It takes me back to our early years, when Stan started in the business.  I'm keeping a picture of Stan in my wallet for the next 12 months so I can remember what he looks like.

Good news, Jessica, Ashley, and Megan! You'll be relieved to know you made the big move with Dad.
You'll also be relieved to know the walls in his office aren't pink.  They are boring beige, but somehow turn pepto bismol pink when I photograph them.

In yet MORE good news, the roses CR gave to Megan 3 weeks ago still bloom on our table (Creepy, I know. I've never had roses last more than a few days.),

AND Megan was assigned to her first choice, the fall/winter track at BYU-I,

AND we managed to find a prom dress yesterday for under $10,000. (Thanks, Jessica!).

(Don't worry. This isn't the dress. Megan's dress has a turtleneck and is not nearly so fitted.)

In case you missed it, let me tell you the very best news of week:

 THIS IS THE LAST PROM DRESS WE HAVE TO BUY,

EVER EVER!!! WOOT! WOOT!

Cha-Cha-Changin'

Stan has been married to the same person for nearly 34 years.

I've been married to the same person for nearly 34 years.

Stan and I have had the same kids for a long time

and even though they've changed a little over the years,

one of them has been around for 32.86 years or so.

We've lived in Montana for almost 30 years, somewhere around 3/5 of my life

We've lived in the same house for 25 1/2 years.

Stan has worked for the same firm for nearly 30 years.

He loves his view out his office window. He's been enjoying it for years. From this window he can see the hospital where he was born, his childhood home, his elementary, junior and high school.

I know what you're thinking:
"Wow, those Joneses are stuck firmly in a rut!"

All that is about to change. Today Stan is starting a new job. 
The last few months have been a nightmare of frustrating, humiliating, and depressing events, culminating in Stan's decision to change employers.  He has become increasingly disgusted by the way his firm tries to force investments on some clients and charges exorbitant fees to customers with smaller accounts.  And if that isn't enough, he has been subjected to a boss who insists on telling him he's going to hell because of his religious beliefs, and that this treatment is God's way of punishing him for his religious choices, and that he hopes Stan is looking for "other options". 



These last few weeks have been agonizing.  Stan couldn't eat.  He couldn't sleep. Stan didn't know when he went to work each morning if he'd have a job when he got there.  His confrontations with his boss have become increasingly stressful.  He hated the growing feeling he could no longer recommend investments in the best interests of his clients. 

Fortunately, he is a top producer in our area, and has been headhunted by a number of firms in the last five years.

Finally, he got the right offer from the right company at the right time.

By the way, that's pronounced "Steefle". 

So last night Stan, Megan, Stan's brothers, sister-in-law, and I visited his old office after closing time and cleaned it out.

Stan signed the Stifel contract, did the paper work, and this morning he turned in his letter of resignation at the old firm and moved to a new job with a new company.  He didn't have far to go. The new office is right across the street from the old.

 We're both a little nervous. 
Although there are 5 other Stifel offices in Montana, the first Stifel office opens in Billings today. 
Stan is currently its sole stockbroker.
It's scary to be starting over at our ancient mature age.

But we know it can't be worse than the last several weeks.