Doc,
Been there done that! It took me a while to realize that I was un-happy at work. For me it all came to a head when a promotion came up in a company I had been with for 10 years and I was passed over. (It went to a guy who had been with them on and off for about 8 years and he would quit if a better job came along at any time , and eventually ...he did) After being a company man for so long it took me 2 more years to realize that it was O.K. to make a change for the job I really wanted, to make work secondary and make the family number one. (I missed many school functions got home after 8:00PM many times and rescheduled vactions around a job completion. went in at 11:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 PM countless times and kept working on through the next day. Worked I don't know how many Saturdays always figuring it would pay off somewhere down the road) You can never get those days back!
During those 2 years I was the most moody unhappy person around. Looking back I am surprised I held my job, I would have let myself go within a few months I wouldn't work any OT, didn't take any crap from any of our customers. (in other words I had confrontations with all but one) [Linked Image] Even made a grown man cry so they tell me. (That one I am not ashamed of! He was a complete idiot and had no business doing what he was doing. As for the rest I should have been more cooperative I am not sure how I didn't burn any bridges)

If it was not on the plans I would not do it! If the plans were drawn wrong and I new it I went out of my way to try and get them to provide new plans before I would make changes. These were regular customers who started to rely on us for "Turn-Key" projects. Many times jobs were completed before we were given accurate plans. We were given these jobs without having to bid against anyone. When the new jobs were starting I would get the info from the owner of our company and I felt like the eternal apprentice. Some of the things that he would explain seemed so elementary. I felt like I could never get out from under his thumbs. (In his defense he used to teach first year apprentices and was a very good communicator) My nextell seemed to turn off for no apparent reason. I just felt as though all the extra miles I went before were for nothing. So for about a year I looked for that "Perfect Job" and when I found it I left. Stayed there for 2 years started as service manager and left as chief estimator and went back to the old company (I wanted to be with a company that I had helped build a solid repution for) for about 3 weeks. Once I was there for a week the hair on the back of my neck stood up when the same things started to happen again. I gave my notice and ...

I took a job out of state (never thought I would leave the area I grew up in) moved the family and life has been pretty good since. The job I took went south they lost there Government Contract so I opened up my own shop. Now at times I almost feel semi-retired. The wife works from 5:00 AM until 10:00 AM and I wait to start my day till after my daughter gets on the bus for school 8:00 AM. Now I schedule work around my life as much as possible, make sure I am at the school functions I missed before, volunteer at school now and then. Usually work in town, and play as much as possible.

I finally figured that life was too short to be un-happy at work.
Wirewiz