Quandary

I am becoming aware of the fact that, once again, it's only the people I work with that make coming to work in any way enjoyable or rewarding any more. The job itself is beginning to suck a tad.

This situation happened the last place I worked. The job ended up being awful with the company not investing in the majority of the staff, leaving them working with redundant technologies and treating them like dirt. I ended staying too long, stuck in a rut, mainly because the people I worked with were so sound.

I've either been very lucky in that respect or, in general, Software Engineers are a pretty sociable, easy-to-get-on-with bunch (despite the "geeky" stereotype). It does help that conversations can vary between discussing the relative merits of an actresses arse one minute to reminiscing about 8-bit computer games the next. And when it comes to beer (not that I get the opportunity for the long drunken sessions that I used to very often these days), they drink it like someone's just about to take it away from them. These are my kind of people.

Now I will admit this company is better.. They have invested in my skill set (I can now code -to a greater or lesser degree- in C#) and the financial reward is a tad better admittedly. However, some things still suck..

And anyway, I thought that things were going to change next year.
The plan was to get back home, to North Wales.
Indeed originally the plan was to get a pub, but I think that may well be a few years off yet. So we were just going to move somewhere a bit more leafy and quiet, where it's a nicer environment to raise children and I could be a bit closer to my kid sister. For a while I planned to commute, but I can honestly see the daily battle with the M56 meaning that I'd eventually look for something closer to my new green and leafy abode. So there was a "Sell By" date on my current role. It also meant that I'd stay here until I moved as you don't want to move too often in jobs, and also it's good to have continuous employment when applying for a new mortgage (See people, my life make look like lots of random decisions strung together, but there is some thought going into it. Not much. But some).

However, now it would appear that my lad will need a Cochlear implant for his profound deafness which, between the preparatory stages, the operation itself and the after care, could see us needing to be in the same health authority for at least another year (as the care we're currently getting is fabulous, so we're loathe to go somewhere else and risk his health suffering). This means Wales could be off the "to do list" until at least 2008.

So do I stay or do I go?
Employment wise I mean..

This may be a knee-jerk reaction, admittedly. It's been a shit week at work and I'm probably just blowing off steam a little, but the thought is in the back of my mind, niggling away, knocking on my conscious stream and saying "update your CV you twat". It's not helped by the fact I keep receiving job adverts via email offering me positions of up to 40k. Decisions, decisions.

Guess I'll see how the next couple of weeks pan out. But things had better start improving soon as if I'm stuck geographically for another 12 months then other things may well have to change!