It's gametime!

The scene:  Last night.  Me, being the good phenomenal wife that I am, I made dinner.  Complete with dessert.  And it was good.  No lie.  With her help of course.

I made her meatloaf and creamy mash potatoes AND blueberry cobbler for dessert.  I will hold for applause.

I didn't get a shot of my beautiful cobbler before he tore into it.

 

But back to the scene.

Enter stage right, (from the front door).  The Husband very dramatically enters, very dramatically drops his lunch containers by the sink, followed by the very dramatic dropping of the car keys.
Him:  I got the offer.
Very dramatic exit to the bedroom.
Me:  (Wondering if there are TV cameras somewhere that I don't know about, because if there are I should probably put on a bra) Really!

I know he wanted me to stop making dinner and rush into the bedroom and fawn and  beg to draw out more information.  And maybe a lesser wife would have.  But *I*, I am the WIFEY.  I KNOW when to stay in the kitchen and keep on making dinner, knowing that he'll come out in his own time.

The Husband enters stage left.  

Me:  I know you like the dramatic and all that, but I'ma need you to give me a little more information.
Him:  (indignant)  I am facing LEAVING my company, can you just stop??

Huhwhat?  You get an offer on a new job and you're going to LEAVE the company?

Him:  One eighteen Desiree.  One eighteen. (very dramatically)
Me:  Okay baby.  Take the dog for a walk, clear your head and we'll talk over dinner.  (Aren't I a good phenomenal wife?)

The offer wasn't where he wanted it to be.  His company (we'll call it ACME) is notorious for lowballing and cut-throating their associates.  I'm not sure why my husband thought he would be exempt, yet he did.  "I just didn't want this to be hard," he said.  Me either.  I wish people would recognize me for the princess that I am and treat me accordingly.  But that doesn't happen, and those at ACME could give two shits about him - even though they should because he's a badass.  See, my babycakes takes his work very personally.  When he puts his stamp on something, that's major.  He's got an unmatched work-ethic and when that's not recognized and rewarded by his peers, he gets upset.  Then I get upset that he's upset, then I get all stabby.  It's not a good color on me.

However, the facts remain - they have opened the negotiation with a lowball offer, which is not entirely unexpected but somehow Drew was expecting better from them.  Me, I expected as much.  Like they say, it's not personal, it's business.  If they can have you for less, they'll do it and high-five themselves behind closed doors for taking you for a sucker.  It's yet another reason why I don't prefer Corporate America.


But there it is - it's time to negotiate.  It's time to get our game-faces on and to play ball and to insert any other sports-related metaphor here.  I know he was hoping that since the interview went so well that they would just give him the best possible offer available, but that's just not the case.  Now it's time to deal with reality - the time to lick the wounds will come later.  We have to get it together, rally the troops, and show them that we too can play hardball. 


I mean, I know he's a networking ninja and all that, but I was surprised at how hard he took things.  Leaving the company over a lowball opening offer?  Did he really expect that they were going to bow down and lick his toes?

Even though he's got the cutest, fattest toes I've ever seen and I love love love his fat feet, even *I* won't lick them.  And yes, these are his feet and I love them.  I took this picture on a completely unrelated day for an unrelated reason and if you hate them, scroll down already!

 I know he wanted this process to be easy.  I know he wanted them to just love him and offer him gobs of money on sight, but that's just not the case.  So he has to negotiate and it's truly an art.  You don't want to come in too high because you look like an asshole.  But come in too low, you look like a chump.  It's not easy and honestly, I don't envy him.  All I can do is sit on the side and make meatloaf and cobbler and pray.

Then there was this evening!  He had ANOTHER interview for a position here in Dallas for substantially more money but for a completely different company.  No one would thumb their nose at a bigger paycheck, but the gamble is the timing.  If he turns down the ACME position because he's holding out for the other position in Dallas but that doesn't come through, what then?  Or if he takes the ACME position, what if he always wonders what if?  It's times like these I'm thankful these are his dilemmas.  My nerves would be shot trying to decide between the two.

Y'all!  Who the hell KNOWS what's about to happen with his professional life and where that's going to take us!!  Without being cheesy, all I can do is support his decisions and keep telling him I love him no matter what.  It's not I can give him CAREER advice.  

And that's the truth y'all.  Can you believe that nonsense?  No matter what, no matter where, I would follow that man.  No matter what he did, where or how he did it, I would stand by his side.  Ain't that some mess!  Who would have thought I would ever get to this place - where I would for real for real 'stand by my man'.  But here I am.  

Big job or no, San Jose or Dallas, it's me and him.  Ride or die.