Now I see why it’s customary to give two weeks’ notice before leaving a company; it takes you that long just to say good bye.

First I had to draft a resignation letter. (That wasn’t complicated. For legal reasons, sites on the subject actually advise you to keep it to a simple statement that you’re leaving.) Then I had to go tell my boss. (He congratulated me. John is a nice guy and a good sport.) Then I had to sit through a call while his boss made a half-assed attempt to get me to stay. (No counteroffer was made; the company’s in no position to right now.) Then I had to go around to the cubes of everyone I’ve worked with on our grossly overstaffed projects, and smile and nod through “let’s trade e-mails” and “let’s do lunch before you go” and so forth. (There are a few people I geniunely intend to keep in touch with, though.) THEN I had to go to my original department, and do it all over again. I still have to find my old boss to let her know, otherwise the first she’ll hear of it will be my announcement during a project meeting tomorrow.

Google’s opening an office in the Valley. Maybe next I’ll get hired on there, and remain happily until retirement, so that I never have to go through this again.