After returning from Denver, I worked like a mad man, racking up 85 hours within a week in an attempt to launch a poorly managed project. That ended up being my last week working for 601am, finally allowing me to start the next chapter of my life.

Getting my first 401k set up involved overcoming obstacles ranging from bugs in the deposit system to misreported social security numbers. It's ironic I left that job a couple of weeks after receiving this apology card.

My friend from Berkeley, Sean, stayed for a few days to work on his final project for a computer science class. I tried to help as best I could in between my own insane work schedule and despite the project being in Java, a language I don’t love and haven’t touched for years.

He stayed up all night, something I used to do far too often, but try not to these days.

My friend came over to work on his computer science project and hopefully get some help from me. Makes me feel old!

Obviously having no time to go shopping or cook, we ordered delivery: Indian and Mediterranean.

Indian delivery, something I must do more. This is from Tikka Masala & Pizza.

I've been pretty reliant on delivery food. This is from nearby restaurant Palmyra.

Saturday, my roommate Derek and his boyfriend Tyler hosted a going away party for Tyler, who would be moving to Europe for six months for work. Though, with the amount of traveling he has been doing there, I have to wonder how much work occurs over there!

Derek and Tyler prettied the living room to host a going away party for Tyler, who would be moving to Europe for six months

I was a bit surprised to be explicitly invited, via our house’s running group Facebook conversation, since I previously had to somewhat awkwardly determine whether housemates were invited to the “friendsgiving” hosted here each year. In that case, I was told we were being asked to clean up for the event but weren’t actually being invited to it. I played it as cool as I could.

This event would apparently be some dozens of people Tyler knew from work and maybe school, none of whom I knew of course. I wish I could be totally at ease in any environment, but I’m not there yet. Living here helped a bit, but still I basically only entered the area to have a drink and mingle with the other, newest roommate and my friend Brad, who was coming to hang out with me that night.

Derek and Tyler prettied the living room to host a going away party for Tyler, who would be moving to Europe for six months

I think we had talked in total to two new people, but that’s better than none! It was also the first time Brad hung around in a room with Derek, though I’m not sure they had occasion to even great one another, since that time in 2013 we were all going to abs class at Fitness SF in the Castro fairly regularly. I was happy Brad consented to come despite the added awkwardness. After a rather short while, my roommate retired to his room, so Brad and I went upstairs to watch a movie with my projector.

Hanging out with my friend

After the festivities calmed down some hours into the morning, I went downstairs to find the guest of honor hadn’t made it out clubbing as was planned, but he had enough fun at home to make up for it. And the living room carpet has yet to be sufficiently cleaned, six months later.

The rest of the weekend and Monday consisted of little more than me working every waking hour leading up to my planned day off Tuesday, when I would be flying home to Milwaukee for Christmas.

Derek cooking something Asian ish, which greatly pleased Yizhen

Derek's workspace, half occupied by dishes someone was supposed to pick up a month ago

Despite working all weekend till I had 85 hours logged by 5 a.m. Monday morning, I caught flak for not being online to start the next work day five hours later. That triggered a series of emails in which I was accused of not working during business hours despite working around the clock as needed for clients and on my own volition. I consequently requested to discuss a new schedule in which I would work a slightly smaller number of hours and on the projects for which I was actually hired.

I have long suspected the product management role for which I agreed to rejoin the company would never materialize. There have been extenuating circumstances repeatedly since 2013, admittedly not all of which were in my boss’s control. These made it easier to push through just a few more months. But after years of cycles of anticipation and let down on top of endless work, promises mean less and less.

San Francisco International Airport was not very busy when I headed home for the holidays.

San Francisco International Airport was not very busy when I headed home for the holidays.

San Francisco International Airport was not very busy when I headed home for the holidays.

San Francisco International Airport was not very busy when I headed home for the holidays.

My query about reducing my hours apparently revealed the truth, whether I was just being used for client work or whether there would actually be a product to manage. After being told to stand by while management – five directors overseeing two full time developers and two part time contractors – discussed, I did not hear back till several days later when I received a termination letter.

Free, at last.