No, I’m not shutting down the Kitty just yet. This post is one that I never thought I’d have to write, though.

During my tea with the ladies (which, incidentally, turned into a boozefest) I learned that earlier that day the Lockheed contract at the GAO that I used to work at was lost to SRA.  Bully for SRA for winning it. At that facility, they were the 800 pound gorilla and LM was the smaller, independent underdog. To be honest, I doubt the outcome would have been any different had I stayed. Jay, the guy I hired to replace me, is an exceptional manager who has a good amount of technical expertise. I do, however, think it was a case of being out thought and out played in the RFP game. We could all speculate for forever but it doesn’t matter.

So a good number of people that I knew there will be leaving. As with most contract take overs a number of the management staff will be eliminated and replaced with the winners.

Thursday I’ll be having a happy hour at RFD with my new team. It should be a good turnout – most likely another night of rowdy debauchery brought on by yours truly. On Friday, however, there will be a happy hour thrown for the old LM crowd. It could possibly be the last time that I see some of these people again. It makes me reminisce about the good times we had and the bad times.  You never really think that people are going to leave or that anything will change. And when it does, things just don’t seem right.

I mean, I can’t even count all of the funny/weird things that happened. But the sad ones, those stand out just as vividly in my head: the death of Eli and also Sankara, the investigation(s), the misery I endured during my final months.

I’ll be attending that happy hour on Friday.  I’ll be giving my hugs and good-byes to some good people. Hopefully I’ll be able to see them again or they’ll keep in touch.

As with most things, they were good times while they lasted.