I completely missed the actual date of this anniversary (June 2, 1996) but I think it was rather appropriate, I did the same for the goodbye ceremony Doc tried to throw for me…he wasn’t specific enough so I only dropped by to get my final paycheck.
Needless to say, he was a tad miffed because there was a cake, a card and best of all, a cool gift: the “new” X-Wing Fighter toy from Hasbro with atmospheric re-entry burns injected into the plastic body. Had I known, I would’ve made sure to show up and thank everyone. However, matters at Apple were taking precedence: as a temp then, I didn’t know when the hammer would fall so I was trying take in as many hours as I could handle while saving up a nest egg for unemployment which was inevitable by Thanksgiving.
It was sad and alleviating to leave the employer that brought me to Austin the first time. I wish it were only the former feeling but Towers was managed by an inept guy whose picture belongs in Webster’s Dictionary when you look up the words cronyism and nepotism. My first nine months working there was rocky from many angles I don’t want to go into. After I scored a temp gig with Apple, things were great and if I chose to resign, it wouldn’t be under a dark cloud. Once I received the good news regarding Apple and Towers, I was going to turn in my two weeks in May 1995. Doc convinced me to stay on in a part-time role instead. Our relationship had healed up (we were doing the ol’ Friday night movie routine with no tension), another staffer the site hired two weeks earlier…bailed and I would get a free meal at the cafeteria for every day I worked. Being Doc’s friend, I didn’t have to think it over. With all the skullduggery going on with Towers, I felt he needed all the allies he could trust too.
The following year with Towers was awesome. Since AppleCare was only a Monday-through-Friday operation, I spent my weekends helping out Doc’s leasing department. Since he had the major kinks of his room-placement system ironed out, the days were spent stuffing envelopes to prospective tenants, filing payments for accounting to process on Monday, answering the phone and giving tours. I loved giving tours, I bet I could still do it if the nice people there today would let me. Alas, I don’t think it’s a wise idea yet they did let us on the roof a decade ago to take pictures.
The extra $100/week was welcome until it caused problems with my taxes, didn’t have enough withheld. Fear not, the IRS and I got this resolved…their way.
As 1995 morphed into 1996, Doc decided to pursue an opportunity to help teach English in Japan. I figured I wouldn’t be a welcome presence without Doc and I began to wind down my contributions shortly after he made the announcement to the owner. Without my friend’s incredible organizational skills and political clout, I knew there was going to be a power vacuum with several parties fighting over who would fill it. I wanted to be nowhere near Towers as it played out.
Despite all the drama, the mid-1995 to mid-1996 period with the place was my favorite time working there and it negated the bullshit before. Again, I was glad the staff threw a little bash for me in absentia, many people were just outright fired or quit in a hurry.