Sad News

This Monday was Pfizer's big announcement day about their restructuring. Going into it Sam was apprehensive since her position has always been slightly tenuous. If they decided to move some studies from Ann Arbor to another location her job could easily be pinched out. Well...as it turned out (as I'm sure you've heard) Pfizer decided to shut down the entire Ann Arbor facility. 2,100 high tech, high income jobs gone. Kaput.

To try to find a bright side for us, Sam's been looking into other jobs for the last year or so because of the lack of stability at her position, so we've been at least somewhat mentally prepared for her to lose her job. Sam did have an interview on Monday at the University Hospital, which seemed providential given what went down. She's supposed to hear back next week, so I guess we'll see where providence is leading us.

The down side (which there is an awfully lot of) is that many good friends of Sam lost their jobs as well. Her mother in fact; who moved to Ann Arbor three years ago because Pfizer shut down the facility she worked at in Skokie, IL. It just seems like everyone we know either worked for Pfizer or is related to someone who does. There'll be a lot of movement away from Ann Arbor in 2007.

As for now, we're hoping to stay here, but Sam has put in her resume at several bio-tech companies in the Boston area. I told her I'm fine with moving if she can find a job she'd really like. I would like to live in another part of the country at least for awhile, but I really enjoy my current position at Whitmore Lake and moving seems a little scary right now.

Thank you to all of you who have called, emailed, or otherwise expressed your condolences. We're still getting over the shock. Keep us (and the thousands of other people affected) in your prayers.