Moving - not free, not cheap, but ... !

In the process of packing up a 2BR apartment for an out-of-state move, I've been shocked by some of the price estimates I've received to move the majority of my possessions.

I got rid of my garage, I have no basement, no storage locker, just a ~1500sqft 2BR apartment, three pets, me. PODS wanted something like $2800; full-service mover numbers along the lines of Allied or United were $4000 and up. PODS offered a too-small and a too-large container option for out-of-state moves -- not a lot of granularity, which added to the cost. As did the forced storage fee. I suspect their heavy marketing adds to the cost there too.

A good friend in Chicago offered to drive a Penske truck out for me, but the apartment complex I'm moving out of doesn't prorate (though they screwed up the lease and I might actually have leverage as far as that goes, but not worth the hassle) and the 31st is a Thursday, which, with two cats and a dog that make staying in a hotel difficult if not impossible, makes getting packed and moved out without incurring another month's rent a bit complicated. Cost would have been $350+ airfare, $1200 truck, fuel/tolls for truck, for about $1800 total.

Though I've seen ABF trucks before, I'd never heard of UPack until my old Meridian colleague from Rochester Darren Swartzendruber and SmAlbany acquaintance Angelos Tzelepis educated me via Twitter on the topic. Two "ReloCube" container gives me what seems to be the appropriate amount of space to pack a washer/dryer, queen-size bed, full-size futon, a few desks, tables, chairs, kitchen appliances & dishes, pet stuff, books, a few electronics and computer items. Total cost? About $1290, with a $50 discount via the "TWEET" code that ABF provided after observing me talking with Darren and Angelos on Twitter. If I end up needing storage, (I still don't have a house to move to!) it's an option with ABF, unlike PODS, where it seemed to be mandatory.

Thanks again Darren & Angelos for the heads up!

Movin' to Chicago!

It has been a nearly-indescribably busy few months. A lot of exciting stuff going on at Apprenda with SaaSGrid; barcamp Albany 2011 at HVCC; and now, I am in the process of moving to Chicago for a WCF role with Redbox.

I have most definitely enjoyed working with the team at Apprenda -- to a person, they're the hardest working people in tech. Unfortunately the Client Services role I was in turned out to be waaaay more help desk type work than initially expected, and anyone who knows me, knows I'm not a help desk type guy. Even the desired consulting/implementation/architectural type work I was actually doing was, unfortunately, often ignored by clients and dev teams who had other priorities, like budgets and deadlines. ;)

A longtime friend of mine from Rochester has been living in Chicago about four years now himself, and had this Redbox opportunity come across his desk; it was something he thought I'd be a great fit for, and taking a look, I had to agree. After a phone interview week before last with two of the team members, Redbox made an offer. I will be joining the fairly new Platform Services team: 100% WCF, and NO, I repeat NO, GUI work! Platform Services supports the entire enterprise, and I understand we will be playing a large part in the upcoming streaming and digital distribution initiative that Redbox has been talking about for some time.

Yes, I recognize that Redbox is something of an underdog, and will have to come from behind in establishing a streaming offering that can compete with Netflix. I'm happy to be a part of that, and excited to see what challenges lay ahead. I think it's an exciting space to be in, and will enjoy working for a talked-about consumer brand.

I believe Apprenda is on the right track to a successful exit, and I wish them luck -- though they hardly need it, they're the kind of team to make their own luck. Thanks for a great year guys!