>>>...so what does RTP mean? I'm still curious.
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>>Oops, sorry about that. Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Home of numerous Federal computer systems.
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>If you don't mind my asking (and feel free not to answer) why do you work for the government? I figure that they are a good employer for small towns, but not in a big, expensive job market like Dallas. Everyone here knows that you are qualified for the best jobs in our field. Of course, once you stay long enough, you can smell the pension.... Or are you another EPA contractor who will move on?

No problem. I have been with the Federal Gov't [EPA for all of it] for 14 years now, and no one can match the salary and benefits I have. In the Federal Gov't, after 3 years you earn 4 weeks of annual leave and 13 days sick leave year. The first 3 years, you earn 13 days of A/L per year. After 15 years, the A/L accrual bumps to 26 days year. I also work no over-time or weekends and am NOT on call.

I would be hard pressed to find any thing that has better working conditions than what I have here. My supervisor leaves me alone to just do it, and I have flexible work hours available - we can work four 10-hour dayss with a day off every week or eight 9-hour days plus an 8-hour day with 1 day off every 2 weeks. I do the latter. I also do work-at-home up to 2-days a week.

My wife and I do have our own computer business on the side. She works at our business and raises the 2 kids full time, and I work the business part-time [evenings and week-ends].