DharmaSurfing:  Uh-oh – an interview…

Dang, I can feel my time winnowing down.  The interviews are getting closer together.  I can’t tell if it’s the interviews or not that are making me feel a little claustrophobic.

Have one next week for a contract position in IT with a Fortune 100.  I interviewed just last week with the placement company, filled out all the form work, signed my life’s information away.  They tell me at the end of the interview that a prospective department has lost people to recent call up.  This means the department is already short-handed.  Those folks shipped out last week -- I know the unit to which these reservists are assigned.

So, now all the usual weirdness with having an interview – what to wear, whom can I contact for the inside skinny on the department, what should I take with me, can I brush up on the archaic software the department uses before the interview, etc.

Am I up to this?  I know I can do the job; it’s sys admin work, piece of cake compared to my previous role as a global project manager.  It’s with a company for which I worked and for which I’ve consulted; I know the place well enough to coach people in the role for which I’m interviewing.  I’ve been beating myself up over this, thinking, wow, there are people who’d kill for this cheesy job, knock ‘em dead…

But can I handle the confinement of staring at banks of monitors, use that ancient software again, go on a rotational assignment of shift work, 7x24x365?  Give up being here for my kids at predictable times, all for the almighty healthcare and 401K?  Juggle this shift work with a spouse who travels frequently?  Risk being put out of a job again at the drop of a hat since it’s just contract work, with no chance for a long-term permanent placement for at least a year?

Amazing what we’ll do to ourselves for benefits and long-term security.  Stupid people tricks.

5:44:15 PM    comment []

Missive from Hemphill…

Once upon a time, in a previous corporate incarnation, I worked with a very cool go-getter in a business that was far from cool and wasn’t exactly going-and-getting.  Fortunately for this person, they were able to escape to retirement; unfortunately for me and others of like mind, we were left behind.

The internet’s a great thing, though, keeps us in touch and makes separation a figment of our imagination.  We hear occasionally about fun goings-on elsewhere from the liberated.  And sometimes, we find out we are not so far apart from all the other goings-on of the universe.  We’re very much closer than we think.

I got an email from said cool go-getter, filling us in on the project du jour.  Imagine my surprise to learn the project is in Hemphill Texas.  This weekend’s events seemed so far away, at 200,000 feet above the earth or at a thousand-plus miles away in a debris field. 

Until this:

“Greg and I go each morning, at 6:30am to the VFW, where we meet with our team…We have a really good group.  In addition 2 or three National Forest Service men and one or more sheriff/police/FBI go out with us.

Each day before we are sent out to our starting point, on a big yellow school bus, the team leaders are briefed.  Then we go out and when we get there the Federal Search/Recovery Leaders have let us know what our coordinates are to search.

We form a line with each person about 10 - 20 feet apart, depending on terrain, and begin to move forward.  It is really tough going, about 80% of the way we are in briars taller than me, and everyone else (not just the shorties).  Sometimes we get so tangled up we don't know if we will get out.  We are now taking machetes with us and that helps a little.  We also trek through ankle deep mud and cross creeks that are up to 20 and 30 feet deep, but luckily the only have a foot or two of water in them right now.  I'm getting really good at sliding down steep mud banks on my bottom and at walking logs where there are available, the good news is the depth, the bad news is that we often cross the same creeks several times.  We have also be in plantations that have all the old tops still laying on the ground, which can be very tricky.  Our boots stay so wet that they still squish when we put them on the next morning.

The Red Cross or Salvation Army come out with a lunch wagon and we trek out to a road and take a 15 minute break and have some food and drink.  Yesterday was pretty good we went through bottom land more than 50% of the time and even though we crossed the creek more times that I can remember, it is decidedly better than briars.

…Our main mission is to find human remains so that their families may have some peace of mind.

Each morning before we set out the ladies of Hemphill, maybe the Garden Club one day and the Methodist Church one day and the Baptist Church another and so on, provide a wonderful full course breakfast for everyone search and all government officials.  Then we all pray and set out for the day.  When we return, wet, muddy and dragging we are treated to a wonderful dinner donated by people in the community, the "potluck" seems to get bigger and better each day.

We have three people staying with us right now, a cute young couple from Mississippi who just decided to come and help, and had been sleeping in their car until we found them.  And a army reservist from Dallas who just wanted to come over on his days off.  They will be leaving tomorrow and we think we will be getting some law enforcement personnel, don't know who yet.  We can sleep 6 extras and provide them with their own bathrooms (to be shared by 2 people).

…we don't know how long the search will continue.  They say it could be months.  Finding anything in the thicket part of the forest is very difficult and the majority of the county is either State or National Forest.  One of the ladies on our team yesterday was out fishing when the event happened and saw several items (unidentified) splash down, not too far from us, about 1/4 mile down the shore.  I was at home and thought the furnace had exploded at first, as the boom was so loud and continued for several seconds, and the house did shake, but we had no damage.  Greg…went outside and saw two trails spiraling down, and then someone came by and told him it was the shuttle, while they were watching.  It is amazing how wide the debris field is and also amazing that the sleepy little town of Hemphill has been put on the world wide map.  Certainly not the way we would have liked to have become famous.  Today they are removing some trees out by where we come out after our searches in order that the helicopter can come in and get the nose cone.  Found very near to where we were searching.

Well, I do ramble on, but wanted to give you a feel of what it feels like to be at the epicenter.  Both Greg and I feel very privileged to be able to serve in the small capacity that we are and hope that what  we are doing will help the families of the seven lost. “

We’re not very far apart at all; we’re all touched and transported in some way.  Part of me is in Hemphill, too.

(Excerpted with permission; content has been omitted and names have been changed to protect the privacy and security of those involved and their objecitves.)

11:51:00 AM    comment []

The State of the State of Michigan: it’s not just cold but grim and determined…

An excerpt from last night’s SOTS speech by Gov. Jennifer Granholm; this portion delivered in the first 10 minutes of a 50+ minute speech:

“The General Fund budget problem we inherit for the budget year ahead is $1.7 billion.  Just how much is $1.7 billion?  Let me give it to you straight.  We could close every prison in the state and still not have enough to close the gap.  Or, we could close every Secretary of State’s office, shut down the Michigan State Police, lock up every State Park, cut out the entire Legislature, shut down the Attorney General’s Office, and shut down the Departments of Agriculture, Military and Veterans Affairs, Environmental Quality, and Natural Resources . . .  and still not close the gap.   In other words, some twenty percent of the services we now provide through the General Fund budget we cannot afford. 

It will not be easy, but in March I will present a balanced budget.  The fiscal year 2004 budget will ensure that our government lives within its means, but it will have to cut deep to do so.  We will work to protect what matters most, but every department, every agency, every local government and every citizen will feel the scale of this problem.  You are all invited to be part of the solution. 

How did we get here?  Quite simply, we cut taxes but not spending, and we continue to spend more than we take in.  That must stop. You can use your MasterCard to pay your Visa bill, and even transfer that balance to your Discover card, but eventually the bill will come due.   Today is Michigan’s due date and we, the Michigan family, must make tough choices to pay the bill and balance the budget.  Though I did not create this problem, I will see that we fix it.

How will we do it?  By doing what every Michigan family does when times are tough.  We will work harder, cut waste and tighten our belts.  We will save every dollar, and we will invest in the things that really matter.    We have already started.   In my first month on the job, I directed the Department of Management and Budget to review every state contract for cost overruns and potential cost savings.  I will direct the Administrative Board – which signs-off on state purchases – to hold up contracts that represent a major expense.  And I have asked my Department Directors to cut every contract with an outside vendor by at least 7 percent. “

There’s already been bitching (immediately following this speech last night!) that she didn’t provide enough details about the problem and how we’ll resolve it.  Damn, that p*sses me off royally.  Slacker fat-boy Engler got us in this mess during his 12 years in office and she’s supposed to have all the answers at the end of her first month in office?

Bite me!  She’s still finalizing staff appointments!  From what I hear, she already has a hell of lot of details (presented in another speech to another group), but she simply may not feel that slapping people with job cuts is the best way to make friends and get bi-partisan support with her first post-inaugural state-wide speech.

At least the people bitching admit this was the best SOTS delivery for as long as they can remember.  Granholm was awesome!

8:44:25 AM    comment []