Running On Fumes.

.....Last Friday I was sooooo looking forward to the weekend. The weekend after June Faire where I could, like, sleep in and work on things at a leisurely pace. As usual, May was just one long build up towards June Faire. Working on preparations to the personal encampment as well as the event itself. Throw in all the anxieties from the populace concerning politics and planning and weather, and I was just ready to collapse.

.....But for some stupid reason, I answered the cell phone call from work last Friday. The Code to which I want to move? Code 360? Well, they were desperate. All of their usual people were either out of town, or not answering their own cell phones. They needed a Planning Manager badly, and they knew that I was in a position to not turn down their request easily. So I, very reluctantly, agreed to come in early on Saturday and work on an emergent job for a submarine making a quick pit stop at PSNS.

.....It didn't take long to figure out on Saturday that everyone else was far more intelligent than I. They had all put their cell phones in their dresser drawers and refused to answer them. I made several dozen phone calls and reached? Not a single person! It took me until almost Noon to finally track down some engineers and others who could propose technical resolution to the problem the Boat was experiencing. So I set up a meeting for Sunday and finally went home at 2PM.

.....On Sunday we met early and then spent the rest of the day writing paper and tracking down all the other people who would have to support the actual work. Sunday work has been absolutely FORBIDDEN at the Shipyard for a long while now. So I felt almost nervous being there. It didn't help when the Gate Guard wouldn't let me in the gate because Heather's tags were expired and I couldn't produce a copy of my registration or proof-of-insurance. I felt rather stupid for not realizing that I was that out of date. And to think I drove all the way to the Tri-Cities in Heather. Ack! I lucked out big time that the police hadn't pulled me over along the way. That would have been a several hundred dollar ticket!

.....It was only a six hour day on Sunday, with Heather parked on the hill outside the Shipyard on the West side of town. But I left feeling like we were as ready as we could be. I was sooo tired, and fighting off a headache. So I was especially grateful for not having to be at work for the entire day. I went home and collapsed. The nap did me really good. I felt a lot better afterwards.

.....Today the repercussions all hit. But it was really weird. I was expecting to be shredded by the Big Boss and helped out by Code 360. But the opposite turned out to be true. The Big Boss knew I was in on Sunday, and because of the emergent situation of the work, couldn't say anything. He listened to my report and scooted me out of his office. I found out later that he had been in to work on Sunday himself and had seen me.

.....The really weird reaction was from those in Code 360. Apparently I had stepped on several toes without really thinking about it. There were a couple of people who should have been available who had 'phone problems'. I did a turnover with them today and they shuffled me in and out of their presence as quickly as possible. There were all kinds of issues that came up during the day, and every time they had to come to me for answers I had the strangest vibe from them. Next time I'm going to have to take this into account before I so easily accept this kind of role. I hope I didn't ruin my chances to move over there. We'll see.

.....The real funny reaction was from the Project Manager in Kings Bay. He has been spoiled rotten. Whenever he has needed anything at all I've been practically at his beck-and-call with anything he's needed. And I've become pretty good about producing any planning product he's wanted. For the past week or so I've been busy supporting activities other than him and he's resented it. He actually went to the Big Boss and told him that he still needs my help, full time, until at least the end of the current Project.

.....It's nice to be wanted for a change. :-)

.....I just have to make it for four more days to the weekend. Four....More....Days!!!!

.....Aaron / Arontius.