Work harder, not smarter

The real reason people have been losing their jobs is the work has all been pushed onto me.

My wife will tell you, more accurately, that in fact I keep signing up to do more.  That’s not completely correct but it’s a reasonable characterization.

So what’s been going on these days that’s keeping me so busy?

• I’m hitting the road for 10 days starting today.  Once again, I’m traveling on Super Bowl Sunday courtesy of the Air Force Reserves.  I’m headed to South Carolina for paperwork, checkups, shots, and combat skills training.  I know the training involves chem warfare class because I just completed 4 hours of coursework on how not to die during a chemical, biological, or nuclear attack.  I think I get to shoot some guns to.  I will never qualify as a marksman – every time I’ve had to fire a weapon it’s so cold out I’m shivering.
• Work has been busy.  I’m the tech lead (of a team of two) and we pushed out a new version of the software recently.  I also finally hired a tech writer after 6 months of searching.  She starts Monday, when I’m gone, just like the last one did (and quit when I returned…but not because of me, really!)  To liven things up I told my boss, Alice, that she doesn’t know what we’re doing and doesn’t know our customer so she should butt out.  I said it nicer than that but the message was clear.  I then told her boss, Bob, that Alice was just inserting herself to make herself appear relevant.  You’ll remember Alice and Bob from this post, where I told Alice she was behaving unethically.
• I really owe my brothers and sister their Christmas gift.  I had old 8mm film digitized and am putting together DVDs for them.
• I did some contract work for a company several years ago and they want the software modified.  I probably should do something with that, since they asked a few months ago.
• The Air Force Reserves is side work…I’ve picked up side work to that side work.  I’ve been asked to create database for one of our legislative affairs groups.  How hard could that be, right?  Of course I said yes.
• Family, of course.  My oldest just turned 11, we’ve got scouts, rock climbing, all sorts of fun.  The list of unfinished chores around here is impressive.
• I’m trying to get back to the gym regularly…I’ve put on about 10 pounds over the last 3 months, adding to weight I already had to lose.
• I’ve got a great idea for a new business, something I wish existed nearly every day.  I picked up a catchy domain name to go with it.  Now I just have to create the service.  And how to make money with it.  Or monetize my intellectual capital.  Something like that.
• Not flying.  I was scheduled 2x last week.  FME was closed when I was scheduled to fly on Thursday because of all the ice .  Friday, for the first time ever, I canceled.  Our long steep driveway was unnavigable thanks to ice – my wife slid towards the neighbor’s fence, twice, and my daughter fell and ripped her pants while running to the school bus.  Plus I had that whole fight-with-my-boss thing going while hiring a tech writer on her last day of work (we kept her with the company), had to get a haircut to look all military-like, and meet with my government boss too.  Something had to give and I really needed that 4 hours in the middle of the day to get things done.

I’m sure there’s more but you get the picture.

Oh yeah, there is more.  Writing in this blog takes time too.  There’s a delicious stupidity to writing about being busy that I can’t help but savor.

On the bright side I’ve got 10 days to knock out a couple of tasks…I plan on finishing the legislative database and getting ready for the FAA written exam.  That should keep me busy, right?  Fortunately I won’t have regular Internet access while I’m gone.

I do have a plan to get better organized.  I just haven’t gotten around to implementing it.

There you have it in a nutshell.  Hyperdad strikes again, though in truth I consider myself to be lazy and none too bright. 

I suppose I should go pack now, my plane leaves in a few hours.

And stop editing this post to fix omissions in the list above.  That plane isn’t going to wait.   I did walk into the airport once 18 minutes before departure and made my plane.  I didn’t have checked bags that day and I was in uniform (so TSA pulled me out of the security line and sent me through the crew line).  Today I’ve got a large bag (empty at the moment) and I’m wearing civilian clothes (or will be…still in PJs right now). 

Yeah, I really should go.