Anniversary

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

I started at my firm two years ago today.

Boredom

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

For the month of August I did billable work for 16 hours. Sixteen out of 176. Discounting my week of vacation, that still leaves me working for 11.8% of the total ours for the month.

In other words, work is pretty damn boring. I lust for a good tax return to occupy my time.

Slight or Progress? - Update

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

After a few minutes chat with my insider information partner, I found out a bit more on my committee.

Steve ended up taking my desire to the partner group, which initially reacted with "We already tried this. Do we need to do it again?" Thankfully that didn't stick.

Rather than speaking to the full team of eight, to ensure that all eight voices here my positions from me and can use that to make a decision, I will be speaking to three. I don't even get a majority.

In my head I'm already playing politics with the three. My odds are already not good. The full group will take the recommendation of the three. Convincing two advocates is a harder fight then pitching it to the hole group. 

One I already have on my side, I've already talked to him. That makes it easy. He's a younger partner who's been to leadership events himself and knows where I'm coming from.

Number two is a wild card. He's an older partner who at this point in his career has a "whatever" kind of attitude. I'm surprised he volunteered for the committee. Apparently when the discussion moved to brushing me off he said something to the effect of "Now wait, he took the time to put this together at least someone should listen to him." He's a guy I have a lot of respect for. Scary to get called into his office, but he's a great teacher.

Number three is my dread partner. The guy I just can't bear to work with and have no respect for. Who knows how he will spin my presentation and change my words to suit how he wants it to get interpreted. He's a faux-leader: a Rotarian for status, not for service. I dread the possibility of having to work with him. It makes me cringe inside that he'd even get attached to this project. He's the pig on the farm, if that George Orwell reference fits at all.

My insider info partner, my favorite one of the bunch, boiled it down to "if the committee decides you can change the website and you want to be responsible for that, the partner group will be fine with it." It's not meant to be boiled down!

I'm feeling pretty bleak and disheartened right about now. It doesn't seem like I have much chance of true success. Maybe I'll get some fake website success update as a silver medal.

Slight or Progress?

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

A few weeks ago I met with Steve, the partner in charge of my firm's core value/mission defining team in 2005. The team that never accomplished it's goal. He agreed with my views, my points, and the importance of having core values.

He said he didn't see a problem having me present to the entire partner group in their weekly meeting. First though, he was going to run it by Mark, the other partner involved back in 2005. I thought "ok great, progress!."

I learned today that Steve is in the process of scheduling a time for me to present to a partner committee who's been tasked with listening to my presentation. I thought "ok great, progress!."

But now I'm thinking "Wait..." Am I being assigned a committee to handle me rather than getting the partners to really listen? Why am I getting a committee rather than the full partner group? How big will this committee be?

I bet anyone $10 that the partner I have a terrible relationship and no respect for ends up on said committee, because he's the HR partner. That'll be fantastic. Of all partners I don't want his voice carrying any more weight than the 1/8th it gets in a full meeting. Outside of my personal feelings, he doesn't translate well. He likes to put his spin on everything, and he's overly verbose.

So is it progress or is it a slight? I'm not sure. On one side, any level of response and forward movement is legitimate progress. But it's not what I asked for and is it enough or just a way to pander me away?

Plus it's getting harder to hold on to my drive the further I move away from RYLA on the calendar.

Eagle Cap Wilderness, 2010

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

Last week my dad and I spent four days hiking through the Wollowa-Whitman National Forest - Eagle Cap Wilderness. We traveled about 30 miles, visited five lakes, and hiked passes with as much as 1,500 foot elevation gains.

We started out looking like this.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

This is Glacier Lake, where we camped the second night. It sits right around 8,300 feet.

Day 4:

This is how we ended. Notice my fantastic sunburn.

Remodel - Moving Out...

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

Even though it's only to move to another cube (upgrade!) down the hall, packing up my cubicle is really kind of depressing. I've been in this one since I was an intern!

It's so dead and empty and beige now. It's just sad.

I'm off on a camping/hiking vacation with my dad next week. I'll post a picture of the temporary working home when I get back.

UPDATE: I'm in the new place right now. I called it "home" to a coworker, but really it's more of a temporary shelter. It is defnitely nice having a lot of space, and haivng my monitors facing inward. Now everyone can't walk up and see my playing bejeweled all the time!

A Reader's Grieving

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

Do you ever get that sad feeling of loss at the end of a book? Your book is over and there's nothing left. In fantasy specifically, the characters' stories are over at least until the next book is published. 

No matter how the story ends, I always feel sad at the end. The book I just finished ended in a happy bow with a dash of foreshadowing. But it was the last published book in the series so I have to give up the story and the characters.

I always take a couple days before I'll start another book. It's a mourning period to appreciate the story and reflect on it. Do you feel loss at the end of a book or can you jump from one to the next?

Remodel

03 09 10 - 11:11. Category:

Bad News: The office remodel will displace me for a month. I don't know where I will end up afterward.

Good News: I get to move into the empty, large, senior staff cube for a month. It's roomy, private, and has a bank of windows looking out on the river. I won't mind it at all.

I get to pack up next Friday as I am on vacation next week. Tear down is next Thursday and then it's a month to completion.

Anxiety hurtle one down, one to go.