Bad to Great to Just Good to.....The Undiscovered Country

I have talked about my work situation several times in the past, but for those who don't feel like reviewing (I don't blame you), I work as a government contractor and have since 1998. For FEMA, specifically the US Fire Administration. More and more, contractors (at least at our location) have become second-class citizens, too. It's interesting work, but when the time comes for the contract to be renegotiated it can be stressful to say the least.

And guess what time it is?

Yeah, it's Howdy Doody time again. And in my 4-5 times going through the process, this has by far been the worst. Without going into huge amounts of detail, here are the basics:

• The end of the contract is March 31
• The company I have been working for is not eligible to bid, which means we WILL have another company in place on April 1
• However, they are not going to ask for bids. Instead, they are going to roll us under an existing contract on campus
• There is a possibility that the contract we will be rolled under is the contract I left in July 2010 to come here
• They are monsters from the depths of hell
• And my boss has decided that come hell or high water he will NOT be here on April 1

I think that about covers it. So, I am actively job hunting now.

I have worked on this campus for almost 14 years. While there are some wonderful benefits to being here, I can't help but think it is time for me to move on. The problem is that the training and clearances I've received in the past year and a half make me eligible for jobs in and around the beltway of DC, and I *really* don't want to travel that far.

The man I work for/with is very set in his ways, to say the least, and I am looking forward to being away from him. He is a dear, sweet man and he means well. But he does this:

I received a return phone call this morning from Bob Smith at Long Name of Place regarding the Long Name of a Project that I had called him about and left a message yesterday. He gave an affirmative answer, so I posted the Long Name of Document this morning.

when he could say this:

Bob called, he said yes. It's done.

It drives me NUTS. He is also Italian, Catholic, and Army. If you are any one of those three things, he loves you. If you are all three, you are an angel sent from heaven. He wears all this on his sleeve, and it is very VERY obvious that he give special treatment to those he likes.

It is also very VERY obvious that he has a problem working with professional women. I could have had his job at least 3 times for things he has said to me or asked me, and I'll leave it at that.

The most recent information is that we might know something by next week. Stay tuned, and keep your fingers crossed for me.