BLUF

First, a story.  About a year ago, I received an email at work with some important information.  The email started out like this:

BLUF: (some important bit of administrivia here).

I had never seen the acronym BLUF, so of course I Googled it.  The first hit on Yahoo was for the Wikipedia page that explained to me that BLUF was a military term that meant Bottom Line Up Front.  Makes sense.

The second hit from Yahoo told me that it also stood for the Breeches and Leather Uniform Fanclub.  BLUF is a club for men who enjoy wearing breeches and leather uniforms, it told me.  Suffice it to say, I did NOT go to the website on a government computer.  Ahem.

However, knowing that the guy that sent me the email was a big, muscle-bound, motorcycle ridin', tattoo-sportin' kinda dude, I decided to raz him a bit. 

"Breaches & Leather Uniform Fanclub???????"  I wrote back.
"Bottom Line Up Front," he replied.  Then he said: "However, I wouldn't be opposed to such a club.  :)"
"Maybe you should check out the membership before you say something like that," was my reply.

Time passed.  Then:

"OMG!!!!!!!  I'm never using that acronym again!!!"

I will therefore never forget what BLUF stands for.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will go into details when I have more time to write, but BLUF is that I am flying the office solo this week and things are going swimmingly.  People have come into the office that NEVER came into the office because Alan was there. Also, Alan has called twice.  Yup. I'm also very impressed with the new company, math test not withstanding. 

One Week Left

Here's what I know.  I officially know that our office has been rolled under the existing Chenega contract.  There are two positions in the office, which is good.  One is an information analyst/techno-geek position, which is basically mine after I go through the pro forma application/hiring process.  My boss "Alan" was, apparently, not even being considered for the position.  He doesn't know this and basically gave me permission to apply.  I'm not going to comment at this time about that little fact.

The other position is a data entry person, which is up in the air.  If they hire someone from off-campus, we are looking at a possible 4-6 month time lag due to the insane amount of time it takes for the Fed-E-Ral Gubment to make their way though the background check required for someone to work on campus.  Ahem.  Which is why all the contractors on campus seem to be doing a round-robin type of contract-hopping because the managers don't want to hire off campus, and I can't say I blame them.

I have made contact with the manager and applied, but I won't be meeting with her until at least Monday, which gives Chenega one whole week to do the paperwork, etc, to hire me.  She told me on the phone that she was told by K, the fed, that I "had walked in, cleaned house, and worked circles around everyone."  I think I said "wow" after a pause.  K is not one to give praise much, so hearing that meant a lot.  I knew he was happy with my work, but I hadn't realized he thought all that.  

He's also told me if I don't take the position he will hunt me down and kill all my chickens.  He asked me "You.....ARE planning on applying, right?  RIGHT??"  and I said to him, "Gosh, I just don't KNOW!  I mean, the position description says I need to know fractions!  FRACTIONS!!!  What will I *do*??"  He just looked at me over his reading glasses and told me I was giving him gray hair.  :D

In the meantime, I found out that he will be at a conference in Phoenix the first week of the new contract.  This is giving us both heartburn since it means I will be basically running the show all by my lonesome for the first week, assuming I will be hired on by the end of the month.  If I'm not, it looks as though I will be cross training another fed to do what I do in the event that it is needed. 

And then there is the question about my boss.  He still doesn't have another job lined up and he'll be out of work in a week.  Even though I know all this isn't my fault, and I know I am not responsible for our budget being cut (all over the government, not just us), and I know I tried to make him see the light about which way the parade was going, and I know he doesn't have the computer skills or the ability or desire to learn them, I still feel a more than a bit responsible for him being ousted.  I know this shows I have a conscious and that's a good thing.  If I truly didn't care I would be more concerned.  If I felt vindicated and happy about it I would be horrified. 

I also made the very difficult decision to go ahead and have a phone exit interview with the HR people and tell them about the questions about my marital status and motherhood status during and after the initial job interviews.  Even though I decided not to do anything about it, they need to know he does these things if they ever consider him for a management job (or any job, for that matter) again, because he is a HUGE liability for them and I want them to know it.

This has been a really emotional and stressful past few months.  Matt has been hanging in there really well, he's been incredibly supportive of me during this time and forgiving of my short fuse and mood swings.  I know going forward some of the stress will be alleviated, but some will be transferred to other areas, like OMG I'm going to pretty much be on-call 52 weeks a year 6am-10pm.  I'm going to have to hob-nob with some bigwigs.  I'm going to have to smooth over some of the relationships that Alan soured. 

I told someone recently that when I get worried about unknowns in the future, I try to look at it as and exiting new thing I get to learn.  I've been referring to it as my Golden Retriever Suit.  Like OH BOY!!  SOMETHING NEW!!!  MY FAVORITE!!!  So, I'm working on the Golden Retriever way of life right now.

We're Down to Three Weeks...

The latest LAST week was that we should have been hearing from the company.  We didn't.

But I know who it is now.  K name-dropped (on purpose, not accidentally) to me someone that was involved, and I know who it is and what he does, so I know who the company is.  I am happy about it.  It is an Alaskan Native Corporation.

Alan, my boss, still isn't "in the know." And I realized this week that IF the company in question had contacted Alan (since he is project manager) on behalf of both of us, I wouldn't trust him to tell me. 

I'm feeling pretty secure right now, though.  I am curious (with a bit of concern thrown in) wondering WHY the company has not contacted us.  Three weeks isn't a lot of time to get 1 or 2 new employees signed up, paperwork in, etc, with a potential start date of Monday, April 2. 

Alan is the type of man who is quiet but firm, and he is quietly but firmly freaking out over all this.  I'm torn.  He has IMHO been holding the entire program back with his inability to change, single handedly torpedoed the contract so the current holding company couldn't get it, and I learned recently made some very powerful enemies (including one undersecretary in DHS).  But he is also a very sweet man who means well, who served his country with honors, and I don't want to see him completely deflated.  He's effectively priced himself out of the market (any market) in his own mind, so he won't even thing of applying for jobs under a certain $ amount.  In this economy, and again IMHO, he should be applying for everything and anything.

This situation with Alan is falling right in line with a lot of things I'm seeing with a lot of people: we seem to find ourselves back in situations that we've been in before but didn't learn what we needed to learn.  Each consecutive time around gets more sticky and difficult until we "get it."  I think he's back in such a situation. 

The Latest With Work

The most recent information I have about our contract is that a contracting company has been chosen and we should know who it is this week. The fed in charge of our contract, who I will call K, couldn't tell me who it was because nothing had been signed/finalized yet, but he did say *3* times that he thought I would be happy with the choice, and he said *2* times that I shouldn't be dealing with any of the baloney that I described with my old company.

This tells me that it ISN'T my old company, and I have a really good idea who was chosen.

K went on to discuss a bit some of the things he wants to see done differently under the new contract, none of which was news to me. In fact, IMHO these are all things that we should have already enacted but I WASN'T ALLOWED TO because my boss wouldn't let me. Ahem.

The other important thing to mention is that K told me all this. Me. After my boss (who shall be known as Alan, not his real name) had left for the day. Alan still doesn't know any of this, and still thinks the contracting office is dithering.

So, I guess in a way I'm in cahoots with K.

More info later as it surfaces....stay tuned.

March the Oneth

My crocuses have been blooming for a week. The tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are starting to come up. It’s supposed to be in the 60s today and tomorrow. I can’t believe it’s March already!

I’m exhausted, and I must look it today because the branch chief passed me in the hall on my way in and asked me if I was OK. I’ve gotten about 6-7 hours of sleep the past 3-4 nights. Mostly I’m getting to bed too late, but one night I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. I spent a bit of time watching Max sleep, he was about half under Matthews pillow, which he’s never done before. Matt said he was like that most of the night. It was pretty cute.

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.

…….Or Not.

OK, so that didn’t work. Sorry about that.

This past year has been…..enlightening….challenging….a bit scary at times. It’s been fun, funny, sad, full of love and joy, new people, ideas, and things. Chickens. New neighbors. Food. Gifts given and received. Flowery language. Too much CNN, dammit. Hope and frustrations and everything in between.

I’m going to try this again, but I can’t promise anything. I have some pictures to post, stories to tell, grief and pain to get out of my system, and growth to explore.

I’m going to attempt to post a few times a week, sometimes long stuff or pictures….sometimes just a quote that caught my attention and why it struck me. Sometimes it might be just stream of consciousness stuff. Sometimes it might be personal issues. Sometimes it might be work related, as that is a major upheaval right now.

I’m also planning on pointing towards a few blogs that have resonated with me lately.

I’m not going to be updating the garden blog, but I’m not going to take it down. Just an FYI. I’ll post a note there explaining all that, though. I may want to pick it up again in the future, and I know I will refer to it at times.

I’m hoping to also promote some discussion and thinking and questioning, too! It should be fun...

Update - New Job

I'm really sorry I haven't been writing lately. I've been busy. To make a long story short, after a week on/week off with the new job/old job, I'm now with the new job permanently as of the 19th. I love it! So happy I moved on.

I'm on the computer non stop at the NJ and quite frankly don't really want to leave 8+ hours of all-out computer work to come home and...get on the computer again. I'm sure you understand. So, probably the posts will be thin for a while.

We've also been having computer upgrades here at the house, so one computer was away and the other wasn't working properly, then vice-versa. All is well now, though. We hope.

Anyway, NJ. I've had two trainings via phone now and due to that can do most of what needs done with the job for now. Primarily, I manage the databases of users that are supposed to receive our materials. There are over 91oo users in one DB and over 34000 users in the other. I am supposed to be growing both of these databases at the same time I'm to be updating their information. It is quite a task.

The problem comes in that the person I'm replacing did a no-notice self termination. She just didn't come in. So, a LOT of things are left undone in the middle of projects, and we have no idea what she was doing. Most of them, though, are not pressing. So at least that's something.

I'm getting along swimmingly with my sole coworker/manager. I'm very glad about this. I'm also being treated like a human by the feds, which is a real switch from the OJ. I am also impressed with the new company. The previous company I worked for was run by incompetent single-cell life compared to the new one.

I will also be sent away for some more training within the year, possibly a few. One I am quite looking forward to. I was issued a govt laptop today, I hope to get the training on how to hook it up to my home network this week sometime. In this way, I will be able to put out the unclassified but sensitive information that we occasionally put out to the people who need it. With the laptop, I will also be able to work from home during the next blizzard we experience. Hallelujah.

Things I'll Miss About the Old Job

There are a lot of things I WON'T miss, but there are some things I will.

Of the many strange titles in the library's unique collection, this was my favorite

I'll miss working one-on-one with the students. Yes, the are mostly firefighters and no, I don't mean *THAT* kind of one-on-one....although some of my coworkers did. Ahem. I'll miss getting snowed in, and all the funny pictures that used to show up.

Maureen, the spider who lived outside my window

Oh, and let's not forget the strange dreams.

Paper-wrapped leg of lamb on my desk

I'll miss the beautiful interior with the columns and huge windows. I'll still have the gorgeous campus, though.

I'll get some pictures from my new building sometime soon.

Mysterious Ways

I have 4 days of New Job under my belt. I think it is going to work out fine. It is VERY different than my old job. It is wonderful. And I enjoy my lone coworker a lot. The feds there treat us like humans, which is a weird feeling.

I wanted to talk a bit about how this happened, because it is strange.

About 2.5-3 weeks ago, I was angry, frustrated, sad, depressed, and while I was looking forward to our government-enforced week off from work (the library shuts down 4 weeks a year and we have the option to take unemployment, vacation, or leave without pay), I was still unhappy with the job and wanted a new one. Desperately.

I am not a religious person. Spiritual, maybe. Not religious. I tend to feel the universe works in its own way and you and I have no control over it. I also tend to think most of the time we get in our own way. I know I do.

I was watering the garden one evening, the sun had gone down, I was feeling down, and I was thinking about where I was in life and where I wanted to be (I have no clue) and I knew I wasn't making any headway on my own and whatever path I was looking for I just couldn't see. I could feel very strongly that thing had come to an impasse. There was nothing I could do at this point.

So, I gave up.

And I sighed and said (outloud, mind you): "OK. It's all yours. I don't know what I'm doing. If there is a path I'm supposed to be on, show it to me. If there is a teacher supposed to come into my life, bring them. Let's go."

Now, I have said these words before, but to be honest I didn't really mean them. This time, I meant every word.

And a week later, there it was. It is also not lost on me that this is the second time the same opportunity has fallen into my lap.

New Job!!!!

I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!

It is the same position that I interviewed and talked about here. What a difference a year makes! The woman that did get hired went to Colorado a week or so ago....and decided not to come back. Her husband (who also works on campus as a fed) was left with breaking the news and turning in her key and badge. Additionally, she had the government laptop with her in Colorado. So. Not good. I cant' imagine leaving someone in the lurch like that.

Anyway, I was the next on the list last year so they called me on Tuesday, I had an interview on Wednesday, and they made an offer on Thursday. Very quick, I feel like I've been run over by a truck. I gave notice to my current job last Thursday.

This week, the library is closed and I'm taking vacation time, so I actually started my new job this week for 4 days. Next week (12th-16th) I'm working at the library again, then I start permanently with the new job on Monday the 19th.

I'll write more about the job later, but for now you can check out the website here. There is a brochure here.

I will be more MIA here until everything gets squared away. We are well, but stressed a bit.

Picture From Work

They really could have staged this photo better.

General Things

I never know what to name these 'update' posts. 'Update' just seem so boring. 'Exciting Happenings' just isn't true, usually.

So, we leave for Virginia this afternoon. I'll be non communicato until at least Sunday.

In regards to dad and mom and the hospital and the conversation over lunch, nothing new. Dad has an appointment with the EarNoseThroat(knees and toes, knees and toes) doctor today, here's hoping all's well. Also, I found a Yahoo Group for only children of aging parents. I joined. At least I can go there and vent even if I can't do anything about the situation.

Max is having more trouble with his vision. He's taken to walking around the bed at night after we turn off the light, even if he had been laying down and asleep when the light gets turned off. It is very strange. We're not sure why he's doing it. I think that his vision is bad enough that he is totally blind when he goes from light to dark that suddenly, and I think his eyes (well, eye) adjusts more slowly. But, if you can't see anything why wander around? He hasn't fallen, and I don't think he will, but we really can't figure it out. Also, his arthritis is starting to be more apparent. I'm making a vet appointment for him next week.

I have been soooo incredibly stressed lately, and I can't seem to find a way to dissapate it. It just keeps building, layer upon layer. Something explodes at work....then dad goes in the hospital....then someone else has a work explosion....then possible layoffs at Matt's job....then something else, something else, something else. Even good things, like jewelry commisions and gardening just add to the pressure. And it's a full moon so I'm not sleeping as well. I feel like someone shoved grapefruits in my shoulder muscles, everything is so tense.

Almost Got Fired Friday!

What an exciting end to a slow and boring week! I won't go into details, but suffice it to say the head honcho needs he ego stroked way WAY more than even I thought, and after he'd calmed down everything was cool.

Still looking for other jobs! You're darn tootin' I am!

Oh, in other news, my Kiva loanee, Edith, has made 3 of her 4 payments back! Go Edith!

Also, I made a 5th sale on Etsy this weekend. I'm advertising over at Bright, Bold & Beautiful for the next two months. I hope it helps, so far, so good!

Applying For Fed Jobs (is) For Dummies

I think a few of you are privy to the information that I have been applying for fed jobs. It is a screwed-up system, seriously very screwed up, and I wanted to vent a bit while educating the mass population on exactly how screwed up it is.

Fed Job Basics: Federal jobs are ranked with a GS level, or grade. I think they run from GS-1 through GS-15(?). I’ve never seen a GS-1, and I have no idea what kind of position that would be. A GS-5 is considered an after-college grade. You are qualified with a 4-year college degree and no other work history. A Ph.D. qualifies you for a GS-11.

You can also gain experience to rank as these levels, too, so you don’t HAVE to have the degrees to get them. Education really isn’t counted for much. And it depends on the job. For example, a normal librarian job requires an MLS, but if the Library of Congress needed someone in a librarian position that was fluent in Farsi, and I happened to have the necessary experience, I would be qualified for the job regardless of the degree.

Jobs are usually listed as multi-grades, for example GS-5/6/7. So, you can apply for the 5 OR the 6 OR the 7. OR, and this is the kicker…..YOU CAN APPLY FOR ALL THREE. Seriously, so you have three shots for the same job.

Even better, if you are already a federal employee, you can apply for all three as a federal employee AND you can apply for all three as a ‘civilian,’ so you would have SIX shots for one position.

How messed up is that??

Resumes: For a regular job, you send in a cover letter, a 1-page resume, and possibly a list of references. Then you hold your breath and wait. Usually they call only if they are interested.

Federal jobs are almost entirely online fill-in-forms application now, so no cover letters (thank god, I hate them so much). Also, a ‘federal resume’ is a different animal than a regular resume. You have to put the last 10 years (at least) of your work history so the resume is several pages long.

KSAs: The absolute worst part of applying for federal jobs is writing out the KSAs. KSAs stand for Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (examples here). The job posting will have a list of KSAs that are required for the job, and you have to write an essay about how your experience fits the KSA in question. It is such a pain in the ass, but it is SO important. They grade the KSAs out of 100pts, and you must score at least a 70pts to move on to the next level. Each KSA is weighted differently, so if you have 4 KSAs to write you can’t assume they are each worth 25pts. One might be worth 50pts and if you screw it up then you’re done. And if for some reason you just decide not to do the KSA section you might as well throw the rest of your application in the trash because that is where it will wind up when they receive it unfinished.

So, for example, in the job I just applied for they wanted the following:

• Ability to use Microsoft Office software systems.
• Knowledge of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and standard office formats.
• Ability to independently gather and maintain information for briefings, presentations, and reports.
• Ability to apply judgment in coordinating competing and short deadline requirements.

(Sometimes they don’t make sense. One I came across said: "Ability to manage workload in order to provide completed staff work." What the hell does that mean?)

So, I had to write a cheerleader-like 1-page description of how my experience fits each of those. That is one page EACH.

KSAs make or break an application. They are incredibly important. There are firms you can hire to write your KSAs for you. They charge a LOT of money.

Application Process: All fed jobs are advertised on www.usajobs.gov. That’s great and everything, but each agency apparently has a different application management site that only they use, and they’re not all user-friendly to USAJobs.gov, so that nice, tight resume you slaved over will not transfer to the individual agency's system and for some reason you cannot copy and paste it to the new site.

So. That’s it in a nutshell. Fortunately, I have a friend on campus that used to work in Personnel, so he’s been coaching me a bit on the ins and outs of the system. Hopefully it pays off.

There was a really interesting article in Federal Times recently about the new DHS hiring system. One of the things they say in the article is that with the way the system is now you’re not getting people who are the best choice for the job. You’re instead getting people who REALLY want a fed job and are willing to go through the crap to get it. The people who were the best choice bailed on the process a loooong time ago. I can see that, it is an incredibly stupid system. But I’d like to think I’m a bit of both: a good choice and someone who really wants a fed job. In reality, I’d like to think I’m a good choice, and I’m also someone who really wants out of her present situation. Time to move on…way WAY past time to move on.

The benefits: These speak for themselves. We’d have something like 20 choices for health insurance, some better than others. Matt and I could start an inexpensive long-term care insurance plan in case one of us might need it in the future, and it is also available for my parents if they want it. Life insurance, too.

My minimum retirement age under the federal system is 57 (based on the year I was born). If I got a fed job by the time I’m 37, I’d get 20 years of service by the time I’m 57, which would give me some sort of monthly benefit for the rest of my life.

PS: one of the funniest things I’ve seen on a local fed job is the ‘Work Environment’ section for a job at an underground bunker: “Work is completed in an underground facility that may or may not be a target for enemies of the United States.”

Stuck On You

Looks like we're going to get whumped on again. Last I heard yesterday was anywhere from a foot to two feet or more of snow, plus gusts of 30mph which would lead to blizzard-like conditions.

Now, we are expected to work out our shift today and we are open until 5pm. Snow is supposed to start anywhere from 10am through 2pm. Which means there is a good chance I'm not going home tonight.

Fortunately they have dorm space for us. I'm packing a 2-day bag.

Hooband isn't happy about this. I warned him Wednesday night that I might stay over.

(unhappy look from Hooband).

"Dear, if it comes down to me not getting home safe, I'm going to stay. I *want* to come home, you know!"

(less unhappy look from Hooband).

"Of course, there are worse things than getting snowed in with 300 firefighter on Super Bowl weekend."

(VERY unhappy look from Hooband).

"Oh, dear, I'm just kidding. I'll take my crocheting, and a good book, and probably go to sleep early."

(Hooband looks a little happier about the whole thing).

"Unless I grab the three bottles of wine I have stashed in the trunk. Then, who knows??"

He knows I'm kidding on this one. I actually have a sled stashed in the trunk. THAT would be a blast, sledding on campus with firefighter?

I'll let you know. I'll bring the camera.

Strange Dreams

I have a friend who often asks about dreams. Have I had any interesting dreams lately? Well, have I ever! I usually don’t remember my dreams, but this one was….strange. There are elements that you will probably recognize, but I’ll mention a few things at the end. *names changed to protect the innocent*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was at work, but in our breakroom finishing up lunch. One of my coworkers, K, was there. 8 bags of dead leaves were also stacked in there for me. I was debating with K whether I should go ahead and move them to where my desk was or not because E (the fed in charge of our contract) didn’t want me to but, hey, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, right?

So, I hoisted 4 bags over my shoulders (superhuman strength in dreams, apparently), and started to carry them back to my desk with K tagging along behind me, worried. But it turns out I had trouble getting through the hall to my desk because of all the women doing inventory on the books on shelves lining the hallways.

But they weren’t the only problem! For some reason, they’d also routed the lines of refugees through the hall, too. I don’t know where the refugees were coming from or going to, but there were a lot of them and they were going in one door, through the hall, past my desk, through another door and out.

It was overcast outside, the lights were out in the building, women doing inventory, refugees in various states of disrepair walking through the building, 4 bags of leaves, K fussing behind me, and now E appears and I’m struggling to move the bags of leaves from room to room so he doesn’t know I have them up there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About then I woke up. It was a very strange dream. The leaves are obvious. We’re doing an inventory in the basement of the building right now, and it is dark and dingy down there. I’m guessing the refugees are in response to Haiti, but to tell the truth I haven’t seen much footage about it so it may be something else and these people tromping through the library weren't Hatian. Really, really strange. Sometimes I wish I remembered my dreams more.

In other news…

…I’m working harder at getting another job. I have several in mind and I hope to get the e-paperwork together this weekend to submit. The one I’m seriously hoping for is with Fish & Wildlife Service (Dept. of the Interior) in Shepherdstown, West-by-God-Virginia. It is about an hour commute, but it is more money and most importantly IT ISN”T WHERE I’M AT NOW. There are a couple others with Custom & Border Protection that are about the same distance, but I really want the FWS job.

All good thoughts, wishes, prayers, etc, that you can send my way with this would be much appreciated. I’m going crackerdog where I am now. It’s well past time to move on.

Please also be sure to read and comment on the post below, I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on the situation...

Campus

I went for a walk around campus yesterday and took my camera.

The maples on the main avenue, with sycamores behind. They all turn the most beautiful orange every year:
Three of the old sycamores:
The building I work in, with a blue arrow pointing to my window:
Some of the interesting, old stained glass windows in the chapel:
On the right side around the corner is a door to the tunnels that wander below campus. Seriously. The campus is a very old nunnery for the Daughters of Charity. When the sisters would come back for their retreats every year, they weren't allowed to be seen (this was a loooong time ago). They would go from building to building via the tunnels. I think the small door at the bottom was for some purpose dealing with those on retreat, but I'm not sure. Many of the tunnels are still in use today for steam lines and other utilities, but some have caved in:
I'd love to know the story behind these, aren't they beautiful:
The two ginkos on campus are in their full beauty right now:
And a bird nest:
Love the gnarly tree:
I think we have more emergency vehicles on campus sometimes than they do in some major cities:
I wandered over to the fallen firefigter memorial for the first time in years, I think. This is from the 9/11 list of names. Whenever I see the list, my eyes are always drawn to this pair, the Sr. and Jr.
The hazards of parking on campus (that is my car on the right):

The New Administration

Finally.
President Obama, VP Biden, then DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano and USFA Administrator Kelvin Cochran, who was in a class with my mother here once. Very nice guy.