Monthly Archives: October 2007

Better living through chemistry…

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Thursday and Friday were basically filled with spending quality time at the doctor’s office. The complete physical exam and stress test are clearly two of the most devious methods of torture ever devised by the minds of men. It’s hard to look casual when you’re wearing one of these little hospital gown thingies.

With the exception of some slightly elevated blood pressure, I am pleased to report that I am in good health and strong as a bull moose. I’ll tear your shit up on that treadmill, yo!

So now in addition to my beloved Nexium that is working to keep my stomach from escaping through my mouth, I’ve added a dose of Micardis to my daily regimen in an effort to bring my blood pressure into something approaching the “normal” range. We’ll check back in a month and see how that’s all working out. Incidentally, I love that my new doctor is a pill pusher. No fuss. No muss. Treat the symptoms and move on. Finally, a doctor I think I can work with.

Unexpected turn of events…

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My current boss has been “acting” in his position for the last year or so. Although he was one of three interviewed for the position, if I had been taking bets, he would have been the dark horse candidate, with the odds of him being selected being very long. While he has been “acting,” he’s been formally occupying the job that I really wanted… effectively meaning the only way I get promoted is if he gets promoted.

As of about 20 minutes ago, the word is officially on the street. The “old man” is getting officially kicked upstairs to the big office, freeing up “my” new position. There are still plenty of wickets to get through, but assuming that there are no serious hang-ups, a significant assumption when talking about a federal job, my promotion could come through sometime after the middle of next month.

I’ll still be playing with hurricanes, charging across the country at a moment’s notice, and probably having even less free time than I do now, but in the end, it’s the job that feels right. It’s the one that I’ve sacrificed for and the one that I’ve driven myself into the ground chasing. It’s here now, just flitting into reach. It’s here now and God help me, I want it. I know I’ve sure as hell earned it.

Fingers crossed…

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I just found out I’m in the running for a new job/promotion. Actually it’s the job I was doing before I moved into my current one. They finally got around to opening it at the right pay grade and in the parlance of the HR pukes, I was “referred” for the position… Which basically means I should get the chance to interview for the position. I’m a little torn because it’s not an “emergency” job, which is what we all know I really want to be doing, but it’s more money, a straight 40-hour work-week, much less chance of getting called on a Friday morning to fly off to cover one crisis or another, and it puts me one step closer to wearing the gold keystone that’s been my goal since coming to work in government.

Basically, if they offer me the position, I don’t know that I can really turn it down. I’d have a better sense of things if I knew a promotion in my current assignment would be coming up, but since there’s someone currently sitting in the job I really want, this seems like the next best option. A la Woodward and Bernstein, my plan is to “follow the money..”

However, I’m putting the cart way before the horse here, so I’ll just keep my fingers crossed and see where I land when everything shakes out.