Ugh. I am soso tired, but I can’t go home until after 8PM, because it’s a Toastmasters night. I felt a little guilty because I’ll miss the next meeting, so I wanted to be there for this one. Ted took today off (he has more vacation time than I do) so I’ll have to drive home solo.
I just didn’t get much sleep last night after my meeting. I was upset by finding out that I am at a lower level, relative to my salary grade, than I was hired at – the only explanation seemed to be that they lowered it when I moved here (against company policy). However, All is Now Clear – at least I understand when and why it happened (part of a general adjustment, didn’t affect actual salary paid). Now the only step is for to figure out how to keep it from hurting me if I transfer back.
I am Toastmaster of the Evening tonight, meaning I get up on stage and run the thing, introducing everybody – I think I’m going to look like a puppet on strings, all animated onstage and wilting when no one is pulling the strings. Luckily I don’t particularly mind getting up on a stage. (Which is why I got dragged into this thing in the first place.)
I’m trying to think: is there anyone else on my f-list who does office work, especially in the lower levels of management where you are not only at the mercy of other people’s needs and vagaries but also trying to protect the people who work for you? Thinking about it, among the people who read this I can count some authors and other sorts of writers, a union organizer (who probably does deal with the same stuff, especially the “protect” part), a few stay-at-home-moms, a couple of editors, one or more accountants (who may also be in similar situations), a programmer (who probably will be, if she stays in the field a while), a bookseller, a couple of temp workers (speaking of being at other people’s mercies!), a few professors and / or scientists, a teacher or three, an event organizer (or possibly two), a nurse, and a few other miscellaneous types of office workers (the worst of office jobs are htat it’s hard to explain what we do – or why it matters). Hmm. Y’all are a nice kind of mix. 🙂
I don’t know if there are any other engineers – no, of course, I’m being stupid, there’s the one of you I went through school with and the one I worked with. I don’t really do much engineering these days, but I still find that background informs everything I do do, and the way I look at the world.
Momming is kind of a protect and serve situation where the DNA crapshoot gives you who knows what (boy?girl? twins? easy temper? tantrum thrower?) and it’s your job to do everything the best way you know how so your kids get ‘promoted’ beyond you. That they come out healthier, stronger, less screwed up, making fewer mistakes, have more career choices, and have as happy or happier relationships than you did. If you do your job right the kids grow up and move away. And if you’re really lucky they still drop by occasionally and keep in touch.
Mothering and middle management- same skill set, different application. 🙂 ~LA
I’m an engineer (chemical) by training but have never actually worked as one. And you’re right — the engineer-ness does inform a LOT of what we do. I can’t figure out if it’s innate or if it’s how we’re trained in school, but it does make a difference.
I’m currently at a conference about sustainability and it hit me yesterday that that’s just what engineers DO — we don’t waste. It’s the way we’re wired.
Also, ramblin’ here — I’m sorry to hear about your uncle. Sounds like he was a really neat guy. And you’re right about people saying you need to just fight harder (or pray harder) and you’ll beat cancer. That’s crap.