Month: October 2003

Ever-Changing Schedule

Hmmm. Why is it that when you make plans, they get changed by someone? This week’s work schedule has been set for some time. My expectations of what would happen have also been fairly accurate. Until tonight. Tonight, I expected to be here until 5am. I probably won’t be that late now. Why? Because these guys here are doing too good of a job! Too good, you say? Well, I checked out of my hotel this morning fully expecting not to sleep and to drive straight to the airport and fly home. However: they are finishing early which means, either I sleep here on the floor or go beg for my room back. Not that I’ll really have to beg … I hope.

I am ready for my trip to Europe. I have good, comfortable seat and Laura will be with me. We’re excited – this will be our second business trip together (last one was to California). We have lots of friends we’ll be going to see and just generally have some good visits.

I have just now printed out the maps of where I’m going to go. I was getting nervous about exactly where everything was…

I’m A Travel Junkie

I must be, or I wouldn’t be doing this job. This week, I flew to Orange County, CA again for the first half of the week. Then, I flew all day long on Wed. to get to Greenville, SC. Quite a long trip – 7am to 5pm or around there. I was in Greenville for two nights – one full day. Then, flew back home. Next week, I fly to Greenville for three days then leave Thursday to go to London and from London the next Thursday to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam the next NEXT Thursday, back home again. Nice, eh? As I said: I’m a travel junkie.

The good thing about this is that I will be bringing Laura with me. She will be having all kinds of fun while I work. Not only while I work, but while I work the night shift! Of course, this schedule means that we will have the weekend to relax and sight see. I think that I’ll be travelling constantly for the next month entirely.

74

74 hours. That’s what I worked last week. It was not fun. Way not fun. Sometimes, I wonder why I even do this job. But then, they’re supposed to send me to Europe which would make up for it. … unless they make me work another 70+ hour week… in which case I won’t even SEE Europe… I will only see the inside of an office building and then it will be dark. So much for my relaxing business trip to England.

Well, I’m hoping it’s not that bad. I’m anticipating that I can get a co-worker to come out with me so we can ‘share the pain’ (and the warm English beer…)

Anyway, I’m still tired from last week. I’m sure I’ll be going to sleep early for a few days this week. Of course, I will be travelling many thousands of miles this week: Houston to Orange County, CA to Greenville, SC and back to Houston. Quite a week. At least there’s no working ’till 5am this week.

Nice Weather

Well, I’m back in Houston for this week and will actually be working here for once. However, I don’t know where I’ll be after next week. I was supposed to travel to England for this project, but it doesn’t look like that will happen this soon. It will probably be two more weeks until that happens.

We just had a late lunch with Mike and Jason. The weather is so nice here: it feels like California, even. We ate outside which is something you can’t normally do here in Houston. It’s so nice, that I think I’m going to go out of my balcony and have a cigar. When I get to Cozumel, I’m sure Jason and I will be enjoying some Cubans… Well, maybe one or two. 😉

Mortality

Ever have one of those days where you really stop and think how fragile your situation in life really is? I’ve just heard about several layoffs in my group. It makes me truly grateful that I have a job. Yeah, sure I complain about it, but I’ve been working through the entire ‘recession’ and other hard times. I have to thank God that he’s lookin’ out for me – now, it’s ‘us’, too!

So, in the spirit of thankfulness, I would like to state my thanks to God for some of the simple things in my life:
1) My wife loves me. This totally rocks.
2) I have a job. Even when it sucks, I still get paid.
3) My cell phone is working today. You never realize how important this is until it’s taken away.
4) I have a cool house. Even though I have to climb up and down 4 floors, it’s still cool.
5) I’m slowly paying off my consumer debt. It was getting larger, but now it’s getting smaller!
6) I get to go diving this year. I didn’t last year, but God provided a way this year without increasing my debt.
7) I have cool friends.

Life is too short to be a whiner. (Talkin’ to myself there…)