Print Story 8:54
Diary
By iGrrrl (Thu May 07, 2009 at 08:51:18 AM EST) life, minty fresh mint in the garden, weightlifting (all tags)
Why you haven't heard from me in a while. 


So, I had this job. It was pretty demanding, and kept growing, but I kept it at part time so I could get comp time for the 90 hour weeks and have the flexibility to do stuff with my children. It went from just me, working as a contractor, to directing an office of four of us, and right now with the longer-term contractors and temps, it's about 10. 

Now, last summer I got my head hunted by a national company. I'm the first person the founders have brought in and allowed to go solo under their banner. They are old friends with a close relationship, and they've been doing this for fifteen years, so, y'know, no pressure or anything. This means I travel at least once a month, sometimes two or three times, plus a lot more work associated with the workshops and seminars I do for them. I know now why consultants on-site rates are so high: the prep work that is not on the clock.

Now, I am 50% at each job, which currently need more than half my time.

In the mean time, we put our house on the market. This included three intense weeks of packing, cleaning, repairing, changing, etc., etc. And it was all while I had work deadlines. The good news is, we have a buyer, and the home inspection is next week. We also found a house, and our home inspection is next week. The latter takes place on a day I had blocked on my schedule to work on the  two-dozen critiques I have to write in advance of my on-site workshop this month in Wisconsin (hi, l'ilflighttest).

[stop to send two emails and check on the status of the file search on the remote server in CA]

My kids are playing baseball and softball, so between the two of them we have at least three games a week.

Oh, and moving should be the first week of July, and we have about $20M in deadlines July 17.

So, my life. I check in here, but don't expect much unless I need decompression. My Can't Talk About It issues are getting even more serious, so I'm not sure what I can decompress about. Seeing truck nuts for the first time? The horrifying fashion choice of two very different florals on someone who was not a small Chinese woman (who for some reason can pull it off, like their husbands in the plaid pants and Vans)? Who knows what I'll do as the pressure rachets up. I'm working on my Zen.

9:12
< Open Heart Surgery | IP THEFT ALERT >
8:54 | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)
best of luck by Kellnerin (4.00 / 1) #1 Thu May 07, 2009 at 10:32:19 AM EST
on the home transactions and the impending move and deadline collision.

And, I hear you re: 2 x 50% adding up to more than 100. I feel that way sometimes; though I only have one employer, I have trouble balancing the roles on either side of the slash in my title. Sort of wish I could be 75% at both, or at least 60-60.

--
"Late to the party" is the new "ahead of the curve" -- CRwM

But you are... by iGrrrl (4.00 / 1) #2 Thu May 07, 2009 at 10:46:06 AM EST
...and so am I.

It would be nice if they compensated us for it.
"I honestly pity the stupid motherfucker who tries to talk down to iGrrrl" - mrgoat
[ Parent ]
are you going to keep both jobs? by StackyMcRacky (4.00 / 1) #3 Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:00:45 PM EST
or are you planning on leaving one of them?

for now, both by iGrrrl (4.00 / 1) #4 Thu May 07, 2009 at 02:45:01 PM EST
 But I suspect I may eventually move over to the consulting job. Really good people to work with, and really interesting work. I-wish-I-could-tell-you-about-it interesting. Just... Such a cool mix of things, from community-based educational strategies to nanotechnologies that will be in the news in five to ten years. Good people to work with, and the only downside is the travel, which I like to do but hate to leave the kids. Going full time there means more travel.

OTOH, my boss at the university job is stellar. My group is stellar. We Do Good Things.

It's a really good problem to have. All of it. I'm not depressed and angry. I'm just trying not to be overwhelmed.
"I honestly pity the stupid motherfucker who tries to talk down to iGrrrl" - mrgoat
[ Parent ]
it IS a good problem to have by StackyMcRacky (4.00 / 1) #5 Thu May 07, 2009 at 04:03:14 PM EST
here's hoping your head doesn't explode in the mean time!

[ Parent ]
You could clone yourself. by dark nowhere (2.00 / 0) #6 Thu May 07, 2009 at 06:40:41 PM EST
I mean... you could, couldn't you?

See you, space cowboy.

Heh. by iGrrrl (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu May 07, 2009 at 08:54:03 PM EST
 I've been accused of doing so, and if my daughter didn't have two genetic markers from her father, I'd wonder about parthenogenesis.
"I honestly pity the stupid motherfucker who tries to talk down to iGrrrl" - mrgoat
[ Parent ]
Genetic markers. by ambrosen (4.00 / 1) #10 Fri May 08, 2009 at 05:24:16 AM EST
I like to imagine that's because you've put tissue samples through a sequencing machine, but I'm guessing that in reality you're actually talking about tongue folding or attached earlobes.

[ Parent ]
Phenotype follows genotype by iGrrrl (2.00 / 0) #11 Fri May 08, 2009 at 08:39:47 AM EST
She has her father's twin toes and eye color. Everything else could be me (or in some ways my mother) at that age. Plus, she got his legs and my torso, so I think she'll be at least 5'10". 

And yes, I do have a picture of her chromosome spread. Why do you ask?
"I honestly pity the stupid motherfucker who tries to talk down to iGrrrl" - mrgoat
[ Parent ]
Phenotype follows genotype! by mrgoat (2.00 / 0) #12 Fri May 08, 2009 at 03:28:00 PM EST
Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny! Syzygy underestimates ontology! Epistemology undergoes morphology! Monophyletic transposons!

I may need to lie down.

--top hat--

[ Parent ]
It's just the vapors, dear. by iGrrrl (2.00 / 0) #13 Fri May 08, 2009 at 11:04:22 PM EST
I get them every time I try that, too. Use simple, declarative sentences for a week, speak only e-prime for two days, and you'll be back to your old self in no time. Of course, that self is one from a previous life, but I'm sure you'll adapt. 
"I honestly pity the stupid motherfucker who tries to talk down to iGrrrl" - mrgoat
[ Parent ]
I always do! by mrgoat (2.00 / 0) #14 Fri May 08, 2009 at 11:47:13 PM EST


--top hat--
[ Parent ]
Of course. by iGrrrl (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu May 07, 2009 at 09:59:42 PM EST
There is no spoon. 
"I honestly pity the stupid motherfucker who tries to talk down to iGrrrl" - mrgoat
8:54 | 13 comments (13 topical, 0 hidden)