Exasperated and knackered

Sorry not to have written much this week, as in not at all. No excuse other then to say I’ve been busy. In fact to borrow a phrase from our Aussie friends, I’m knackered!! There’s been so much to do at work this week its felt like a month has gone by.

One or the most challenging issues this week has been to liaison between a project engineer who is ready to send documents out to bid and a property owner who is OK with the project in concept but not application. The engineer is understandably anxious to get going and doesn’t really want to delay his project. The property owner wants to see right of way improvements that would include sidewalks and curbing which do not currently exist. Unlike many property owners in this situation, he’s not expecting us to improve his property at our expense, he willing to pay for the improvements. This almost never happens. So, there has been some push back from both sides and I’m the one in the middle trying to make it work for everyone.

For the type of public construction projects I work on, it’s very common to have requests from property owners. When the outreach effort is initiated at the proper time, generally at 30% design, addressing with these issue goes more smoothly, but addressing them at 90% is rarely painless, in fact it’s pretty much guaranteed to hair pulling, eye gougingly painful. It’s also the kind of pain that revisits you on a regular basis. Anything poorly done leads to mistrust in the future.

This is one of two projects I’ve recently been handed that were well past the 30% mark. The other one will be even more painful I fear. So I’m not only knackered, I’m also up the creek with filled with alligators and only a meaty soup bone for a paddle.

Tonight I’m headed for a good time at our neighborhood elementary school, to an old fashioned sock-hop. Thankfully Debbi called to remind me a little bit ago! It should be a lot of fun. I’ll be taking photos for the PTO and the neighborhood newsletter and website.

I remember as a freshman going to our school dances. I always had a great time and danced until I could barely breath. I wonder if high schools still have weekly dances, I’m thinking, probably not with all the cut backs. That’s a shame.

I remember in junior high the place to be was the roller skating rink. If I had a nickel for every hour I spent there, I’d have a lot of nickels!

I need an activity like these now in my middle years. A place to go regularly where I can be with people, have fun and get moving around. I wish that was the gym, but I don’t find that to be a fun activity at all. I haven’t been on skates in 28 years, and I haven’t been dancing in about 15 years. Oh God, I’m making myself depressed!! Excuse me while I go kick myself in the pants.