Stuff, littler stuff, and needing your stuff

Well, Thanksgiving is almost here and for the most part my workload on the job is slowing down a bit. Of course the work required at home is picking up. I guess I shouldn’t complain. My daughter, Kristin, called today to say the movers will be there to pick up their stuff tomorrow. I can’t imagine having to pack-up everything you own and trusting it in the hands of total strangers. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve moved, a lot! But, I never left my stuff with strangers. I’d be a nervous wreck.

Not only are total stranger moving them, but they will not see their stuff for over a month! They will be visiting relatives for the next 30 days. Once they finally land in the same state as their stuff, they will still need to find housing before their stuff can be delivered. I would suffer so much separation anxiety that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy myself.

I remember when I was young, in my teens; I used to daydream about how great it would be to travel the world with a backpack and a bed roll. That so does not sound appealing now! My daydream now is to travel the world by being molecularly transported to locations around the world with my house, shop and garage. Because, I just might need something and it would be so much handier to have everything there. Not to mention I could sleep in my own bed, with my own pillows every night. I’d have my car and all the things I know so well. Not to mention a bathroom handy.

I like that commercial on TV where the girl jumps out of her big jacked-up truck, hits the lock on her keychain, and then hits another button and the whole thing folds itself up until it will fit in her little tiny purse. That is brilliant!! You don’t have to worry about paying for parking, someone hitting it, or it being stolen. And, if you’re at the mall, you don’t have to walk back a mile to get to it, its right there in your purse when you’re ready to go. We need scientists and engineers working on this kind of technology. You know something really useful to everyone!!

Parent of whiney, crying babies could maybe do the same thing, especially when they bring them on plains!!

I don't want to move!!

I’ve worked for the City of Portland for 12 years. The first six I worked for the Office of Neighborhood Involvement (ONI), a much over worked and under funded bureau. The phrase “Rode hard and put up wet” is a very good description of what it is like to work there. After six years of intensive work with the public on crime prevention issues, budget cuts and union issues I was exhausted. For nine months after leaving them I worked for the Bureau of Development Services (BDS) as a code inspector and had one of the greatest bosses I’ve ever had the honor of working for. He actually took me aside and told me to slow down, that I was working too hard! To this day, I swear that directive is the reason I’ve stayed sane. (No comments from the peanut gallery!!) After leaving there, a much saner person, I went to work for the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) doing community outreach for construction projects.

Now here’s the thing, at ONI the budget was so tight I had to drive my own car on city business, carry my own person cell phone, flex days instead of getting overtime pay and constantly figure out how to get things done with no money. – This actually meant that things were not done to a satisfactory level. – And, little things like office equipment, office space, and moving expenses were pretty much non-existent. At BES I was only in the office for a very short period of time each day, I was visiting compliant site most of the day, in a City car. I had everything I needed to get the job done in a proper way.

At BES I again have all the resource I need to do my job. Nothing extravagant, but what I need without adding undue hardships and stress. Well, that is except a constant work space. In five years my workstation has been moved three times. Or at least it will have been three times by the end of this week. Oddly enough I’m ending up right back where I started. All three spaces are within 30 feet of each other. Moving is a stressful process, and aggravating beyond belief. It takes one day to get it all packed up, then another day to have it moved, and a third day to get everything set up again the way you want it. I really like my current space and I’ve been very resistant to this move, but its here now and I’m trying to accept it. Ok, maybe I’m not trying as hard as I could, but cut me some slack! I’m giving up storage! Do you know how valuable storage is? I have no idea how I’m going to fit everything in at the new/old location.

There’s the fart/burp factor to consider as well. I’ve been known to be a little gassy and right now I’m in a cubical all by myself. Starting Monday I will be sharing a pod area with two co-worker and an empty station for a third. I’m going to have to be on constant alert for escaping gases, and vacate the area at the first signs of a gas leak. I’m also going to have to watch the level of my voice on the phone. I’m not good at self awareness on this level!! To put it mildly, I’m a little freaked!

My closest pod mate (I don’t want to be a pod person!!) has a map and paper fetish. He is physically incapable of throwing out either one. As a result his cubicle is filled to overflowing. This does not bode well for my future since there will now be no barriers between our work stations. If you don’t hear from me, check under the pile of papers and maps.

The good news? I’ll still have a window and I’ll be slightly closer to the printer. I’m hanging onto that thought with both hands!