Getting ready for my next project

This week I get to "rest" at the home office before heading out to a new jobsite. This time no one is going on vacation ("aww.."). This new jobsite is a slight shift in my career as I make the jump from Computers to Construction Management (all professions starting with a "c" are cool, aren't they?).

Maybe I should start from the begining of how I ended up where I am. On second thought, that'd take a whole book, so I'll give you the synopsis. Obviously I didn't grow up wanting to be a construction manager nor a computer. And anyway home computers weren't around when I grew up (this dates me, doesn't it?). No, I had a fairly normal dream for a girl. I wanted to be the Army General. I even had plans to outdo Moshe Dayan and take my ear off! But with me being fairly short I could only become Mrs. Napoleon. So I gave up on that dream.

I majored in Architecture and Construction Management, which is obvious how I landed up being a database programmer. Is anyone working in the field they studied?

Well, this year, as part of my quarter-life crisis I decided computer programmers are not valued in the construction industry, and if I don't make the switch I'll never become a general.

So next week I head off to my new client - a national institute. It'll be a short term project (I should be done before the end of the year), where I'll be working with WL from my company. Mr. WL hasn't heard yet what I had done to Johnny's trailer. We're going to keep this a secret for now. Until he goes on vacation.

I'm very excited about my new job, but probably all for the wrong reasons. I'll get to wear jeans every single day. Now how cool is that?! You see, I have this thing against dressing up for work. This is where I spend most of my waking hours, doing the most difficult physical and mental work of my day. I want to feel comfortable in my clothes! I want to stop wasting time every morning trying to match the shirt colour to the pants, and the shoes (you men have it so easy!!!). I just want to wake up, get into a pair of jeans, t-shirt and steel-toe boots and head off to work. Wearing jeans can't possibly impact my work ability to a point where I get fired, so why the restriction? In fact, I get far more productive and motivated when I'm comfortable. And that excuse about looking good for the client - well, I tell ya, the client needs to get over it! There are a ton of well-dressed idiots out there who can't perform their jobs, why don't you start focusing on the real problem in the workplace instead of the artificial ones.

But I digress. Back to my new job - WL called me yesterday to give me some final directions on what I'll do when I get there ("get your ID, your parking spot, and your orange cone"). So I get to have my own parking spot marked with an orange cone. I'm not too happy about the orange cone (for political reasons). Note to self: Ask WL if it'd be okay if I colour it in blue instead.

The other critical piece of information I got is that while WL will be in charge of placing a new generator in this building, I'm being put in charge of a wall. Yup, my first construction management responsibility is to be in charge of a wall! It's a special wall. Small. At the front entrance. Made of granite. Eight weeks lead time to manufacture. A weekend to put up. And I'm in charge of it. It's very exciting, don't you think? Hey, maybe I'll take some photos of this wall after I'm done with this project.

Yeah, I think I'll need to think up of how to decorate this wall in pink.

Client is gonna love me. Yes, sireee.