Journal Red Warrior's Journal: Smile and grin at the change all around - long. boring. 2
I mentioned a while ago that I had been selected to be one of the founding members of a new group at work. Well, found out Friday that I will FINALLY be moving to that group as of the beginning of Feb. Of course, they AREN'T going to move me to a cubicle by the window, but it looks like my obnoxious coworker will be moved out of the current cubicle (other cube-mate is also founding member of the group, and not obnoxious). Same pay, same location, cooler (as measured by perceptions in this workplace as well as resume-foo) title.
The group will be managing/maintaining or public web portal, and basically be responsible for the UI layer of all external facing applications. With the exception that I will continue to be responsible for the entirely of my application, as management doesn't understand that it can be EASILY divided (it's amazing what happens when you first design, and THEN code....), and I don't feel like making an issue of it. The application is way too easy to maintain as it is. And the UI of whatever web apps come my way.
The PM stuff continues to move ahead smoothly. One of the contractors really likes to do show & tell - wants to hear what a good job he's doing. Meh. Since he is doing a good job, I guess it's not asking that much and it makes him happy. The whole under budget thing is still the case, and going well. (Comments about that NOT being the goal understood and accepted. It's working out well this time and I'm happy that's the case.)
One of the reasons I'm not making a fuss (about keeping all of my app), is it still does look like the next PM job with the agency is mine for the asking. Manager reminded me on Friday to be on the lookout for useful PM or related classes/seminars/materials, etc. and to incorporate them into my training plan. I'm looking at a couple other openings, and will probably make a halfhearted attempt at one (an "incident response team" lead programmer), but I think I really want to stay with the current employer and finish the transition to the dark side.
Oh, and the new boss? My suspicion was correct. Same as the old boss.
Upper management will make the announcement tomorrow, both that she go the job, and that I and my coworker are moving over with her.
Other stuff:
I can finally get into my workshop. Hauled a load of stuff to the dump today. There's actually a lot of room in there, once you get rid of the junk!
I been sick. On the plus side, most of the office seemed to also be sick, so I didn't have a bunch of people bugging me at work this week. (Not sick enough to waste perfectly good sick days!) Unfortunately, I only worked out one day this week.
An offshoot of the Dallas thing is that I am actually in charge of people other than myself again. That, and there is much more of a sense of being a unit than there was before.
The website I've been managing for the Reserve unit appears to be starting to pay off. I got an email this morning asking for help from a Captain on the east coast asking for assistance in exactly what it is my unit is in the business of providing. The only way for him to have gotten my name in connection with that topic is to have gone to our site. Poor guy evidently found out this weekend that he was the designated expert.
If you suspend your contributions to your mutual funds for a few months, it behooves you to make a note as to when those withdrawals will resume. Otherwise, you can get a nasty shock to your system when you check your checking balance once they resume.
Picked up Bruce Lee's "Chinese Gung Fu: The Philosophical Art of Self-Defense". It sucketh, but is worthwhile for historical value. His later books were MUCH better. Also picked up H2H Hand To Hand Combat, which while NOT the Army's official manual on the subject, is written by the guy responsible for starting the current program, and is MUCH more usable that the actual army manual. Also, not a bad intro to Gracie Jujitsu (that being much of the base of the Army's current system).
One of the things I plan on doing with my guys this fiscal year is getting them through level one combatives certification. With level two early next year. With luck, I'll find an instructor on Ft Lewis. If not, there is an instructor at a Gracie school here in town who can certify people through level two.
WoW is crack.
Being a state employee, I get a 12.5% raise in July. 2.5% as a cost of living raise, and 10% to bring my job classification within 75% of what my trade (allegedly programming) makes in the "real world" in WA. Which will be sweet, especially as the cost of living in this area is less than 75% of what it is in the Seattle area, where they get most of these salaries from. Oh, and we get our "refund of health care premium overcharges" too. $756. Which, incidentally, is more than I will have paid over the two year period in question for health care premiums. But since it's a "refund", it's tax free.
Oddly enough, the union is putting out fliers, letting employees know that if they vote for the decertification, they will "lose their refund". True. You've gotta be a union member on July 1 to get it. You don't have to have been a state employee for the period in question, though... Let alone have paid that amount in premiums...
and stuff.
workplace shifting (Score:2)
but what it means is, my boss is now managing director of boston (we have nyc, and san fran offices) and my direct report is now director of engineering. i honestly have no idea what it means, but it is nice that i get along really we
Re: (Score:3, Informative)
Being "on" all the time. I am an introvert by nature. Not anti-social, but definitely a-social. A large % of the PM role is relationship building and maintaining. With the people that the relationships need to be build and maintained with...
Before, I could merely be civil with a lot of the people I cordially detest. Now I need to be cordial with them.