Finally, Time for a Hobby

I mentioned a while back that I didn’t really know what to do with myself now that I’m finished with grad school. I recently rediscovered one hobby I used to have: reading. Books. Not school-related and not work-related. For pleasure. And I’m not talking romance novels. Bryan and I are a Dan Brown junkies, so I snatched up “The Lost Symbol” and read it in a couple of days.

We have yet to find an author who writes such wonderful stories as he does—blurring the line between fact and fiction, and packed with so much action and twisting plots. I feel sorry for people who went and saw “The DaVinci Code” in theaters without reading the book. We read the book beforehand, and were bitterly disappointed in the movie. I really don’t think you could make movies from Dan Brown’s books because he does so much explaining and his characters do a lot of thinking that you just can’t get from watching a film. So for any of you out there who decided not to read those books due to the movies—you should reconsider. And read them with an open mind—they are fictional stories woven around a few real facts. I think he’s gotten a lot of unfair criticism because people forget about that.

I should say the new Dan Brown book isn’t what really got me back into reading—it just kept me going. I read about “The Shack” on someone’s blog—someone who shares the same views as we do about religion. (I have no intention of engaging any of you in a religious discussion here.) It was very difficult to read because I have a hard time hearing about bad things happening to babies & kids. I forced myself to read it anyway just because of the woman who recommended it. It wasn’t an earth-shattering book, but it was definitely a different way of looking at things.

What am I reading now? I picked up Patrick Swayze’s “Time of My Life” the other day just because nothing else caught my eye and I used to love him. I’m curious about his younger years and to see the man behind the somewhat pompous actor I saw in the Barbara Walters interview about his cancer. And now that Sara Palin has a book making headlines—I’ll have to see what the fuss is about. I still don’t know what to think about her, but I try to keep an open mind (knowing that everyone, including the media, has a political agenda.)

Spreading My Wings

Have you all noticed that I haven't complained about my job here lately? Maybe it's because I take all my frustrations out on people I can reach out and touch, like my husband and co-workers. Not that I've punched them in the face or anything like that...or thought about doing it. (I'm more talking about the ones at work, honey...no need to start watching your back...yet)

Today is one of those days where I really had to control myself. I have been permanently transferred into a different department—into a place that I have never had any desire to go to. At all. Whatsoever. Period.

And nobody knew what was going on until it was all over with. Not me, not the guys who report to me, not my temporary boss on my temporary project, and not my “real” boss. It was my boss’s boss who went behind everyone’s back with no warning. Here’s the point where I have to decide whether to rant about specific asshole upper managers via the internet, lest it come back and haunt me later.

…After sitting on this post for several hours, I think I should let it be.

My reassurance about this whole ordeal is that my new bosses seem very warm and embracing. In a nutshell, they explained that the company’s top dogs got together and decided there was a very urgent, specific need for someone with my experience and knowledge in this department, and it would be great for my resume. They questioned me when they saw my jaw hot the floor after they told me this was a permanent move—and they were not happy about the lack of communication from the asshole upper manager.

I am leading the charge in revolutionizing how the company schedules and manages work on aircraft carrier overhauls. The people involved have already picked a path (a path that I know a lot about, but am very wary of—not sure it’s the right solution.) I have to finish the details and implement it in a culture that is very skeptical of change. This will be my first major undertaking without my now former boss—my mentor. I am very nervous about spreading my wings without him behind me.

Zombie Finger

Some of you have asked me about my finger. Here I am, a week later, and here it is:

Much, much better. It does look like I will lose my fingernail after all, as the black spreads more and more each day to the top of my nail.

I still can’t bend the top joint. I work with it every day to get the mobility back (because it’s an incredible pain in the ass to have this finger out of commission)—it is still painful. But I have found one thing useful: it scares the hell out of Brandon. He is completely disturbed by the sight of it. So I chase him around the house with it. I know he’ll be talking about me to his therapist 15 years down the road…