Tomorrow, I'm drinking jet fuel

So, let's say that you're me. And you're supposed to be in Kent at 7:30 in the morning. And you wake up at 8:00. (For reasons why this happened, see previous post.)

So you decide that, since the only reason you had to be in Kent was to go to a two-day systems engineering class, that they won't know or care if you're late and your manager certainly won't know, so you decide to take your time in the morning, showering and putting make up on and getting pretty, because you know you have a long day ahead of you. And you decide to open your work email and maybe answer some email because, in spite of your class, you still have a big project, the first draft of which is due on MONDAY, to do, and the other new hire working on it with you will be GONE FRIDAY AND MONDAY.

So you call the few people you know who work in Kent and they tell you a place to set up your computer, because your desk is really in South Seattle and yet you have to get things done in Kent and are planning to call suppliers, so you really need a phone.

AND THEN you drive to Kent, and on the way you talk to the Other New Hire you're working with, and you decide that, really, very few phone calls need to be made and you're going to email them (the suppliers) first anyway, so fuck that noise. You get lost while on the phone and curse, out loud, on a business phone call. You apologize and quickly find the nearest Starbucks, as it is now 10:15 in the morning and you have had no coffee.

You arrive in Kent and set up in the place your coworker told you about. You answer some emails, very quickly, and run to the systems engineering class.

You get there in time for some boring ethics talk and then you Break For Lunch. You and your friend decide to drive to Subway instead of eating in the cafeteria.

Subway takes forever. You and your friend scream back to the Engineering class. You arrive in time to pilfer the snacks and to take a personality test. You run out in order to meet Old White Guys who offered you a job, back in December, but you didn't take it because you got put on a really cool project. You meet Old White Guys. Apparently they didn't get the memo, the one about how you're on a really cool project now and can't leave it.

After about ten minutes, they try to call your manager and arrange the transfer of you down to them. You tell them you can't leave the project you're working on. They offer to take you half time, and again, they want to call your manager. It is a shock to realize that, even though they're doing high-tech electronics, it's not as high-tech as the stuff you're already working on. They offer you a chance to design your own projects. They take you on a tour of their labs. You agree to talk to you manager on Friday.

On drive home, talk to mother for forty-five minutes about weird turn that career has just taken. Talk to all boys on roster, set up dates, break dates. Talk to girls about plans for that night. Talk to T-Town Girl about apartment decorating. Eat something before you fall over.

Arrive home. Chatter nonstop at Roommate about nanotechnology vs. high-tech electronics until he reminds you, gently, that he has no idea what the fuck you're talking about. Retreat into room. Sit quietly for half an hour with wine and computer, picking nose, until it's time to go to Jazzbones to meet T-Town, Tacompton Tiffany, and a host of others.

Is it any wonder that I have trouble falling asleep at night?