12/24/2011

Today is Saturday, December 24, 2011. Christmas Eve Day, and the last Saturday I have as an FAA employee. This past week has been miserable in that it has been extremely slow and boring for me. The last couple of weeks in December are always slow, what with government employees on what is called "use or lose" leave and the stakeholders we serve - the aviation community in Western Michigan - is preparing for bad weather and the holidays themselves.

Of course, for me, this particular week has been even worse because of my imminent retirement plans. I have completed all the projects I have and am left with managing whatever day-to-day activity or fire pops up. And there aren't many of them because most of the workforce is on holiday leave. My desk drawers are cleaned out, the paperwork properly filed, and so I sit. I did get confirmation from both our Human Resources department and the Office of Personnel Management, the dreaded OPM, that everything is moving forward at the proper pace. My retirement will happen less than one week from today.

Next week, however, the last week of what I call my "full-time" employment, will be even worse than this past one was. Almost nobody will be in the office and whatever piddly things I had to do are already done. So I will have to sit for eight hours a day, four remaining workdays. On the bright side, however, I do have to make two calls to the Stevens Transport recruiter with whom I have been working, Wendy. She promises to send me many pre-hire questions to answer and to bring with me when I start on January 9. I am looking forward to all that; hopefully, it will keep me somewhat busy.

So, Dear Reader, take solace in knowing that I am ending one career and starting what I have begun to call my "bucket list" employment. Driving a truck over the road has been on my bucket list since long before that movie made that phrase popular.

One more boring week then it's up to my ears in an entirely different language. I am excited! In the meantime, Dear Reader - not to be confused with Dear Leader, please! - have yourselves a very Merry Christmas and a safe and enjoyable Happy New Year.