It is hard being on the road over 200 nights a year...away from your family, isolated in many ways. It definitely isn't for everyone. This blogs represents the thoughts of just one such person. Read along and find out if the road is for you.

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United States, Georgia, Gainesville, Unity of Gainesville, English, John, Male, reading, RE Investing. :)

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

 
At least that one is done…

Ok. So I admit it. I have been slack on the blogging. Slack actually would be kind. But I am back at it.

It has been a long week. It is Sunday and I am on my third leg of the day. This one I don’t have any complaints about. I spend a day in Columbus with some friends and had the best time.

What a week back at Da Company. Things went from strange to the absurd. And I learned more about human nature (or how things can get misunderstood in a nanosecond.) than I really wanted to. On the one hand, it was great to see everybody again. On the other, you begin to wonder to yourself how you have put up with the Powers that Be for this long.

I didn’t begin to spend as much as I did last year, which was good. There was a lot of fun and a lot of bore you to death activities. And I keep going back to the strange.

There were some folks who I felt really showed their colors by taking advantage of another consultant. I know we are all adults, but I just didn’t like how it went down. I will continue to monitor this situation, because we just don’t need this in our unit.

My big lesson for the week…don’t be too friendly. There is a person at Da Company who through the course of my job, I talk to regularly. For me, it has always been just fun. I kid a lot of folks and feel I can take a joke just as easily as I dish it out. You know the things I mean, play practical jokes, just kibbutz back and forth when you catch each other on the phone. I never in my wildest dreams thought that this person had any sort of emotions for me other than as a friend.

You ever look back and see the tell tale signs that should have been obvious to you from the beginning? Now, I get it. But I never saw it before that. I was totally blindsided on this one.

As usual, I digress. Previously, when this person has known I was scheduled to come to town before, they would always call me and find out when I was coming in. Last time, a bunch of us were drinking out back till about midnight.

I never really thought about it when they asked if I could get in earlier on Tuesday. As luck would have it, I had too many things going on. That actually worked out great because I ended up flying in with Jenny and Neil. We had a great time on the way. Bottom line, I actually came in later than I originally was scheduled, but like I said, we had a great time. And I didn’t give it a thought.

I actually got a call from this person (I am just going to call this person “X”, because I really don’t want to embarrass her more than she probably is) on the day Da Company had a lawn party asking me where I was. Once again, I really didn’t dwell on it. We all are trying to catch up on our social skills/contacts during this week. After all, it is the only week that everyone is in house. I didn’t give a lot of thought that X hung around me a good portion of the time I was there. I know I do that, because contrary to many peoples thoughts, I think I am really shy in social settings.

Friday was pretty much the culmination of the week. We had a company meeting complete with our version of American Idol that was an absolute hoot, followed by a family picnic. X would actually go and refill my drink (which even then I thought was weird.) several times over the time I was there. But, when it was all said and done, Neil and I got into the car to head up the delegation that was going to sing group karaoke that evening.

X showed up. From time to time, she did sit next to me, but I just thought since these were mostly my peers, she just didn’t know anyone. At night’s end, she offered to give me a ride back to my hotel, but Katie wasn’t sure of her driving skills and I offered to handle the driving chores. We dropped off a co-worker at his place and headed back to the hotel.

Upon arriving back, I went to look in Neil’s vehicle for my glasses. I had left them there and now they weren’t there. Katy and I went to the front desk and she indicated that Neil was going to put them in my room. Katy and I knew he couldn’t do that, because I wasn’t there. So we knocked on Neil’s door so I could have them before he left out on an early flight. He just had this strange look on his face and told me they were in my room.

When I got in my room, X was asleep on my bed. I then knew why Neil looked twisted. Looking back, you really have to respect him for how he handled the situation. I woke X up and she immediately said, “We’re busted!”

“WE???” I asked incredulously. I then heard how she had feelings and about her home life. I tried to be as gentle as I knew how, but told her there had been a misunderstanding. And if I did something to somehow promote that thought in her, I apologize. Bottom line though, she had to go. As she was leaving, Neil’s door (perfect karma, don’t you think?) opened with Katy on her way to her room and I had an opportunity to talk to him.

His one question was a good one. How did she get the key? X had got to my room on a previous visit, but only to play a practical joke, so I just figured she had a persuasive manner with the front desk.

The moral to this story…be more professional and don’t have so much fun with people on the phone at work.

We did get some things started this week. It will be interesting to see where it goes in the long run in making changes within our unit.

It also brought up thoughts about leaving Da Company and under what circumstances. I am going to end up doing something else after leaving here. What? I wish I knew. When? I have given up for the time being of putting a time frame on it. Where? Like a lot of things, I don’t have a clue.

But it will happen. That is the only thing I am certain of after this trip. BTW, I saw Deborah when I came in from Columbus today. I don’t know why, but for some reason, she always gives me a reason to laugh/smile when I think of some of the things that she has done/said.

Obviously, a lot of other things happened this week. In many ways bittersweet (While I didn’t interact with her in any way, shape or form, I actually saw Lynette at the picnic and didn’t have a pang which tells me I am through with that part of my life.) And I really miss being home. So as I sit on my plane ride back to Atlanta, I am feeling good. My life is far from perfect, but at least at this point in time, I am content. I do have someone who cares for me and I care for her as well.

Time to go. This one is ready for the glue factory. I am in Georgia all week, so I get some home time so to speak. But I will start blogging regularly again.

Blog on!