How was the trip?

March 24, 2005 | Category: On The Job

Let's start with a recap of the outfit: black silk pants that swung when I walked, high-heeled black pumps, deep periwinkle silk sweater, and a black silk blazer that, I kid you not, looked nice but was maybe not worth the price equivalent to a month's rent in my last apartment.

I don't know what color my hair was, because I dyed it a couple of times this week. But the cut was sharp. Furthermore, I had BOTH my eyebrows - a huge improvement over my last 3 meetings, when I over-groomed in a fit of anxiety (my poor left eyebrow).

And I went lo-accessory. Just earrings and my "smart" glasses, the ones with the tortoise-shell rims that make me look like a naughty schoolteacher.

Normally, I don't talk fashion. I leave that to Kalisah (for good reason). But stick with me, I have a point.

I was late. I called and said I would be, because I was juggling other teleconferences.

Which was fine because things were delayed due to lack of a conference room.

We finally got settled, about a dozen of us. A whole bunch of engineers in khaki's and polo shirts and then myself and the two Directors in pseudo-suits (You know, it's "casual" if you just leave off the tie).

So we spent the morning with a guy droning on about spreadsheets. This is the program budget. This is the budget on Metamucil. This is the impossible situation we are left with. I was cast in the position of class clown, in that I had a handful of comments that could have been brutal but I couched them in humor.

Then we went to lunch. This big cafeteria place. The two directors gave me a ride over, and I sat with them (discovering later that the rest of the team all sat together by pushing together a few tables).

Director A was trying to convince Director B that B should take over so A could move to a different assignment.

I tried to talk about other things, like deadlines and organizational structure and the customer expectations. They shut me down and talked about places they've lived and where they are retiring to and how A wants off and how B kept saying no dice.

I was eating a Reuben sandwich with a knife and fork, because the thing was so big it spewed sauce every time I tried to bite it.

The afternoon was more of the same. I was beginning to feel like comic relief, because the team kept asking my opinion and I think it was just in desperation I would break up the monotony of the never-ending 78 Excel spreadsheets with something funny or acerbic.

Finally, the Droning Guy got to my area of expertise. He started saying that lots of money was going to be found using a new piece of WonderSoftware (WS) in a certain way.

"No, it's not," I said.

"And you know that because..."

"Because I just spent the last year implementing WS."

"At which account?"

"All of them."

So the guy went to his archives and pulled up a presentation on WS, because he was the kind of guy who had to prove everything. And sure enough, there was my name on the first slide at the top of the org chart.

"Oh," he said.

"Leave that up," I told him. I moved to the front of the room and walked through some of the slides, explaining that WS could help us find some savings, if we approached it thus and so.

By the time I sat down, I wasn't comic relief anymore. Thank heavens.

As we broke up, Director B asked me how I'd gotten the WS gig. "Really," he asked. "Great program."

So we finally had a real conversation. Then most everyone drifted away, but not before I handed out all my business cards and negotiated my stay in St Louis down from the whole summer to 4 weeks.

A couple of the engineers stuck with me, asking questions, as I slung my briefcase over my shoulder and walked to the exit. There was the mini van, waiting. Door opened, my son waving to me.

"Oh," said the first engineer. "Is that your family?"

"That's my life, " I corrected him. (I used to think to be successful, I had to deny that anything else in my life was as important as my career. Now I know better. Success has absolutely nothing to do with my career and everything to do with my life. )

As we drove to meet friends for dinner, I asked about CD and Bear's adventures exploring the city. Bear was very excited to tell me about something called the Monster Truck and about the science center and the hotel (Bear: I like that house!).

Then we talked about my day. After all that sound and fury.

I was like, meh. If I'd ended up with the director gig, I'd be knee-deep in the craps but the assignment I've negotiated, not so much. In fact, it's a half-step down for me in terms of difficulty and responsibility.

So CD and I talked about what we'll do now, and how long I could handle it if it converted to a work-from-home position (which I think I can pull off). I'm not excited, I'm not nervous. I'm .... nothing.

Yeah, after all that. I mean, I still want to quit. But otherwise?

Which is why I had to talk about the outfit? Because the outfit? Fantastic.

Share: Delicious! | Stumble It! |   Slashdot It!