Home

Yes, I'm back in Harvest, but that's not what this title refers to.

At the airport at Colorado Springs when I was checking in, there was a young woman with two little kids right behind me in line. The older girl (maybe 4 years old) had a homemade sign that said, "Welcome home, SSG Daddy." Apparently, it is possible to get a gate pass these days (at least at the Colorado Springs airport) because they all made it to the gate I was departing from. There was another mother there with 3 kids, older than the first family, but the same reason. The second child from the family I saw at the bag check was an infant, and a little one at that. I wondered if this would be the first time SSG Daddy met his second child. The plane starts emptying. I don't know if it was intentional or just worked out that way, but the 3-child father was the first off the plane, and SSG Daddy wasn't far behind. Once the SSG came out, his older daughter ran up to him at the gate, still proudly clutching her sign. Mom held the baby and waited a little farther back. It was very touching. One of the people I was travelling with said it made her tear up. I made no such claim. (Note the careful wording.)

Also on the flight was a large-ish group of Pittsburgh firefighters. A couple were talking to one of the arriving soldiers, going out of their way shaking his hand. I wondered if the soldiers had been overseas (it's likely they had been). That would make the family moments even sweeter.

On the flight out, there was another young soldier and his wife and young daughter. Families and heroes, all over the place. More tomorrow (or not).

In the Coner

No, I didn't forget an "r" from that word. I'm referencing someone here who doesn't seem to realize that people (read: me) judge you when you mispronounce simple words like "corner." And we're dealing with issues that cause us to refer to the corner of things a lot (essentially, the middle doesn't ever give you problems in engineering, it's the edges of the design space, and when two edges come together, you have a corner.)

I keep putting off a stockpile run to Wal-Mart. Originally, we were going to know by today what the plan was. Now, we'll know by tomorrow. Tomorrow, we'll know by Friday. And I won't be able to buy groceries (OK, junk food) in bulk.

Homewood Suites has really stepped up their nightly receptions. (I can't call them dinners, because if we get free dinners, we're supposed to report that, and it counts against the per diem, but receptions are fine.) Last night, it was chicken cordon bleu, which was good, but needed marinara sauce. Tonight, the menu had "pepper steak," but the more correct term is fajitas. Those were good, too. The meat could have been a little more tender, but it was pretty tender and had a very nice flavor.

I needed some time away from people tonight, so I came back to the room earlier than usual. Being around people is very draining. That's the definition of an introvert, so I've been told. I don't disagree, but I've also worked to develop the necessary people skills for engineering (note: these are not the same people skills required for other jobs).

The big question of the night: go to bed early or go to bed really early? More tomorrow.

Things You Learn While on TDY

Are things you never wanted to know to begin with. At least in the case of some of the things I learned today. They shall not be repeated (in any type of traceable forum).

This morning, we get new security procedures. Yay! The level of security is cool, though. We do some important stuff, and it's the defense of our country we're talking about here.

My work home for as long as I'm out here is a room big enough for maybe 4 smallish cubicles. We have 20 workstations in it. Each workstation has 2 monitors, a laptop, and a desktop. The air conditioner can't keep up. It's toasty.

Free food from the hotel is awesome. Chicken cordon bleu, salad, rolls, lemonade.

I dislike this time change. More tomorrow.

Springs: Work Eternal

That's a twist on a play on an old saying ("hope springs eternal"). I confuse myself sometimes. Don't worry aboout it.

I'm in Colorado Springs (hence, "Springs" above refers to the place) for work. I have no idea how long I'll be here. I packed for 15 days, knowing that whatever the length, it wasn't going to be 15 days.

Musings from the trip:

On the flight out of Huntsville, there was a woman travelling with her young daughter. The girl was 3 or 4 at most. I hate to judge (well, I love to judge, I hate to judge on the record), but Mom was doing a terrible job. The cajoling and negotiating is pretty standard in parenting these days. (I won't let THAT tangent distract me right now.) But at one point, she "threatens" the little girl with "Daddy said to." Now, Daddy isn't on the trip with them (they were going to visit the mother / grandmother, and I presume working is better than in-laws any day of the week), so the threat carries zero actual weight. That's what ticks me off. I don't mind threats of punishment when they can be carried out ("eat you vegetables or no dessert" then actually WITHHOLD DESSERT if they don't eat the veggies). I hate empty threats to kids. It shows them you're a liar and conditions them never to expect consequences.

Then, right after we land in Dallas, we don't have a gate to go to (we were early), so they let us get up if we choose. Mom and daughter head for the lavatory. Mom tells daughter, "I'll give you a treat if you try to go . . . if you actually go." Strike 2. At least the change was immediate, but you can't go changing the triggers for reward or punishment. This could have been a one-time slip (I doubt it), but changing what's good enough in the middle of the activity doesn't work at any level.

Then, the little girl has an accident. The smelly kind. Mom doesn't get excessively loud or openly hostile (which is good, little kids have accidents, plus I could have been overestimating her age and she may just be potty training). She was, however, saying things that to an adult's ear were an inappropriate reaction to a child that age. I can't remember examples, but it was confidence-draining statements. Not quite as bad as "you big baby," but that type of thing. A lot of it was tone of voice, and I understand the environment and reaction, but little kids don't. It was an accident. Little kids have them. Sometimes adults to do. It's not the end of the world, and it's not something to emotionally punish a little kid about. And I felt that way while smelling it.

Tomorrow, I go to work. Tonight, the guy who was already here got finished about 6:45. Yep. More tomorrow.