What a week

I don’t know how to post about my week.

My kids are both having health tests done for two different potential autoimmune issues. We’re assuming everything’s fine. But it’s hard to watch my own kids struggle with health issues at such a young age.

I always figured it would be me…and I do have migraines, which are not completely benign. The amount of damage migraines cause is not proportionate to the amount of pain, which, I suppose, is why people say they are harmless. But they’re not harmless. There is slow brain damage and other types of damage being done. On top of the significant lifestyle restrictions they cause me. But migraines are at least a known and familiar issue. They’re something my kids and I have always dealt with. Now we’re looking into unknowns.

Meanwhile at work there was so much political drama that I, my entire team, and my boss, all dusted off our resumes. We were all going to just get out of there. It turns out that my boss and I both completely misread the political climate, we both way over-reacted, and he and I managed to get my team all spun up for no reason. In fact, the entire department is probably all spun up now because, obviously, they’re all going to talk with each other.

This is probably what I’d consider my biggest mistake since starting there. Now I’ve got to somehow reassure my team, and hope they don’t all leave. The reason for the misunderstanding has to do with the significant differences between the culture within state government and industry.

Environmental scientists can basically work in four types of areas. You can work for the government (local, state, federal). You can work as an internal employee for industry companies who need to comply with environmental regulations (like Sandia), or you can work for consultants who help industry with their environmental obligations. Or you can work for an NGO (non-profit).

My boss, myself, and most of my team have prior experience with either industry or consulting (which are similar), and also several have a military background (which is even more hierarchical than industry). I don’t really have time to explain all the details right now, but the bottom line is, those of us who aren’t familiar with working for the government have been taking too seriously the types of memos and messages that routinely circulate within state government. Employees who are familiar with working at the state don’t worry about all the little micromanaging directives from above. But those of us coming out of industry and consulting (and the military) are taking those messages to indicate that we’re doing a poor job and our management is quite displeased, when that’s not the case at all. We have been over-reacting to messages that all the seasoned state employees are basically ignoring.

My other big mistake was not going to my upper management to clarify their intent. I come from a culture where you “don’t go over your boss’s head.” Turns out I’m the only manager that our new top boss doesn’t know very well, and she didn’t know why I wasn’t stopping by to chat. Uh…because you’re the big boss?

So going forward, I’m going to be building my relationship with my upper management, and attempting to reassure my team and my immediate boss, that everything is actually ok.

Meanwhile, Darren is buying a house! He went under contract yesterday. It’s a cute 2-story within biking distance from his office. It’s an older neighborhood, and they are tearing down the decrepit houses, splitting the big lots into two or three small, narrow lots, and putting up tall skinny brand-new houses right next to each other.  The garages are detached behind the house (access off an alley) and there is a private patio between the house and the detached garage. The living room is on the back side of the house, facing the patio.

John and I wouldn’t like being jammed tight like that next to the neighbors. But Darren doesn’t want the upkeep of a big yard, nor does he believe in “using potable water” for landscaping. He also has no interest in having to deal with little house projects. It’s a brand new house – don’t scratch the counter top! Oh my gosh, I’ve never lived in a new house and I’d just be afraid to touch anything.

He qualified for the loan by himself, although he plans to get two roommates to help with the cost of the mortgage. It’s a 3-bed, 3-bath, so enough room for two roommates, which will pay a lot of his mortgage. Apparently he would rather have roommates than fix-it projects. Which is exactly how I would be if I didn’t have John to do my fix-it projects for me (and be my roommate).

Speaking of fix-it projects, we had minor issues at two of the rentals this week (on top of everything else). One required a service call, and the other one John was able to fix. When you’ve got too many houses, there’s always something breaking or water leaking.

I better get to work. You-all have a good weekend.