Jump to content

Randomness XVII: The Madness of the Quorum


Recommended Posts

So I got a couple of interesting work opportunities presented to me this morning. The first was being asked to start reviewing projects for what is known as the Interagency Review Team (IRT), a regional group made up of representatives from many state and federal agencies that basically sets the standards for wetland and stream mitigation guidance within the watersheds I cover. The other offer is a chance to take a 3 month sabbatical from work where my insurance would still be paid and I'd continue to accrue leave and seniority despite not being there. 

 

On the one hand, the IRT reviews don't come with any extra pay and involves a lot of extra work. But it's the first step to actually being on the IRT which, if you can serve on it for five years or so, pretty much guarantees you a director/manager position at an NGO or State pollution control agency. My supervisor is currently my agency's representative on the IRT and he's looking to move into another position. Since he's the one asking me to start reviewing projects for them, I'm guessing he's prepping me for taking over his position. The big con on this option is all the extra workload.

 

On the other hand, 3 months off from work to focus on my own projects would be really nice right now. I've been trying to drum up grant money to restore some endangered ecosystems on a bit of property I own. I've already done it once on a small scale elsewhere but trying to get funding for a large scale project is practically a full time job. I've also got some research project ideas that I'd love to spend time working on that could ultimately lead to publishing and could potentially help frame how we assign monetary value to a lot of isolated and degraded ecosystems. Not necessarily something that would lead to better work prospects in the future, but valuable nonetheless. I'm sure the fiscal officer at work offering this up would love to see me take the leave. The big con on this one is I wouldn't actually be getting paid my wages during that time and I'd have to step back from being the lead on a grant funded project I'm nearing the end of and turn it over to someone else.

 

Right now I'm leaning toward the IRT work. Though I've yet to rule out the sabbatical idea. It is nice having some options on the direction my career is going to take, but it's also a little stressful to have to make that decision relatively quickly. I've got until Monday to decide, so you know, no pressure!

  • Like 13
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 15k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

9 hours ago, Lord of the Dish Pit said:

1599342430819.thumb.jpg.0ae62b3fa41bfd2c8ca19cbe6f618001.jpg

October has come! Now is the time for the ritual greeting of it with the Peanuts Halloween Special. 


I have done my part this morning.

 

 I threw out the remains of last year’s candy corn.

 

Mostly because I have a new bag. Mixed candies, with a few corns in it, but it counts. 

  • Like 5
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me (last week): Oh, those zombies Reaper has available look cool, I'll pick those up.

Reaper: *drops Ghoulie Bags*

Me: *checks bank account* I'm sure they won't be too mad at me for doing two orders in less than a week... :ph34r:

 

Talking about Xena, huh? I'll just leave this here. :B):

1519520779311.jpg

 

EDIT: Have a Joxer

 

1391975572480.jpg

Edited by CaptainPete
For Joxer
  • Like 4
  • Thanks 3
  • Haha 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, TGP said:

Wait, I missed something somewhere. 

Mrs Hamster, after our trip to CT to visit my sister ended up with a bit of a health scare, and she ended up spending a couple nights being looked after. I spent the first night beside her "sleeping" on one of those reclining chairs.

 

She's fine, baby Hamster is fine. My back hurts.

  • Like 15
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Crowley said:

...spent the first night beside her "sleeping" on one of those reclining chairs.

Those institutional reclining chairs are torture devices ...I think they are designed to make visitors want to go away. 
 

I might have some xp with one :ph34r:

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Crowley said:

Mrs Hamster, after our trip to CT to visit my sister ended up with a bit of a health scare, and she ended up spending a couple nights being looked after. I spent the first night beside her "sleeping" on one of those reclining chairs.

 

She's fine, baby Hamster is fine. My back hurts.

good to hear everyone is doing well!

 

Hospital furniture is the most uncomfortable stuff on earth, and I am including rocks in that statement!  I have never met a less cooperative reclining chair than the ones in the hospital.  I would send you to my favorite massage therapist but its a bit of a commute! ::D:

 

also depending on the type of hospital bed you get, some of them go flat when the power gets disconnected (speaking as someone who has had that experience... it was considered a safety feature so they could perform procedures on you if you needed them.  Works great until you just get comfortable in a half sit with a fresh abdomen wound and someone trips over the plug and pulls it out!)

  • Sad 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Painting Platinum! #41 -- started at 3:07 PM.  Sadie is painting 03001 Phoenix. 

 

Giveaway is a set of three paints: Clear Orange, Clear Phthalo Green and Clear Phthalo Blue.  One set for every five subs.

 

https://www.twitch.tv/reaperminiatures

 

ETA: They had enough subs for five winners, possibly a record?

Edited by Serenity
Info added
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Cygnwulf said:

I think this is one of the main things that's put me off electric this time around.  I've not gone this year yet for reasons, but my parent's house is about a 6 hour drive and I go home to visit and that's with only minimal stops along the way. even if charging stations existed along the way it would add at least two more hours to have to stop and recharge a couple of times to get there.

Once I'm back in the office my round trip commute is nearly 80 miles, and while within that range I'd still have paranoia about over extending or what happens when the battery starts to get old and doesn't hold as much charge, etc.

OR, what happens in the middle of summer when you need to use a lot of those amps to run the air conditioning system?

Electric vehicles are still too primitive to be of much utility in those areas of the country that are both subject to extended periods of high heat and where the travel distances are great because everything is so spread out.

Until they can devise batteries with a charge density 3 or more times current levels and charging times at least an order of magnitude smaller than current the utility just isn't there for too many people.  and of course, the cost of these unobtanium batteries has to be comparable or lower than the current production models.

GEM

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Jasper_the_2nd said:

We caught an episode a bit ago while on vacation.  Had Karl Urban as Nero in it.

Mmmm Karl Urban as Cupid... mmmmm :wub:

 

51 minutes ago, Kangaroorex said:

good to hear everyone is doing well!

 

Hospital furniture is the most uncomfortable stuff on earth, and I am including rocks in that statement!  I have never met a less cooperative reclining chair than the ones in the hospital.  I would send you to my favorite massage therapist but its a bit of a commute! ::D:

 

also depending on the type of hospital bed you get, some of them go flat when the power gets disconnected (speaking as someone who has had that experience... it was considered a safety feature so they could perform procedures on you if you needed them.  Works great until you just get comfortable in a half sit with a fresh abdomen wound and someone trips over the plug and pulls it out!)

Hubby was ruined by the “bed” he stayed on when Sephy was born. I don’t say sleep, because he didn’t really sleep those three days. 
 

Hope you’re well rested before y’all go to labor and delivery @Crowley

  • Like 12
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/30/2020 at 11:13 AM, PaganMegan said:

 

An BD climbed on top of the fridge.

 

Because she's four, and wanted to see if she could.

 

 This... sounds familiar. I'm pretty sure I did the same thing at that age. I was a climber. And an investigator/disassembler.

That was also about the age where I escaped from the house and was found more than half a mile away, casually strolling down the road with a stick in my hand, off on some grand adventure. I think I may have decided to go fishing, lol.

I believe my mom used the term "precocious" a lot, although I think "hellraiser" was probably more accurate.

 

 

6 hours ago, ManvsMini said:

Lucy Lawless was on point in Xena Warrior Princess... yep, it's on tv right now... and yep, I am secure enough to admit to watching it. Too bad it isn't a marathon.

 

Wish they'd show the episodes with Bruce Campbell.

 

 I liked that show. I'd go back and watch the whole thing again if I had the time... Interestingly, for a goofy show like that, some of those episodes actually bordered on being really good.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...