Job details

Dragon Mood? -- catching up with dragonly duties

It's Wednesday morning ... I wanted to post yesterday, but instead, took a mental health day and didn't even log onto the computer.

Plus, I chased and cleaned up dust bunnies yesterday. Our friends, Patrick and Kevin, drove down here to join up with us. We had cocktails on the "loggia" (our aluminum-covered concrete patio out back), dinner at Zumba's in Royal Oak and then we headed for the "main attraction" of the evening, a Tigers' game downtown. Never mind that we didn't get there until the middle of the fifth inning, when the Tigers had scored all their runs for the game and ended up losing 4-2 to the Minnesota Twins. We still had fun!

Now to the job details ...

I will be working for a small design shop within a ten-minute drive of our pied-a-terre. The work is not automotive-related, but tied into the aerospace industry. Also, as my son, Yosh, pointed out, with some of my work there "now, Mom, you may be tied into the 'war effort.'" Yup, very possibly true, son. Which I'm not crazy about, but it doesn't feel so contrary to my values that I'm gonna lay awake nights worrying about it, okay?

Primarily, I will be taking 2D drawings and converting them into 3D models using the CAD software with which I'm so experienced.

Money? It's decent, not great. It's about 15% less than I got at my automotive job, but that's okay. It keeps the wolves away from the door for now.

Bennies? There is health insurance, but honestly I don't have the particulars on that right now. And even if I did, I probably wouldn't post about them here.

The biggest advantage? This job gets me back in "production" modeling, working on actual parts (rather than training parts which aren't supposed to have inherent problems), working under real deadlines and generally pushing me to sharpen and hone my skills again. Those are good things.

The biggest drawback? My work day will be from 3:30 p.m. until midnight. Yup, second shift. Because this is a contract job, the shop has a limited number of software licenses and a looming deadline. To meet the deadline, they have instituted a second shift, of which I will be a member. I start next Monday at 3 p.m. with an orientation meeting.

The other important point about this job to note is that it is a contract position, based on a finite contract with a volatile industry. As the interviewer so gently reminded me, "... there are no guarantees these days." Ahhh, yes. The faltering economy. Especially here in Michigan! So, I am not seeing this as a permanent position, but a temporary one, perhaps lasting until the end of the calendar year ... at which point, I may be looking for another job. Whew! -- ain't life exciting?

One of the curiouser things about me is that I always have these delayed emotional reactions to events. I mean delayed. Just now, 48 hours later, I'm starting to feel some dismay that my "semi-retirement" as neighbor Tom called it is coming to an end. No more languid summer days and evenings. I'm feeling relief that our money worries will be alleviated -- not completely gone -- but certainly alleviated. I'm feeling a bit of anxiety that S and I will be on opposite shifts ("Hi Honey, Goodbye Honey") although we will still be able to sleep together each night. S was hoping to take a vacation soon. She most likely will be vacationing sans me. So the emotional ups-and-downs of getting a job, losing some freedom and regaining some economic viability -- well, I'm experiencing them all. One minute up, the next minute down. (big sigh) Whew!