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livingdebLately I've been reading a lot of heroic fiction by Lois McMaster Bujold. Usually when I'm reading fiction, I mostly just read it, but I would like to spend a little more time imagining what I would do in the situations the characters face before I read what the actual characters do (the way people reading mysteries try to guess who the bad guy is).
Compared to these guys, well, there is no comparison to me, at least now while I am whining about my job.
My boss is out for two weeks, during which time he's given me instructions to train someone in my basic job duties. Vague instructions. Heh heh. Which means I get to do whatever I want! Except of course I sort of have to pay attention to the person I'm training, so, as with all teaching I do, things aren't going exactly according to plan, but it's still good.
Also, I was asked if I'd like to be our office's volunteer editor for the division's newsletter and I agreed. If I actually do anything (so far I've just read forwarded e-mails saying to add me to the list), that could be somewhat interesting and look good on my resume.
I'm thinking of asking my boss exactly where he sees my job going in the near future. Ideally before I do that I will come up with a plan of where I would like to see my job going in the future. Surely this would be better than just despairing as I watch where it goes like some sort of spectator.
Meanwhile I've applied for another job. And gotten an official rejection letter on the last job I applied for.
And as I've been re-organizing, I've looked through my old job applications. This one office I keep applying to used to have somewhat informative rejection letters. It seems clear they are never going to hire me unless I first work in the same exact kind of office somewhere else.
I am collecting a few ideas of things I can do while I'm working here to get more knowledge and contacts.
Some of those books I've been reading about Miles are practically manuals on how to take initiative. He couldn't stand being just a spectator. He always has to stick his nose in and then do something.
**
The article Fuel Efficient Cars In Your Future? Watch For The MPG Illusion (in The Digerati Life: Money and Personal Finance Blog In Silicon Valley) brings up the point that when making a car buying decision based partly on fuel efficiency, it's better to compare gallons per mile than miles per gallon.
That article is very long-winded, but here's what you do to compare the costs in keeping two cars gassed up:
a) Calculate the gallons per mile for each car.
b) Find the difference.
c) Multiply that by the number of miles you typically drive in a given time period and by the price per gallon you expect to pay for gas.
The best thing the article does is point out that you get the biggest savings when one (or both) of your choices are pretty fuel inefficient. If your car is already pretty fuel efficient, even big increases in miles per gallon won't add up to savings that are very impressive. And there's a very nice example of that at the beginning of the article.
Compared to these guys, well, there is no comparison to me, at least now while I am whining about my job.
My boss is out for two weeks, during which time he's given me instructions to train someone in my basic job duties. Vague instructions. Heh heh. Which means I get to do whatever I want! Except of course I sort of have to pay attention to the person I'm training, so, as with all teaching I do, things aren't going exactly according to plan, but it's still good.
Also, I was asked if I'd like to be our office's volunteer editor for the division's newsletter and I agreed. If I actually do anything (so far I've just read forwarded e-mails saying to add me to the list), that could be somewhat interesting and look good on my resume.
I'm thinking of asking my boss exactly where he sees my job going in the near future. Ideally before I do that I will come up with a plan of where I would like to see my job going in the future. Surely this would be better than just despairing as I watch where it goes like some sort of spectator.
Meanwhile I've applied for another job. And gotten an official rejection letter on the last job I applied for.
And as I've been re-organizing, I've looked through my old job applications. This one office I keep applying to used to have somewhat informative rejection letters. It seems clear they are never going to hire me unless I first work in the same exact kind of office somewhere else.
I am collecting a few ideas of things I can do while I'm working here to get more knowledge and contacts.
Some of those books I've been reading about Miles are practically manuals on how to take initiative. He couldn't stand being just a spectator. He always has to stick his nose in and then do something.
**
The article Fuel Efficient Cars In Your Future? Watch For The MPG Illusion (in The Digerati Life: Money and Personal Finance Blog In Silicon Valley) brings up the point that when making a car buying decision based partly on fuel efficiency, it's better to compare gallons per mile than miles per gallon.
That article is very long-winded, but here's what you do to compare the costs in keeping two cars gassed up:
a) Calculate the gallons per mile for each car.
b) Find the difference.
c) Multiply that by the number of miles you typically drive in a given time period and by the price per gallon you expect to pay for gas.
The best thing the article does is point out that you get the biggest savings when one (or both) of your choices are pretty fuel inefficient. If your car is already pretty fuel efficient, even big increases in miles per gallon won't add up to savings that are very impressive. And there's a very nice example of that at the beginning of the article.