Mediocre is the new Fantastic apparently

I've done a great job at work.  You heard me.  Not good, GREAT!  I know it.  I've been killing it.  I work hard, I do my part and then some.  I've learned the material, I present like I pro.  This is in the one thing in my life I am a blatant braggard about.

And I've shot myself in the foot by doing so well.

I've done so well that I have more teaching hours than anyone else in June. . . by 30-40 hours.  That's obviously no small margin.  Work is refusing to pay any over time yet they really think that every class will go smoothly enough that I can have four ten-hour days (that's 8 scheduled contact teaching hours with prep and tears down) and never go over forty hours.  HA I say.  HAHAHAHAHA (wipes tears from eres)

The teachers out there will know what I mean.  How often do things go better than planned?  How rare is the class where everyone is on time, they understand every concept, they don't have any questions, no one needs extra time for their test at the end or want to follow up after?  I think I'd be luck to have one such class in all my 29 classes in June.

I have a coworker who probably makes double what I do, shows up late, does the bare minimum to get by.  How is she rewarded?  She's off every Friday in June and works about 40 hours less than I do teaching. All of this is from the June schedule that we just finally got today, May 31.  What days do I have off for balance so I don't go over 40 hours you ask?  I have three days the entire month - a Wednesday, a Tuesday and a Monday.

I realize today's blog was a massive rant.  I needed it.  I won't even apologize for it.

If anyone out there knows how to reprogram the part of my brain that tells me I have to do a good job, not show up late, be honest about the hours I'm billing for so that I can be a lazy slacker who gets three day weekends every week, please, for the love of Pete, let me know.  Apparently, mediocrity is more than it's rumoured to be.

Lake 22, Granite Falls

It's the end of the day, Memorial Day.  Foremost I'd like to thank a few people: My Uncle Rick, a lifetime Navy man. My Grandpa Joe who served in the Army in WWII. My friends Mateo, Zeb, Chris, Lindsey, Ed and others who served or continue to serve our country.  I'm thankful for what you do not in small part because it's something I can't/won't do, and in large part because it is so important to the fabric of who we are as America.

I spend today hiking.  It was a great way to end a weekend spent mostly in solitude and grinding away at tasks. The weather wasn't nearly as nice today as the last two, but it wasn't too bad either, except at the top of the mountain where is was raining and cold. My drive to a Park and Ride to meet the gang was about 40 minutes.  From there we went on another hour to a small town called Granite falls.  We carried on the Snoqualmie/Mt. Baker National Forest and hiked up to Lake 22.  If there's a Lake 21 or 23 I know not but we found Lake 22.  It's a crater in the top of the mountain.  2.4 miles up we found snow and the lake was still mostly frozen over.  It was about 5.5 miles total. The pictures will do it more justice than I can with words.

First Views Up

So green it almost made my eyes hurt

Christopher and Asa, thinking of you!

Not quite swimming weather

Cold but very pretty.  You can't see that is was raining and I had to put on about four articles of clothing!

The gang went for post-funk food and drink, then I made my way home via the park and ride.  This is the first Memorial Day I've been in the States for in about five years.  My thanks to all our veterans was a thought that was with me all day.

I'm horrible

It took me until this week to realize that I hadn't posted a blog in, well, let's just call it ages. It's been so long that everything here on blogger has changed and it took me ten minutes to get this far.  When I was living in Jakarta, I would usually post my blog entries during planning periods at school.  Now those have evaporated.  Instead I'm teaching eight plus hours in a ten hour work day, then trying to hit the gym or bike before going home to feed the pets and collapse to do it again.  Is it any wonder I'm not getting much else done these days?

There are a few of you who'll read this and put it together with the fact that it took me two to five weeks to respond to your emails.  See?! It's not you, it's me.  I haven't blogged, I haven't emailed, if you look at my facebook you'll see that I've done little more that "Like" stuff. Boy how life has changed from five months ago.

A quick update today with the. . . not promise. . .um . . with full intent to try and squeeze in at least a couple blogs per week.
I've been at my job about seven weeks now.  I got credentialed as an Epic trainer two weeks ago.  It's proven to be a double edged sword. They loved me so now I've been loaded up with work.  I think they'd have me teaching every class if they could.  This week involved a couple of ten hour days and it looks to increase from here.  I though I'd have a couple days next week to update my outlines and prepare.  They're already changed my Wednesday from one two-hour class to two four-hour classes.

I really like the teaching and I think I'm great at it.  Teaching is one of the few things that I'm brazenly, unabashedly proud of.  I'm a fantastic teacher.  I could teach Indonesians to build igloos, though why you'd want to I'm unsure.  I also know why saying involve igloos/ice since so little of life ever refers one to an igloo. For the folks back on the ranch in CGK, you'll know that teaching Indonesians anything can be trying. I can see that during the next several months, the most enjoyable part of work will be that spent in the classroom. That was usually the case at JIKS too.

The catch with EPIC and VMC (my hospital) is that it's a bit like flying the airplane while it's still being built.  The powers that be are still making decisions on what should be taught and how, which Epic uses follow their policies.  Then the analysts have to make the build match what we're going to be doing.  Sometimes the trainers get the change first and the build hasn't changed, occasionally it's the other way around.  It makes every day a new adventure (she says through gritted teeth).  Part of what makes me an above average Epic trainer is that long ago I learned that teaching is part tap dancing.  I make some of it up as I go and learn to keep the show moving, even if it's not what it was yesterday,  or an hour ago (yes, I have had things change between when I checked before class and when we'd gotten then in class).

The feedback from the students trainees has been very positive.  I am happy to hear it and use it to keep the course.

Outside of work life is also a roller coaster.  I'm out hiking every weekend.  It's usually a few of the same people and lots of other folks that rotate through.  I bike after work when the weather is nice, or head to the gym if it's not.  Ten hour work days have put a bit of a kabosh on my social life during the week. I've had a few dates which have precipitated me thinking about if I want to include that part of my life here. No decision yet. For now, I'll leave you with a couple GoPro photos from my first successful  trip out with it hiking, two consecutive days, one on Tiger Mountain (Poo Poo Point trailhead) and one on Little Si.

Out of the gates on Tiger Mountain

I'm explaining something very important about something that's THIS big

Our strategy meetings often go like this: Now where did you want to go for lunch after? 

Nearly back to the car.

On the top of Little Si looking across at Big Si

Winding down Little Si.  You can see the fisheye lens more here.

Two lovely British ladies who stopped me to ask a bout the GoPro. It almost looks like I'd posed them.

Guinea pig

I've found some interesting ways to fill my days before joining the employed masses again. I've written about hiking and paperwork.  I joined a study being conducted by the University of Washington.  I can't discuss the specifics but the general premise is to study women and alcohol, specifically relationships between women and men when alcohol is involved. For the rest of this longitudinal study all I do is fill out surveys online about what I do when I drink, and for my troubles I get amazon gift cards.  How easy is that!?!

Yesterday I participated in a lab session.  I was in the control group so no booze for me.  Instead I drank a whopping 20 oz of oj in nine minutes.  I will never EVER do that again.  Especially on an empty stomach.  I can't say I've ever really experienced a sugar rush . . .until yesterday. Man did I feel awful by about 1pm. My stomach was like the Gulf of Mexico during a hurricane; sloshing back and forth.  I crashed after I got home for a nap at 2.  There have got to be easier ways to make $34. 

Oh how I'm looking forward to going back to work, mostly because I am broke as a five dollar saddle under John Wayne.

Job ahoy!

I had a fun, fun day.  I spent it at an employment office. Woo hooo!!!

Part of the reason I was ready to leave Jakarta was an opportunity here at home.  My mom is working in the medical records field and thought I'd love it.  It's a rapidly growing field due in part to a federal mandate that requires all hospitals and clinics to be using an electronic patient records program by 2014.  There's federal funding paying for some of it and the program I'll be learning is the biggest, most well known company in the US. Many of the trainers they're hiring on have education experience.  Its been shown that many IT folks aren't so user-friendly and teachers make more effective trainers.

I waited around and finally got a phone interview scheduled.  It was a piece of cake and I felt really good about it.  Then I had to submit a one to two page writing sample and a one minute demonstration video.  I sent in two pages from the science book I created for JIKS and sent in a video of how to separate an egg. Last Friday from someone at the hospital called asking if I was still interested in the job and offering me the position. YIPPPEEEEEE!!!

If only it were that easy.  Most of the applicants were not located here locally. They were already on with Kelly Services, a contracting company.  I am one of only two who've gone about getting the job backward.  I knew someone in the hospital, had the interview, got the job and then had to get hired by the contractors. That's what I did today.  In between the offer and today was a lot of confusion.  The communication between Kelly and the hospital probably isn't the best anyway but add in a medical emergency, lay-offs and vacations it's a shock I got the right information at all. Round and round, then I got in to the office today.  Lots of papers and signatures and I'm officially on with Kelly but I didn't see a contract specifically for my position.  Hmmmm.  Keep those fingers crossed for me folks.

That said, I'm set to start Monday! I am once again a productive member of society contributing to my own survival as well as the greater good. Updates to follow!

Hiking high

I still have a little bit more to blog about leaving Jakarta but I wanted to write about something current.

Now that I'm back in the great Pacific Northwest (PNW) I'm trying to make the most of it and take advantage of being able to go outside.  Jakarta thwarts any attempt to be out of doors with heat, humidity, pollution and lack of sidewalks/parks/mountains/beaches. I knew being back in Washington would be a big adjustment so I'm embracing the difference.  The weather here is typical for the winter to spring change.  I call it Seattle Schizophrenia because the weather will change multiple times a day, including but not limited to sunny, cloudy, rainy, snowing, hail, drizzly, freezing or mild. If you don't like it, wait ten minutes. In spite of that, or because of that, Seattleites go out anyway.  If I waited for good weather, I wouldn't be out hiking until June.

I'm part of a hiking group.  Steve, one of the leaders, seems to know every trail and path in the area.  He is a great leader who doesn't push to go too fast. Tuesday we hiked on Tiger Mountain in rain and hail, in mud, slush and on snow, ice and rocks. It was a tougher climb than I expected with a painful pinch in my hip but it felt good to get to the top.

Thursday Steve led a snowshoe trip up Snoqualmie pass.  It's a big ski area that's close enough to the city to make it a part day trip. We walked up nearly underneath one of the ski lifts on a side of the mountain that was closed midweek. Six miles in snowshoes felt like more than the eight miles on Tuesday. I enjoyed it even more than the hike and was less sore after. Ive got to get some decent snow boots though, cold wet feet are not fun! It was such a rush.  Over a foot of new powder, blue skies and sunshine (surprise!!) and amazing views. 

Expect more hiking, snowshoeing, outdoorsy updates as the weather gets better and I get in better shape.

Diving head to head

Koh Tao is great diving for coral reefs, wildlife and a great first experience.  Pattaya is very different.  I would've hated the place if I hadn't been diving.

Pattaya is one of the original places in Thailand for sex tourists.  There were lots of bars that were full of single women at each table, waiting for men to come in "looking for company".  There weren't as many girly bars - topless, strip clubs, etc-as in Phuket. But the men were older, more desperate, creepier. There were men traveling in twos or threes picking up girls who looked young enough to be their granddaughters, although it's hard to estimate age in Asian women. Aside from my first part of a day walking around, I spent every other day I was there out on the boat.  That's the best way to pass time in Pattaya.

The best diving in Pattaya is the wreck diving.  There are three wrecks, two intentional sinkings that are mast upright and nearly identical except one has been down eight years and one has been down five. The third is a ship that was used as a cargo ship in World War Two after the Japanese took over Thailand. It's been down since 1945. It is on it's side with cargo spilled, holes cut in the hull when they salvaged the engines and oil barrels, and it's covered in sea life. After doing two wreck dives the first day I decided I might as well get my Wreck Specialty certification.  I spent two days doing four dives on the Hardeep, the WWII wreck. I mapped it, lined in and out and in general, thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Pattaya beach

Good eats at the night market.  And pork to boot!

Our departure point for diving

Hardeep wreck info

After Pattaya I headed to Aryutthaya, a city that used to be a royal capital.  It's a small city just north of Bangkok that is an island of sorts.  It's a couple square miles of land completely surrounded by rivers. It has more temples per square inch than anywhere I've ever seen. They're gorgeous. I took a riverboat ride at sunset that showcased three of the oldest and most beautiful. I stayed three nights, but didn't get as much time in town since it took me almost a full day to get there even though it's not far from Pattaya.

Temple from the river at sunset

Very old temple in a park

My least port of call in Thailand was Bangkok.  I didn't see much of the city.  By that point my ankle was still swollen and very painful.  It was limiting my mobility.  I even made an appointment with the doc from Thailand for the day I got back.  The cut on my left foot that I mentioned previously? It was infected.  I'd sought assistance at a pharmacy in Pattaya but with all the time in the ocean I think it never dried or I got a bug from the sea in it.  I was almost as painful as the ankle.  I was exhausted mentally and physically so stayed pretty close to my hotel.  Consequently I only saw two markets and a mall.  Two of the three were straight across the street from where I was staying. I did get to see some pretty great public art.

Street art.  This is one of three giant tigers

Happy year of the water dragon

Treasure is where you find it.

I arrived in Jakarta at 1am, picked up a key to my friends place from her at a bar, and collapsed into her guest room. The weekend led to a debridement of my cut, a wrapping of my ankle and then just rest.