Apparently I don't suck at life

Or I just suck in temporary spurts.

I'm posting writing this on Sunday and posting it late on Monday because

DUM    DA     DUMMMMMMMM

I'm at work at the time I would usually be posting this. The interesting thing about working as a contractor in the field I do (Electronic Medical Records Trainer) is that the work comes and goes.  I know someone who has been consistently employed over the last twelve months at three different positions. I know a couple women who I worked with one one project, had each worked on one since and and are each currently employed on a third, with periods of worklessness in between. I seemed to have the least luck with work.  From October until March I worked an average of two weeks each month, though not evenly distributed. It sounds great, only working about half the time, but that also means less income and a lot less consistent income.

These projects tend to have high levels of chaos, miscommunication, confusion, and flexible timelines. As a contractor one must get accustomed to this very quickly. In the last three months, the three biggest projects I was put in for all had major changes to their timelines which changed the staffing needs and urgency. I was submitted as a candidate by two different firms (for different projects) and more than once for each project. Again and again I was told their needs had changed, they were postponing the projects, yadda, yadda.  I wrote before that interviewing is like dating and again it proves to be.  There was lots of hope and prepping for a company that just wasn't ready and it all turned out to be for naught. Then I got a call on Friday for a phone interview.  wait, wait, wait then rush!

I'd reckon that a part of the reason I got the job is not only that I have applicable experience but that I am a local candidate and can start Monday. I am not going to assume that's the only reason. I am going to make the most of the opportunity and show them what a great trainer I am.  I've been told the job could go through the end of the year.  I want to be on the team that are there until the end. More information but probably a little less first while I adjust to being (happily) employed again!

* Note added Monday evening - First day went very smoothly, I even knew one of the other trainers from a previous project. It was unfortunate that it was a sunny beautiful day and I was in a room without so much as a window. It was doubly unfortunate that either I'm getting a head cold OR allergy season started like a piano landing on my head.  D'oh!

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.