My Job

This is a really boring post where I tell you all about my job. I figure I talk about it on here enough, I should explain it.

I provide adminsitrative support for a engineering division (roughly 100 people) in a  massive international manufacturing corporation.

But I think "administrative support" tends to be misleading. I prefer to say "everything but the actual engineering".

Because that's what I do. I...

... coordinate, track, & manage the division's multi-million dollar budget
... design, create, & maintain the division website
... provide systems & software support for the entire division
... serve as liaison between the division & our travel agency for all travel-related issues, problems, etc.
... handle all facilities-related issues for the division
... create & maintain all reports related to employees' training & development
... lead the Diversity Communication team
... am a contributing member to four other Diversity teams
... lead coordination of all division events
... coordinate new hire assimilation into the division

and because they won't give me an assistant, I also...

... provide basic administrative support to 40 employees
    four assistants provide this support to the remaining 60 employees. I have yet to figure out why it's so lopsided, or why they won't send an assistant over to my groups to help out
... provide executive support to 5 division heads (one Vice President, four General Managers)

and because he won't let me go even though I've been promoted twice & really shouldn't be doing it anymore, I also...

... provide executive support to one of the highest ranking executives in the company

Over eight years ago I was hired to do data entry & filing. Needless to say, my responsibilities have evolved somewhat thru the years. That may be a bit of an understatement.

"Unable to respond"

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As Hurricane Sandy hit New York City, I found myself listening to the FDNY scanners.

It was heartbreaking.

Yes, because of the number of calls, the number of rescues needed.

Inifintely moreso because of the number of times the FD had to tell the dispatcher "unable to respond".

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In the relatively short (less than 30 min) I listened to the scanner, I heard it no less than 10 times. Sometimes with explanation. But mostly, no explanation needed.

Almost always, it was the high water. One battalian chief gave the best, albeit necessarily brief, explanation:

Unable to respond. 5 - 6 feet of water on all routes to that location. All boats already deployed. Engines unable to pass thru high water. Unable to respond.

Unable to respond.

I eventually had to stop listening, because my chest was hurting. After all, this is heartbreaking.

Someone needs help. And rescuers are literally "unable to respond."

Not that they don't want to. Not that they don't even have manpower. But the forces of nature kept them from physically being able to respond to calls for help.

Heartbreaking.

For the rescue workers, called to serve, called to help, every fiber of their being drawing to respond to calls.

For those needing assistance, who called for help, confident that the strength of the FDNY would be able to save them, only to be left without.

For the dispatchers, who had the unseemly job of relaying the message from FD to victim.

Heartbreaking. For everyone.

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Prayers to all involved. To everyone directly affected by the storm, to all first responders & rescue personnel, to all utility workers, to all volunteers - I pray for your safety, and your quick return home.

Thanks for checking in.

The Fate of the Indoor Chicken

Ya'll, this post sucks. I'm just gonna tell you that right now.

PegLeg's condition worsened, and despite my best efforts, continued to deteriorate.

I tried moving her into a different room, tried to set her up in a chicken sling, bought & set up a cage that could help support her weight, but all to no avail. She could no longer walk at all. She started losing weight because she couldn't get to her food. She would sleep on her back or her side. Feathers started breaking off of her wings in her efforts to get around.

To her credit, she managed really well. Nothing was gonna stop this chicken. The chicken sling didn't work, because she would fling her weight around until she managed to fling herself out of it, which usually resulted in her falling the 10 inches or so to the ground. If she wanted to get somewhere, she would just fling her body in that direction, and she usually made it, if unceremoniously.

Chickens being the dirty creatures that they are, relieving themselves wherever they happen to be, this also meant that she was covered in poop almost constantly.

Have you ever tried to wash a chicken?

I have. Repeatedly. It's not pretty.

Neither were the sores that were starting to form on Peg's poor little wings from rubbing on the ground.

After a lot of discussion, and a lot of tears, the decision was made that we needed to end her suffering. It was obvious that her condition was painful, probably excruciating. She had lost a lot of weight. Her sores were at risk of infection from the feces.

We tried. I tried. Hard. To rehabilitate her. Our vision at first was that she would become healed enough to reintroduce to the flock. When it became apparent that that probably wouldn't happen, it was that she would maintain her current state and live out her days as a pet, as PegLeg.

Unforunately it was to no avail. Maybe someone with more chicken experience would have had more luck. Or maybe not. From what I've read many chicken enthusiasts don't even recommend trying to heal a chicken with a broken leg, much less one with the injuries she had when we brought her in.

And so the heartbreaking decision was for her to go "live" on one of the neighbors' farms. And as far as FireGirl is concerned, that's exactly where she is.