How'd your first day go, Bullfrog?

That's right I just cleared through medical yesterday. Today is my first day, I'm getting ready to leave now... as you can tell.

Retirement and freedom is just around the corner.... :[IMG]http://i2

It was a royal corporate clusterf*ck. Everything at my plant operates on an I.D. Badge with a computer chip. I badged in alright and got in the gate. Then I put my ID badge in the computer dreading 3 1/2 months worth of useless email from people that I don't even know saying "I'll be out of the office during the week of so and so. Azzhole will be taking my place, forward all emails to him."

I can't wait to retire so I can send one to all of the millions of ExxonMobil global employees saying "I'll be out of the office from now on, shove your emails where the sun don't shine."

Anyway, I put my ID badge into the computer and got the message "Your account has been deactivated due to inactivity, please call the help desk to be reactivated." So I did that and the dude in California said "I'll have to generate a ticket." which means maybe tomorrow or the next day you can get back on the computer.

Then the boss calls and says "You need to come to the central control room and catch up on your mandatory computer based training modules before you can be on the unit." I go there and explain that I can't get on the computer until they reactivate my account.

"OK, then just chill out and sit here." was the answer. So, for 12 hours at $32.00 an hour I drank coffee, went to smoke and chilled. I asked "Hey, did you move my vacation from October when I was off with knee surgery?"

"No, I forgot, let's do that now.... Hmmm, looks like December is all sewed up, you need to take your vacation next week and you have mandatory Fire Brigade training Thursday."

So, they were all up my butt to come back to work. This is my 4 days that is followed by 7 days off and then a 4 day vacation. The three days after my vacation are sheltered from overtime so now I have to go there tomorrow and wait for the "Ticket" to do my three days worth of back due training modules.

If the ticket clears tomorrow I'll start catching up on my computer based training. Then fire brigade Thursday, 7 days off, 4 days of vacation followed by three more off days that they can't schedule me overtime. Two more weeks off with pay, spank my butt will you?

Here is the clincher, I am the Captain of the Emergency Medical Response Team and there is a week long EMS conference in Atlanta, Georgia on the 27th. which I have to attend. They pay the air fair, hotel, conference and meals (porno on the TV not included). Plus, as the team Captain, I get to take the entire team out for a final dinner at a fine restaurant of my choice and run up a huge liquor tab, it all goes on one receipt and the excessive booze does not show. Plus, I get to buy them all a T shirt. Wonder why your gas costs so much?

So, my first day at work was not bad at all. They are going to make me take two more weeks off with pay, then fly me to Atlanta for a week and pay for my booze.

What a world, what did I do to be so blessed?

I forgot what little time it leaves you when you "work" 12 hour shifts. I have to leave by 04:30 AM and stay until 5:00PM. My wife doesn't drive so I had to make two stops during the rush hour traffic on the way home. Get right in the shower and it's almost 6:30. This leaves very little time to spend on the deck with my wife because in order to wake up at 03:30 A.M. I need to get to bed pretty early and that leaves little, if any time to pop in and say hello.

Hey, I completely understand about your time limits. It's much more important that you spend time with the one you love. Too bad you can't take her to Atlanta with you!