Diminishing returns?

Regular readers may recall that I have at times lamented (unwisely?) parts of the past year at work.  My diverse technical and problem solving skills (mad skilz, even) went largely unused in favour of administrative drudgery.  "Score that meeting for efficiency, Cinderfella!"  I am happy to say the sunnier side of that stormy weather front is beginning to peek through.

My corporate entity was shuffled to the Estimating Department last month.  We are, ostensibly, the project-oriented arm of the Business Development & Estimating umbrella held under the auspices of our VP, whom I've dubbed Muffy.  I prefer to think of us as Bullshit Deployment & Evasion, but that's just semantics.

I'm looking forward to the early spring -- we're moving.  We long ago outgrew our current office space and I find myself one of many who have been inhabiting a trailer complex stuffed into a small corner of the equipment yard.  This complex was first dubbed The Village when it was moved in as a 'temporary' human capital storage facility, but it has since more than doubled in size with additional trailers slapped on as needs arose.  It is now more affectionately referred to as The Projects.

I occupy a 10 x 10 enclosed office in The Projects, and I frequently dream of one day having a window.  Out my office door, across the hall, I can see another office door.  That office has a window, and I sometimes see hints of sunlight streaming in, occasionally reaching as far as the hallway.  It's not quite the same.  My dream will soon be realised, in the spring, when we - Estimating - are one of three operating groups who will move to a new office facility in the west end of the city.  We'll be in a real building with the potential of a window and office walls that will finally dull my ability to hear every time the toilet flushes and discern, by now at least, who it was that used it.

In addition to the hope springing from the well of new prospects of office space, my role in Estimating is beginning to appeal.  My first large task is to assume the lead estimating role on a coal mine road project near Tumbler Ridge, B.C. 

What's that, you say?  You have no idea where Tumbler Ridge, B.C. is?

Let me enlighten you...

You see the green arrow down there on the map?  (Click pic to embiggen.)  At this scale, the town doesn't show up, nor do any roads leading to it.  I will drive there next Tuesday morning for a mandatory site visit for prospective bidders on this job.  I will drive from way down there on the lower right, where you see 'Edmonton'.  I figure it's about a seven-hour hike from home to a convenient motel.  Camp overnight and go to the site visit Wednesday morning, which sort of thing never goes for more than about two hours or so.  Tour the site, engage in a brief Q & A session, head home the same day.

Here's another, zoomier, shot of the green arrow, where you can see the actual town and the road wending its way thither under the euphemistic designation of Heritage Highway.  It's probably more like Heritage Moose Trail, or Heritage This Used To Be A Gravel Road.  The pock-marks all over the landscape are satellite evidence of B.C.'s forestry industry.

So what I've got is at least 14 hours of driving and an overnight stay in what can only be a questionable motel, all for a two hour site visit for a job we will be competing against other companies to get.

Frankly, I'm looking forward to it.  The chance to get out of the office and further engage myself in the meat of the business that drives my company is a welcome change.  I had complaints about the years I spent here where I was on projects away from home full time, but none of those complaints ever had anything to do with a lack of diversity of responsibilities nor having to fill idle time.

So far, I like the new direction I'm facing.

Comments

[Linda]

Yay for you Dude! I'm jealous. Mostly because I've been trying to work the word "ostensibly" into a post for awhile now and as yet, been unsuccessful. But jealous of the road trip and the new digs as well. :-)

[Mark]

That's good news, Simon. Long road trips can be cathartic.

Oh, and the increasing fulfillment in your job role is great, too. We all could use a little more of that (or a lot, as the case may be is).

[Moksha Gren]

Good news all around. New scenery for your office and new scenery from a road trip. And all wrapped up in a convienent job-satisfaction carrying case. That's hard to beat, my friend.

[marian]

zoomier-- great word. Happy for you, bud.

[Simon]

Linda, this is long overdue in my mind, so it can't come quite quickly enough. I'll be looking for that word in your future posts.

Mark, reading your comment, I'm made to think that long road trips are actually carthartic.

Moksha, hard to beat, yes. But I bet a cool million bucks would do the job. Bonus time, maybe?

Marian, I'm happy for me too, thanks!

[Marc]

Believe it or not, I've actually been in Tumbler Ridge. I was tree planting in the wilderness between Tumbler Ridge and Chetwynd (possibly in one of the clear cuts in the photos you have posted here). One evening I went and visited my brother who happened to be having a day off in Tumbler (he was tree planting for a rival company). At the time, it appeared to be a nice, new. well-kept town. They had a nice aquatic/sports centre.

In the intervening years, the town died after its industry shut down/moved on and real estate could be purchased at rock-bottom prices, and then it was resurrected as a resort town. Those lucky bastards who had the sense to purchase real estate when the town was down and out are laughing all the way to the bank now. If they're getting a coal mine in the area, they may die from laughter.

All that to say, that if you stay in Tumbler Ridge, you may end up staying in quite nice lodgings.

On the other hand, if you stay in Chetwynd, (a seedy logging town with a legendary hatred for tree planters) you may indeed stay in a questionable motel.

However, if you do stay in Chetwynd, look for a hotel across the highway from a 7-11. The hotel will be somewhat run-down and will appear to have around 5 different bars scattered under its roof. If you find this hotel (I never knew its name), go to the restaurant within and order a High Country Burger. Its massive and delicious.

[Marc]

Looks like there's a High Country Inn in Chetwynd, so it would make sense that they serve the High Country Burger, wouldn't it?

[Simon]

Marc, I've always found the loggers' hatred for the planters rather ironic. A short-sighted attitude of biting the hand that feeds. But I've never been involved in either industry, so what do I know?

I already booked myself at the Wilderness Lodge on the recommendation of my client contact with the coal company, and there isn't even a restaurant in the lodge. I did find out that the hotel across the street has a restaurant, and if I can find a High Country burger, rest assured I'll devour one with you in mind.

[Mark]

Marc - How many times have you heard this: "Is that with a 'K' or a 'C'?

Yeah, me too.

Simon - It seems my web host is down right now, and has been for about 15 minutes (or, at least, I can't get to their main page nor my blog), so I guess I should stop lambasting Blogger quite so much.

Not much excuse for a major, non-free web host with a six-page layout in PC Magazine to be down for a whole 15 minutes.

[Simon]

Ah, the consonant curse of Marcks, Ericks and Kcatherines the world over. Makes me happy to be a Psymon.

15 minutes, Mark? Hell, I don't know what I'd do!

[e-belle]

One more good reason to let the bloodletting begin: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070214/hl_nm/bloodletting_heart_dc

'Cause, ya' know, altruism and a cookie ain't always enough... *wink*