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Day Job, Career Plans, D&D
May. 29th, 2024 10:00 amYesterday wasn't SO bad. The day job was only mildly annoying, and I got some good progress done on the orders I need to analyze. I circled back to handle the QC tickets that were left over the Memorial Day weekend and knocked most of them out. And the grand-boss introduced a NEW INITIATIVE for June -- Project 700!
It's a bit of a huge change. First, particle counts don't need to be checked for accuracy! That should shave off a good chunk of time, though it does mean a lot of mistakes are likely going to slip through in sacrifice to expediency. Second, we're getting a lot of people to roll up their sleeves and help out as much as they can, which should be interesting. Third, in addition to the four hours of mandatory OT they're asking for every week they've lifted the cap of voluntary OT -- meaning I could put in 60 hours a week next month and it would be completely fine!
I'll...have to think about that. It's honestly not a bad idea to really knuckle down on the day job, put in the hours to learn as much as I can and work with as many people as I can, and take in as much info as I can about what's happening in QC and QA. Hopefully by the end of the month I'll have made a big dent in the 700 projects we've set as a goal AND helped to establish my reputation as a collaborator and potential knowledge resource.
It's an attractive proposition, and one I'll have to talk to the guys about. It would mean less time for social activities and possibly put more of a strain on...well, non-work things in life. But if I'm going to make a solid run at Quality Control as a late career, this crisis is a good opportunity to build my foundation.
In related news, I don't think management will approve reimbursing $600 for the Lean Six Sigma certification. My (current) boss told me that "something" is in the works on the executive level so chances are a more formalized training plan will be rolled out at some point. I don't have high hopes for this, at least not any time soon. The company traditionally has not been great about training and knowledge capture.
Which means now I have to think about using $600 of MY money to pull this off. On one hand, it's only $600 for a certification that could rocket me to a better job. On the other hand, I genuinely don't have enough money to buy new shoes. :P
Ratty says he'll offer a scholarship if needed, which is a lovely gesture that I'll probably take him up on. It helps immensely to have that built-in accountability. But time feels like it's at a premium enough as it is. Could I actually work overtime, take an online course, AND have any semblance of a social life?
Probably not, but that's OK. It just means I'll have to set different expectations with folks and be a lot more assertive about carving out the time I need. But I also need to be more careful with the time I have. It's a process, and it will BE a pretty heavy one for a while. But ultimately, I think it will be good for me.
Had lunch with Wah-Son yesterday; he brought over burgers from a place called King's and we geeked out about our tabletop games. XD I told him the over-arching plot to my current campaign -- something I've not told a SINGLE OTHER SOUL -- and it felt good to speak the core of the story into being. At least, the main villain plot. :)
He told me about his Lancer game, which is a crunchier war-game simulation type deal. He sounds like he's got a really good GM; the combat environment was kinda brutal, the party's resources were partially depleted, and there was a win condition beyond "kill all the bad guys". He even made a particular note of what kinds of things were effective. ;) Good head on those shoulders.
Of course, Wah-Son handled his business well and the party made it out by the skin of their teeth. It really *is* the best result for an encounter, but it's soooo hard to set the pieces up for that. I mean, fudging IS a thing but it's never something I feel comfortable with in the moment; it feels obvious that I'm prolonging the encounter just because. Anyway.
Leg day was tough and I wore the wrong shirt for it. I went to the gym with my gay D&D symbol shirt and the heather grey color does me no favors. D: The sweat shows up really easily, the fabric clings to my body in ways that are quite unflattering, and the bottom of the ampersand feels like a target over my very prominent belly. I was glad that Sneppers called the workout early. I couldn't look anyone in the eye.
No tackling the laundry monster yesterday; I chose to play Final Fantasy XIV instead and I don't regret it. I'm at a point in the MSQ where I need to double-back and finish one of the role quests and I'd like to have a bit of time for that. Tomorrow's the earliest opportunity but I think I'll use that time for cleaning and organizing instead.
Today, it's QC ticket work at the day job, laundry and dinner prep, then Tomb of Annihilation in the evening. Somewhere in there, I'd like to write down a recap of the last Unlicensed game and nail down what's canon now, maybe write a bit about the two characters in Swiftie's Intergalactic -- or read up on what makes a good romance story. I can't believe it took me this long to figure out why the draft wasn't working, but then again...I was not in a place where connection to others felt safe.
It's a bit of a huge change. First, particle counts don't need to be checked for accuracy! That should shave off a good chunk of time, though it does mean a lot of mistakes are likely going to slip through in sacrifice to expediency. Second, we're getting a lot of people to roll up their sleeves and help out as much as they can, which should be interesting. Third, in addition to the four hours of mandatory OT they're asking for every week they've lifted the cap of voluntary OT -- meaning I could put in 60 hours a week next month and it would be completely fine!
I'll...have to think about that. It's honestly not a bad idea to really knuckle down on the day job, put in the hours to learn as much as I can and work with as many people as I can, and take in as much info as I can about what's happening in QC and QA. Hopefully by the end of the month I'll have made a big dent in the 700 projects we've set as a goal AND helped to establish my reputation as a collaborator and potential knowledge resource.
It's an attractive proposition, and one I'll have to talk to the guys about. It would mean less time for social activities and possibly put more of a strain on...well, non-work things in life. But if I'm going to make a solid run at Quality Control as a late career, this crisis is a good opportunity to build my foundation.
In related news, I don't think management will approve reimbursing $600 for the Lean Six Sigma certification. My (current) boss told me that "something" is in the works on the executive level so chances are a more formalized training plan will be rolled out at some point. I don't have high hopes for this, at least not any time soon. The company traditionally has not been great about training and knowledge capture.
Which means now I have to think about using $600 of MY money to pull this off. On one hand, it's only $600 for a certification that could rocket me to a better job. On the other hand, I genuinely don't have enough money to buy new shoes. :P
Ratty says he'll offer a scholarship if needed, which is a lovely gesture that I'll probably take him up on. It helps immensely to have that built-in accountability. But time feels like it's at a premium enough as it is. Could I actually work overtime, take an online course, AND have any semblance of a social life?
Probably not, but that's OK. It just means I'll have to set different expectations with folks and be a lot more assertive about carving out the time I need. But I also need to be more careful with the time I have. It's a process, and it will BE a pretty heavy one for a while. But ultimately, I think it will be good for me.
Had lunch with Wah-Son yesterday; he brought over burgers from a place called King's and we geeked out about our tabletop games. XD I told him the over-arching plot to my current campaign -- something I've not told a SINGLE OTHER SOUL -- and it felt good to speak the core of the story into being. At least, the main villain plot. :)
He told me about his Lancer game, which is a crunchier war-game simulation type deal. He sounds like he's got a really good GM; the combat environment was kinda brutal, the party's resources were partially depleted, and there was a win condition beyond "kill all the bad guys". He even made a particular note of what kinds of things were effective. ;) Good head on those shoulders.
Of course, Wah-Son handled his business well and the party made it out by the skin of their teeth. It really *is* the best result for an encounter, but it's soooo hard to set the pieces up for that. I mean, fudging IS a thing but it's never something I feel comfortable with in the moment; it feels obvious that I'm prolonging the encounter just because. Anyway.
Leg day was tough and I wore the wrong shirt for it. I went to the gym with my gay D&D symbol shirt and the heather grey color does me no favors. D: The sweat shows up really easily, the fabric clings to my body in ways that are quite unflattering, and the bottom of the ampersand feels like a target over my very prominent belly. I was glad that Sneppers called the workout early. I couldn't look anyone in the eye.
No tackling the laundry monster yesterday; I chose to play Final Fantasy XIV instead and I don't regret it. I'm at a point in the MSQ where I need to double-back and finish one of the role quests and I'd like to have a bit of time for that. Tomorrow's the earliest opportunity but I think I'll use that time for cleaning and organizing instead.
Today, it's QC ticket work at the day job, laundry and dinner prep, then Tomb of Annihilation in the evening. Somewhere in there, I'd like to write down a recap of the last Unlicensed game and nail down what's canon now, maybe write a bit about the two characters in Swiftie's Intergalactic -- or read up on what makes a good romance story. I can't believe it took me this long to figure out why the draft wasn't working, but then again...I was not in a place where connection to others felt safe.
