Week one…

Welcome to Seattle…

So far, so good.  Work is…working.  I’m getting along with at least 3/4 of the people I’m teamed up with.  The last one was born an asshole and just got bigger.  But I’m used to dysfunctional organizations…  Functional organizations don’t need consultants to come in and fix their problems.

So asshole got pretty steadily dressed down yesterday, possibly written up…  I don’t know for certain but I do know that he’s significantly more mellow today. :

This is my first real trip away from the family in a long time.  I’ve spent the last 26 months on a contract in DC, just over 50 miles from home.  WHile the commute sucked, I was home every night.

Before that I travelled, but not extensively.  I did a few ‘distance’ engagements, but most of them were 4 day a week travel and home every weekend, which is easy when you’re staying to one side of the country.

This is different.  It’s a 5-hour cross-country trip, which, added to the 3-hour time difference, makes life hell.

So, because of the difficulty of the travel, I’m only going home every two weeks.

I miss my kids, but Skype has made that easier…I talk to them every night.  I see them every night.

*THAT* is what the internet is for.

It makes distance evaporate in the smile of a six-year old showing off his homework.