New job stirred with hurricane

It's been two months since I last recorded my life here on Sixties Shorties. I apologise to all four of my fans. It's been busy. August 16th was my first day at my new job -- I'm now the Chief Information Officer for the Peace Corps. It was fate -- in 2006 John and I had, after six months, achieved the "nomination" step -- that's Peace Corps speak for being accepted as a volunteer, but not medically cleared to serve. We were looking at more months to plow our way through the medical review process and then be matched with a specific program assignment in an eastern European country that might be able to use our skills. Before all that could be finished, John received an offer from Fed Ex in Memphis. Weighing a bird-in-the-hand vs. more waiting, we chose Memphis. Now, I'm working on technology and redesigning that very application process. It's come full circle. The Peace Corps is a fabulous organization full of enthusiastic people with great skills. I'm honored to be trusted with the majority of their IT and management information systems.

In the communications job I took to get us out of Memphis and back in DC, I worked in the guts of an organization. It was a great gig where I easily performed minor miracles. However, as I told the guys at my going away party -- "It's a hell of a job to lead from the bottom." Now I'm leading from the top, responsible for the welfare of over 90 people and tasked with performing major miracles. It's time to put my "money where my mouth is" as my dad used to say. I'm loving it, solving a puzzle with many moving parts.

Just as I'm settling into the new job and John is settling into being a committed sailor (he's taken docking lessons and has become the champ at maneuvering the boat in close quarters), we are faced with the threat of hurricane Earl. We're driving to j-bird tomorrow night to clear the decks (take down dodger & Bimini, stow the rolled up dinghy, etc.) and reinforce the docks lines so she doesn't get smashed up against the dock in big winds. For sure the labor day weekend sail won't happen or will be not what we planned.