So long West Palm Beach...

I know you have been wondering, since our last episode, what actually happened on April 30th...

I went to Chattanooga for a job interview. It was not a supervisor position, but another hub operator position. It went well... Very well. I went into it, thinking I was hot stuff, and found out that I was. Not "savior of the world" hot stuff, but pretty hot. I met with the supervisor there, who was extremely nice. Sitting in the conference room at NewsChannel 9, looking over this guy's shoulder at the rolling green mountains, I knew that I could find this to be an acceptable base of operations. While impressed with all the skills I already had, this supervisor guy told me there are more skills I could pick up, while flying under his wing. It was so tempting, and I knew when I left to go back to West Palm, that I was like that old Eagles song... "Yes I'm already gone..."

I had to go back and drop the big news to my co-workers. It was awkward for me, as they had become a second family. I didn't expect some big crying party, which is good, because how weird would that be. A quiet parting of ways... which was good for me, since I am kind of like that old Whitney Houston song. "I get so emotional, baby!"

It was weird to leave something I helped build up. I wondered if they would be alright without me, as I had become a major player in the Hub. Fortunately for everyone involved, I have a lot of different skills and clutch plays, and I love showing them off. Of course they picked these skills up... They are Hub Life! Besides... I picked up a lot of those skills and clutch plays from them! I left there knowing that they would be just fine, because that's how we rolled in the Hub. Why would they stop?

After "The Decision" (hee hee), I was there for another two months. Part of being an internal transfer is making sure your previous duty station is OK without you. I stayed long enough to cover all the operators going on vacation, including myself. In the end, it was as much for me, as it was for them. Honestly, I did not want to leave "The Golden Metropolis".

I took my vacation 2 weeks before I left Florida. I mostly spent my time with family, since I don't see them at all. I got some time with friends too, but it was fleeting moments. I got to see my daughter graduate high school and nursing school in the same week. Who gets to do that? When it comes to diplomas, my daughter is "two-fisted". How cool is that? I'm going to get put in a good home someday...



Next stop... Chattanooga...

Lots Going On... No Time to Talk About It...

It's been 15 months since our last meeting. I have been busting my ass the whole time. The whole time... Turns out... I wasn't quite the "hot stuff" I thought I was. I made a huge mistake, which was quite the wake-up call. I needed to re-invent myself, if I had any chance of completing my goal at all, let alone make any real progress toward the lofty goal. (What is the goal? Past posts will reveal, and we need all humanoids to catch up. I know it's been a while...) I proceeded to re-invent myself. Learning all I could, I have taken on every task put before without hesitation. This has afforded me a very nice position within what is now called "The Hub". These tasks have made me into quite the operator. Dare I say... "Smooth Operator"??? I now, with pride, feel that I am one of my Supervisor's top lieutenants. You'd have to ask him if this is true, but I am confident that he would answer yes, while laughing of course. This "new me" is confident, and looking for a new posistion in "The Evil Empire". Perhaps my own command is not out of reach, and certainly fits in my plan. West Palm Beach be expensive, and I need to stack major chips if I am ever taking over the world. A less expensive home base could allow for this. I have sent out feelers to other stations, to see just how I am viewed throughout the Empire. Not quite the result I was expecting. I have gotten two nibbles... one of them being a hard bite. On April 30th, I will be travelling to Chattanooga, Tennessee. I have an interview there. It's not quite the glamour I had my sights set on, but I make the best out of any situation I am in. "It's how I roll." I turn negatives into positives. Chattanooga is not a negative, in any way whatsoever. There are so many positives about this, on paper of course, that I need to see exactly how they operate. In the end, I am not auditioning for them, but they are auditioning for me. Make no bones about it. I have a career goal and 5 year plan. If they are a good fit for me, then that is the route I will take. I am going to go there prepared. I have a list of things I must see, and a list of things I must not see. I am excited to see how another hub operates, as the one I work in now is extremely efficient. Stepping back, I am amazed at what we do on a daily basis. The sparkle is still just as bright. I am quite specialized now, thanks to my Supervisor. He knows how to push me. He knows how to test my limits. I go to work every day with the purpose of impressing upon him that I am always his personal "clutch player". He rewards me with "special projects", and other things that show me that I truly am one of his top guys. No words are ever exchanged like that. I feel that he doesn't train "operators". He trains operators to be supervisors. Now... I teach operators, waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger. Steady... Breathe... Stand by...