Breaking Wind

The irony of Friday February 6th was that while it was a very sad day for my lady Cathy’s family, I actually received good news about a three-month “consulting” (i.e. temporary) assignment for a client in downtown DC. Interestingly enough, the client is a trade association that deals with wind energy... and not the kind that Cathy exudes in her sleep! (LOL Just kidding.) Back when electric utility choice was introduced in Pennsylvania, I chose to switch to a company who used wind power. However, when their rates jumped dramatically a year later from the slight premium I was willing to pay, I jumped back to the default utility.

Anyway, back to the job. I impressed my supervisor right away in finishing my first task in the first day. I had apparently accomplished more in the five hours I worked - they asked me to come in at 11:00 to start – than either of the two previous temps who were subsequently let go. Later tasks have become somewhat more challenging but I seem to continue to meet expectations.

One thing I noticed immediately is not only the newness of the office but the many yet-to-be-occupied cubicles and offices. I also knew that the Obama administration was planning to support and encourage alternative energy sources. So I figured that the company was definitely in expansion mode. A field visit from my recruiter confirmed my thoughts as she recommended that I “treat every day as if it were an interview”. My supervisor even admitted that if she had her druthers, she would like to get permanent help with her overabundance of work. So I think she may consider my time there as an audition as well.

The aforementioned recruiter also spent some time with the two other “consultants” in my department. One of them is an affable guy with a Vietnamese surname who seems all but hired. To wit, he is the only temp with a nameplate, albeit made out of paper. With his sensitive lilt to his voice, I’m tempted to nickname him “Geico” after the Asian restaurant owner in the “wad of money” commercial. Since Cathy and I may be the only ones to find that funny, I will instead honor his heritage and re-christen him Ho Chi Minh.

The other temp is a black guy whom I thought by his appearance that I would vibe with on a “nerd” level. However, he was all-business. If he wasn’t talking to his own supervisor, his conversation was pretty limited. For the first several mornings, he didn’t even acknowledge me. Once he even walked by and averted my gaze. He finally broke the ice one day by asking what kinds of assignments I was doing. My cynical side thought he might have been comparing our responsibilities to see how he can position himself better for a permanent position. I do have to give him credit though for providing me with a time card last week when I forgot mine. Still, he will be known from this day forward as Robocop.

Out of the full-time employees, there is one guy that stands out for his own unique personality trait. By his appearance, you’d think he might make a good stunt double for Curly from the Three Stooges… except when you hear him talk, he sounds like the overnight host of the Quiet Storm show on some R&B station. Even the black ladies in the department find him amusing. So of course I call him White Chocolate. It was sure confusing for the first few days as the high cubicles made it hard to tell if it was White Chocolate or Robocop speaking.

A full-time return to accounting isn’t exactly a thrilling idea for me but I do have to be realistic that my other career interests will not provide the consistency let alone income that I need to make. If anything, the ability to save for tuition to get my Master’s in Library Science would be my main motivator. But I have to remind myself not to get too comfortable or nervous – just to stay focused on accomplishing my assignment goals and letting the chips fall where they may later in the spring. In the meantime, I anticipate more interesting stories from the field which I will look forward to sharing here.