1 post tagged “gone”

     Today is my first day in JMIS (our squadron) without Michelle, not counting days when she's out sick or on leave.  I'm really going to miss her.  It was nice to be able to escape from my desk for a while and go talk to her.  It seems like that time of the employment cycle when everyone is rotating to new positions.  In the last few months, we've lost or are soon to lose nearly 10 people in our organization.  Some of them moved on to new jobs, one girl left to have a baby, two are going back to school, and one guy was called up to active duty.  Luckily, he's not in the desert.  Now, I understand the job of those of us who are contractors.  Unlike other industries where contractors are temporary, in this corporate culture, the contractors provide the stability and continuity of technical knowledge.

     But, I was writing about Michelle.  I am glad that I got to see her today.  We went to lunch at Pad Thai, where she (and Steven, if he comes,) had the tofu pad thai, medium hot.  Since it was our last lunch together for a while, and to pay tribute to her consistency, I had the chicken pad thai, medium hot.  I couldn't wait to give her the going away present that I got her.  A few weeks ago, I told her about a book that came out several years ago Griffin & Sabine.  We were talking about baby names, and the name Sabine came up.  It's a neat book because it's postcards and letters between Griffin in London and Sabine in the South Pacific.  Michelle has also told me that she loves to receive mail, so she wants me to write and not just e-mail her.  So, I went to B&N and ordered the book.  Then, I wrote her a letter and hid it inside the very last letter in the book.  At work, several of us also joke the she doesn't own a viable spatula, so as a joke, I got one as the "treat" in the bow.  Of course, at lunch, she opened the book directly to the very last letter, and pulled out the letter I wrote her.  Sneaky girl.  I hope she likes it and writes me back!