One Hundred Thirtieth Entry

**Note: I just reread the blog, and it makes little sense to me, so good luck.

The last few weeks have been very trying at work. Along with getting behind in all my work, I feel I am under extra scrutiny from my Supervisor. I suppose it all started in late May...

~~~~~~flashback~~~~~~

I work in the Design/Graphics Division of the RMA, along with 6 other engineers. There are three other divisions which have engineers: Subdivisions/Flood Control, Traffic/Transit, and Construction. The engineers in the other divisions are all Engineer III's and above, no lowly Engineer I's like me. One of the Engineer 3's from the Subdivision Division took a job with the City of Visalia and left at the end of May. He was a good guy, a great engineer and everyone was pretty sorry to see him go.

That left an opening in the Subdivision Division for an E2 or E3. Attempts were made by the manager of that division to recruit an E2 or an E3 from within the county. Noone wanted to go.

In the middle of June, the work that the newly departed Engineer 3 was doing began being dumped on my division, with me doing a large portion of it. I slowly chugged along and got the extra work and my regular work done.

~~~~~~end flashback~~~~~~

Fast Forward to about three weeks ago. Interviews were held for the vacancy. The manager of Subdivisions did not like any of the candidates. He likes the position he is in with us having to do all the work.

That was about the time that my subdivision work started coming back, and things started to change.

I got back two of the jobs I had done. They had been reviewed thoroughly by my supervisor and by my manager. But the surveyors saw fit to comment and make changes to my designs. The bad thing is, they were right. How could the jobs be reviewed by two of my superiors and still be wrong? Well, it happened. I fixed the designs and resubmitted them.

About two weeks ago, I got what is called a Subdivision Map. A developer submits a map of a proposed subdivision, and the county makes comments on it. I just finished it on Tuesday. I gave it to my supervisor for his review. He then proceeded to tear apart my comments memo and wrote twice as many of his own. Talk about a confidence buster.

So this subdivision crap is one of the lenses of the "microscope of scrutiny" focused on me.

The second lens is with a little project that I am basically in charge of. Actually, it's a large project. It is for Caltrans, and believe it or not folks, this project of mine is of great statewide importance. It is the first of its kind. Usually, the state (Caltrans) designs its own projects. But in a rather bizarre twist, the state's planners want to avoid their own environmental branch of design and leave the design up to Tulare County. This is the first time they are trying anything like this. I am constantly being reminded that this project is "a pilot program" or "the first of its kind" or "of statewide importance" or "being watched carefully by the whole industry."

I have no problem with being a trailblazer. But on this project, I have to trailblaze through this with the laziest drafter in the history of drafting. I don't know what is wrong with him. He is always out on sick leave; he ran out of it this week. Every half-hour he walks (extra slowly) by my cube with his cup in hand on his way to the drinking fountain to get water. He is always tired and has permanent stoner eyes.

Last week, I needed him to do a lot of stuff that I needed basically the day before for a meeting a few days after. I knew that he had the capability and know how to do it on time. I left work late the night before the meeting without complete drawings in my hand, but assured that I would have them in the morning. What I didn't know was that he would call in sick the morning of the meeting and go to the doctor for some stomach problems he is having.

I got to work in the morning and did not see any drawings. Shit shit shit shit. I walk over to his supervisor and ask if he is going to be in that day. Super says no, he went to the doctor. But he also said that the drawings were completed and were in the plotter tray downstairs. Thank God!! The drawings were done well, and I was relieved.

The lazy drafter came in the next day. I asked him if he felt better. He started spouting off some medical terms. Whatever. I asked him how late he stayed the night before. He told me 9pm. I thanked him for all the work he did. I told his super that he said he was in til nine. The super told me that he told him 10. Interesting....

I find myself making excuses for him. I feel kinda sorry for him. What if he really is diseased? When his super asked me about the drawings and their quality, I said they were great, and that it was my fault for him staying so late. I told the super that I should have given him the design the day before I did, which was only half true.

The third and final lens became evident today. When I got to work at my usual 10 minutes late, there was a watch sitting in my chair. My supervisor used to be notorious for arriving at work late. His buddy in the Solid Waste division (Gere) used to put a watch in my supers chair whenever he was late. I never thought I would be a party to this little game that they play. But now I am. The whole day, the two of them were making jokes.

Gere "Hey Phil, how are you today?"
Me "Good Gere, how are you?"
Gere "Great. Did you get here alright this morning?"
Innocent?

Try this one that nearly pushed me over the edge:

(At the photocopier near the fax machine. Gere at the fax and Mike in front of me making copies.)

Gere "Hey Mike, do you know you are standing in front of the timeliest engineer in design?"
Mike "Uh, no I didn't."
Gere "Yeah, very timely."

I wanted to punch them all. I was close to throwing the watch away. I decided to hide it in the back of a drawer since it will probably remain in my possesion for a long while.

Three lenses of scrutiny.

What a frustrating week.

And it's not going to get any better.