Let’s give this a shot
I’m thirty-nine years old today. Wow. No, it doesn’t feel any different.
My birthday started off pretty well, got some sweet presents from the kids, then we dropped C at school, took E to Roland Michener to register him for JK - not the school we wanted to send him to, but due to a lack of proper planning (oooh, now THERE is a future topic for a post) they’ve moved the JK program from Stephen Leacock (where C goes, where Cat and I both went, which is the closest school to our house), to Michener (which I’m told has three, yes three, students of their own in JK, all the rest are going to Leacock next year). Then Cat and I drove to work, grabbing a Timmies on the way (love my Timmies).
So, there I was, at my desk, surrounded by Annual Reports, survey results, trying to wrap my head around my new files. You see, there was a portfolio shuffle about three weeks ago, and I moved from a great client, with neato projects to another great client with neato projects that are WAY out of my comfort zone. (I know, I know, it’s good to stretch yourself.)
First up on today’s docket – was a production schedule for an audit report. I haven’t done one of these in ages. I need to factor in the proposed tabling date, and then essentially work backwards the number of days it takes to handle: editing, translation comparative editing, final approval of the text by the client, the layout (both print and web), another proofread, and final approval by the client. I also need to figure out how much time the Minister will need to have before he – hopefully – tables it. Invariably, we need more days than there are. I have lots of confidence in the Comms branch team here, it’s the approvals that I think are going to bog us down, and lead to overtime for our editors and production folks.
This afternoon I competed in the Meeting Olympics. Today’s event was the Management Committee biathlon, a two-hour audit branch meeting followed by a 90 minute Directorate meeting. No chance to grab a coffee between the two, but I think I’ve still got a shot at the gold…
Not terribly exciting, but what would you expect from a middle-aged bureaucrat.
Hey…does that mean I’m eligible for a mid-life crisis?
Hey John, welcome to the blogger ranks. Don’t worry, soon you’ll be like me, neglecting your blog for long periods and trying desperately to find a theme you like, as though that will somehow rekindle your passion.