What (When) am I gonna be when I grow up?

Well, I've been working as a engineering contractor with the space shuttle program for almost 10 months now. It started off as a really cool stand-by job that pays well and offers a great opportunity to learn some valuable skills for later in my career as an ICE special agent. I have enjoyed being a part of the space shuttle program at the ground level. It has been interesting to witness the magnitude of engineering that goes into pulling off space travel, which has, strangely enough, become something that we take for granted.....like starting our car. We turn the key (after filling the tank with insanely high-priced fuel) and assume that it will start without fail. But the reality is that an incredible technological marvel occurs everytime we run an engine or launch a human into outerspace, but it happens so often, that it has lost its luster.

But alas, working as an engineer in the space program has become like any other job, with its pressures and annoyances that transform it from a career to simply, a job. Due to another company winning the next contract to build at our facility, ridiculous government tolerances for vehicle build quality assurance, and a gross degradation in technician competence and motivation, my company is talking about near-future layoffs and the government is threatening total program flushing if performance doesn't improve. So you can imagine the work environment that results.

Oh, and still no word from ICE. I am now 20 months into an aplication process that was supposed to be a maximum of 1 year. It's getting downright gutwrenching to go through each day without recieving a call for my final offer.

I try not to let it get to me, because no sense in Ang and the girls suffering too, right? But it is getting harder and harder to stay positive. I hate feeling like getting a specific job is the key to happiness, but I can't help but think that starting this new career will solve all my problems.

Anyway, enough of my waa, waa, waa. I'm sounding like a baby, but I had too vent, and now everyone has an explanation for why I may not seem my usual jovial self. And this way, I don't have to whine in public (out loud anyway).

Later