Update on Frank

The year seems to be rolling away into the second quarter while I turned my back and was busy for a little while. I have been keeping busy at work and keeping busy not being at work. I got to see two good rare friends recently. One - a chap from Cape Town who I have known longer than most of my current buddies (with due exception to The Gang - that is why they are my Gang) Two - a chap from Ze Rhineland who I only got to know in the past two years since I visited Germany.

I draw some interesting parallels between these two gents because both seem to work far harder than me and seem to be achieving more with their careers than me and we're all around about the same age. Both seem to be working 16 hour days on a regular basis and make me feel all ashamed of my humble 40 hour weeks. Both are friends who I have spent very little actual time with in their presence in comparison to the duration of our relationship and yet both I have a lengthy and ongoing email correspondence with.

But despite the work-shame it was a great pleasure to see and spend time with people who are friends because they are your friends. (Not work not school not varsity - but just friendly friends)

Work-shame comments aside, overall work is going well. I tend to set my goals at being as competant as the people who were graduates the year before me. It's difficult to notice one's growth in a career until someone with less experience comes and asks you questions. 20 minutes later you realise that when we are grouped under the bracket of one to five years experience, one year is a LONG TIME.

And yet, I have the honour of working with people who experience in the power network field seems to be only exceeded by my own 92 year old grandfather who was chief planning engineer for the town council before he retired. and still, I work with these people, they make some really dumb mistakes. Silly stuff that my parents taught me before I finished high school.

Long important meetings that get rounded and closed off 35% of the way into the agenda issues followed by 30 minutes of awkward standing around.

Four hours on site in 42 degree weather without a hat.

15 minute progress meetings that get hijacked and meld into 4 hour meetings discussing nothing about progress.

Repeating what everyone else is saying over and over again in a loud informative voice even though everyone understood the junior who said the bright idea first.


I read an interesting quote the other day that rings terribly true in this situation saying :

"Middle age is when you have all the answers and no one wants to ask the questions"

(this could also apply to my father, but I didn't say that aloud - I am sure he is a pleasure to work for. My dad is super smart and stuff)

I have been living on my own in my little castle for almost a year now. Technically I moved in about a year ago. In hind sight it was both good and bad. If I could go back in time I may convince myself not to move out. I miss my parents and my brother so much. More than I could have imagined. And I still see them twice a week! And I miss having the cooking and cleaning and shopping done for me. But in exchange I have been able to explore creativity in cooking and house decorating and time scheduling. I am becoming a wine taster and an expert in the smell of ripe milk.

In the end I am achieving what I set out to do which was to become a functional adult and to learn some responsibility and to look after myself. I am learning there is always some sacrifice to achieve what we want in life.


And so now I have waxed on for a good lump of text. I haven’t mentioned Cirque Du Soliel or finding and engagement ring in the parking lot or the thrills of Aunt-ness or my holiday to the beach coming up or deciding to have a sense of humour about receiving a Save-The-Date to Mr-X’s wedding or trying to convince myself to survive not having a new car or picking out my next holiday or being showered with flowers by Mr Thursday and starting up the Office Rumour Mill.

But be sure of this boys and girls, my life isn’t boring anymore. (at least from my perspective – and I am the one having to live it)