In a Groove

Our days here at RCHQ have moved into a certain rhythm, most of which is not all that interesting to blog about. We typically get up around 6:30 or 7:00 (very early for us!) and eat a large breakfast to sustain us through a long morning. We walk back to the bus around 1pm for a healthy lunch and to walk Opal. The afternoon is not quite as long now; HQ closes at 6 instead of 7, and we now have Sunday mornings off. Since Saturday happens to be our day off, it makes for a real weekend.

We eat alone for dinner about 2 nights out of three, joining our coworkers on the third evening. Last night a big group went out to wish farewell to our warehouse supervisor, but we ate at home. Sean had spent the entire day in Alexandria, LA, picking up equipment from a large shelter that is closing. It is at least 5 hours round-trip to Alexandria, so he arrived home late and tired. We have been assigned a large RC car (some sort of truly awful American SUV) that just sits next to the bus most days, but on Sean's occasional field days is helpful to haul phones, computers, switches and stuff.

I am temporarily acting as the supervisor for my department while my boss is on "STDO." I think that stands for Special Travel Days Off or some such. If you serve two three-week volunteer terms, the RC may pay for a trip back home to take care of the rest of your life and then bring you back for another term. STDO is for three days, plus a travel day each direction, so I am in charge for five days. Since our term will be pretty much over by the end of the five days, I'm just pretending that I got a promotion. I'm enjoying having a new set of tasks to do, although I sit behind a counter in a back room and do not interact with as many internal customers.

One of my new tasks is to coordinate hotel rooms and cars used by our department. Three weeks goes by very fast and in a group of approximately 30 people, someone is leaving or arriving pretty much every day. There is a lot of horse-trading for desirable cars and someone needs to know who has what. This gave me the opportunity yesterday to trade our ugly SUV for a convertible (why the RC has rental convertibles, I do not know), but I resisted the temptation. It was great to have the big car on laundry day, and the convertible would be terrible for Sean's work. Besides, the weather has just turned cold in the last few days, with overnight lows in the 40s (thanks, Wilma!) and we don't really have time for open top cruising.

Tonight a group is driving down to New Orleans for dinner and drinks again. Folks from our department drive down about once a week, with a well-coordinated chart of who is in what car with whom as designated sober chauffeurs, called the Drivers/Drunks sign up sheet. Since there are always new faces, this is a really great way to make sure we don't leave anyone unfamiliar behind. Everyone has a copy of the sheet and helps herd the cats in to the cars. "Bob, you are a rider in the red mini van with Fred, Joe, Frank and Linda. If there aren't five people in the van, don't leave!" While Bourbon St. isn't the destination it used to be, every new person wants to see it and it is a great way to bond with the group and have a little fun. We all have to be at work at 8am, so there is always a designated Early Return Car for us old fogeys who need their sleep. I never could party late, as my college friends will attest. Party early, then early to bed, early to rise.