Short a Shirt and Pair of Socks

This week has become somewhat a typical week. Into the office Monday morning, dictate out a few letters and respond to some emails before gathering up files to head out Monday afternoon on the road to Norfolk. I had an early morning in Norfolk regarding the Kroc Center, integrated marketing and to see if they are willing to come into a consortium that we are building.

The consortium is various mid sized to large commands across three territories that are working together by direct mail vendor invite to build a new marketing model and to conduct various tests together. As it is based out of the vendor and via their services we can work in this manner outside the formal traditional structure. Norfolk not only came in but so did Hampton and Williamsburg. Following lunch I headed out on the road for Camp Happyland as I am taking the staff picture at 8:30 Wednesday in the morning. Rather than going to DC and returning back to camp, the plan was to overnight at Camp and go home Wednesday afternoon (an hours drive east north east). At home I would edit pictures from various events before going on vacation.

The plan was to pack the RV Wednesday evening and finish Thursday. The operative word is “was”. As I was traveling back with several phone calls regarding pressing issues in various locations, and just after persuading another Corps to join the consortium and talking with another division about it, I received a call asking if I was going to be able to be in Harrisonburg Wednesday afternoon. I was to interview a candidate for a professional position. A week ago the CO and I talked about the possibility but he was to confirm the meeting that day and if he did not call I was to assume the meeting was not possible.

Thursday is no longer going to be a simple day to look at completing an six year direct mail analysis for a Corps. I learned that I have a two hour conference call in the afternoon to discuss the shaping of the consortium and set the agenda for the first meeting at the end of July. Now Thursday’s plan is no longer as it was on Monday. The pictures will be done here and there while on vacation and in the days following my return. The analysis may not be done and other projects moved back a few weeks.

So, that is how my week has gone. Late Wednesday morning I am going west from camp over the mountains to Harrisonburg. I will not be getting home until late in the evening. This is all part of being flexible and being of service to the Corps. Problem, I am one dress shirt short and one pair of socks short. I do not have a dress shirt for the meeting on Wednesday afternoon….but I will be there. Normally I do not find myself in this type of bind as I normally pack at least two extra shirts and pairs of socks.

Thankfully there is a laundry room just down the hall from my room at camp and my dress shirt and socks are being washed as I type. The back up plan was to go by JC Penney in Harrisonburg to get a new shirt and socks to match my dress pants.

The plan still remains to be out of the office Friday by 1:30 at the latest. I can hear Evie now, “Right! I will believe it when it happens. My money is that you are not out until 3:45 at the earliest.”

Oh, the job does have its perks too. Like visits to Capital Hill and White House and other functions. One was last month.... lunch at the Canadian Embassy for lunch with the Charge d'Affairs and his staff. I politely declined for another time as I had a wedding to attend that day. The staff that we sent raved about the embassy and the view of Capital Hill from the embassy's terrace.