Bloggings From A Motel

This "business trip" I'm on is getting old fast... I'm not sure what my boss was thinking sending me up here for this shiz. Driving and walking around Clinton and Sunset Cities, trying to get a hold of these random people who have been selected to fill out a survey - for a road that is going to be built no matter what these people say. It's sorta depressing. For those of you who don't know, I am no longer a drafter at Horrocks Engineers - they uprooted me to the public involvement department. Probably because people love me so much, but mostly it's because they were probably desperate - and all they had to fill the spot was me and a building full of engineers who wear plaid shirts every day and think puns about "plotting" are funny.

Anyways, that was back in January when the department switcharoo happened. I told them I had BS-ed being drafter for 4 years, I could BS anything else they'd like me to do. So far it's worked out. I had to stick around for a few project deadlines on some of the projects I was doing utility plans for, but now I am full blown public involvement (P.I. for short) The department consists of me and another man named David. Instead of drafting I have important meetings with UDOT officials and city council members, I have breakfast business meetings, lunch meetings, conference calls, open houses to plan, and one morning Mr. Horrocks himself wanted me first-thing in his office. What the? Most of the time I just deal with curious humans who want to know more about the construction projects going on in their neighborhoods... lucky for me, because I love curious humans. And truly, I love being involved in communities and being in "the know" about construction projects. Before being involved with P.I. I would go to public open houses just for fun, and now I get paid to go.

Well, my new boss, Stan, thought it would be good for me to get out and, I guess, "really meet the people" for this environmental study going on up here in clinton and sunset. It's been interesting. While I normally am all gung-ho for new roads and interchanges I'm starting to sympathize with this community up here. One man in particular really got me thinking. He refused to take the survey Sunday afternoon because he knew the survey wouldn't make a difference, that road is going in no matter what. He was so informed, so smart, so conservative, so educated, so furious about the government, and spoke with such a loud clear voice... I sat and listened to him for 30 minutes in the shade of his porch because I loved everything he was saying so much. Too bad he is 40 years too old for me.

Poor Sunset City, once upon a time it was just a cute little community. Now it's being slowly diminished by federal roads, drivers getting to and from West Point City, Hill Air Force Base, meth-heads roam the street, and the Front Runner train runs through peoples backyards.

I'm glad I don't live up here.

I'll be glad when this project is done. Even though it's nice not being stuck in the office.

Things that have made this trip more bearable: the Deweys let me borrow one of their laptops (even though it's a Mac, it's saving my life), and because my beetle sorta broke down yesterday, McKay is up here helping now! I'm so glad she is here, I was sorta loosing it.