Assorted Stuff

I've been working at the Grand Rapids Home for Veterans for four days now, as a "Fire and Safety Officer." I've had three, count 'em three shifts. Begin my fourth in about an hour and a half. Already my bosses are talking to me about the site supervisor position, as the guy who has the job currently seems to be not comfortable with a) supervising and b) the site. The nursing home-type environment can, I think, be unsettling. Plus, we're not just security guards; as the title implies, we do a lot with fire safety and prevention, including monitoring and testing of all the alarm systems, and it ends up being a lot more than just walking around, locking doors, and making sure no one steals. Honestly, I think we end up doing a lot of work that the "Fire Safety Supervisor," who is directly employed by the Home (as we're employed by a contractor), should be doing, but oh well. It fills the hours. And, for me anyway, it's challenging and interesting, which is why I'd love the supervisor position. Hopefully the pay will be better, too, and I'll get to move to first shift.

In baby news, we went to a doctor's appointment this morning and tappu got to air some of her medical concerns, what with her body going slightly nuts with this pregnancy thing, and we got to listen to the heartbeat. Totally surreal. I mean, in a weird way, it was a relief to hear, because we've had friends and heard lots of stories lately, it seems, about people having miscarriages. But, more and more, this parenthood thing is becoming real. Too real. Strangely real. tappu has chided me in the past about not getting excited about her being pregnant... but it hadn't been really real, you know? Now that she's... growing and stuff... it's crazy.

Also, I've discovered that our report-writing computer at work has internet. Man I'm in trouble. Until now I thought I'd just get a lot of reading done. Finally finished Legacies, by F. Paul Wilson, which the inestimable kaygo sent me while I was in Iraq. Hung onto it because it sounded interesting, and was autographed, but had a hard time getting into it. Mostly, I think, because after reading 70+ books on my little Iraq adventure, I was a little read-out. But, it was a good read. Slightly over-wrought, I think, and predictable in some aspects, I think, but otherwise really good. I'm hoping to find the follow-up, Conspiracies once I'm done catching up on my reading. I also, finally, started The White Rose by Glen Cook. I've owned the first three "Black Company" books forever and ever and read them at large intervals. First shift might put an end to all the reading, though then again, maybe not. But I get the impression that the days are less than boring.

And that's about it from here. Days are suddenly quite full, and that's a nice feeling.