COUNTING THE DAYS!

My wife is visiting NYC for three weeks, which means I'm a bachelor for the moment. Having been a bachelor for many years in a previous life, you would think that would be no problem. Not so. I come home from work and find myself bombarded with silence. No wife to talk to , no son asking questions, no baby crying, nothing but silence. So I sit and wonder what to do with myself. Nothing catches my interest. I try to read but can't get into it. I don't play computer games anymore. I turn on the TV, but there is nothing catching.

In this time of loneliness it has become glaringly obvious that my family IS the center of my world. Without them I'm just an astronaut floating in space drifting farther and farther from anything that means anything to him. And the two shall become one. The longer I'm married the more meaning that has for me. The "independent nomad" I once was, is now a dependant, pseudo grounded family man. My family is no longer a futuristic want, but a current need. Life without them is not even fathomable anymore. This temporary separation is a vivid reminder of how much I enjoy my family. How much a part of me they have become.

I don't think Patty is fairing much better. She's already counting the days till she comes home. I think she is going to need a vacation from her vacation.

Back to silence I go.

IN CUBA, WE KILL GUYS LIKE YOU!!!

When you are in management you see all sorts of things you wouldn't expect. It's a backstage pass to the theatre where you get to see what the audience can't see. The most recent incident still has me stunned.

When you work in the Manufacturing industry, safety is a huge concern. Large machines with lots of torque; slippery surfaces; compressed air, hydraulics, and electricity everywhere. There are lots of places one can hurt oneself. There are lots of people who out of ignorance can be hurt by the carelessness of those who know.

KM (my engineer) walked by an exposed 440 volt electric panel on his way to lunch. Nobody around but the guy cleaning the floor. HMMM.. water and electricity, good mix. After an short investigation we quickly discovered who was responsible for leaving the panel open. We called a meeting of all of our electricians and ran through the importance of electrical safety. AP, the electrician responsible, was given a verbal warning (nothing official) and his response was, "But I waited till nobody was around." Nobody but the guy with the bucket of soapy water washing the floor.

AP felt singled out and "knew" that another electrician had "snitched" to KM. He walked up to the other electrician and flattly said "In Cuba, we kill guys like you!" and walked away.

Up to this point AP had conveyed nothing but a friendly attittude to everyone. I think I'm stunned more by who said it, than by what was said. It's a reminder that the unassuming nice guys aren't always nice. Place Mr. Nice Guy in a defensive posture and the fangs will come out.

AP went on vacation before we were made aware of his comment. When he gets back we'll have to deal with him. I wonder if his hostility will be redirected at us, or burn more fiercly towards the "snitch" who told on him. I wonder what an old Cuban (he's in his 50's) could devise against someone. Will his anger grow to a point of action?

I guess I"ll find out.