Wednesday, September 08, 2010

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

The Woodlands, TX, USA

 

Now to pick up where I left off.

 

I submitted the NIMS certifications and got a call from Capt Pahl a few days later. He put me through to HR who offered me two positions: alternate for Win Fly and primary for Mainbody. There wasn't enough time for me to complete all the paperwork and medical exams for Win Fly (which would have lleft in the middle of August), so I accepted the Mainbody flight.

 

Then the fun began....

 

The next day, I started getting emails with all kinds of paperwork to complete and send back. I had to schedule a physical and dental exam, neither of which I'd had for years. I think the last time I'd been to the dentist was 2003, when I was still in college. Fortunately, no cavities were found. I still have two wisdom teeth, though. One has come straight in and the other is empacted. The physical went well and nothing of note was found on the 12-lead. I submitted the medical and dental paperwork and continued to wait, assuming I would either be cut from the program or told I needed my wisdom teeth extracted to qualify. But that didn't happen. I have decided, though, to have them excised after I get back and get some time-off at work saved up again. And maybe talk to thee dentist about Invisalign and a nightguard.

If nothing else comes of this, going through the process to qualify for the ICE got me off my butt to get a primary care physician and dentist.

 

While I was completing all the exams, I talked to my boss at work about this. Admittedly, I'd told him nothing about what I wanted to do until I got an offer from Raytheon first (you only make that mistake ONCE.) I had the conversation planned out in my head before hand, and our meeting went like I expected.

After breaking the ice with him, I explained that I had put in an application to work for Raytheon in Antarctica whe ith absolutely no expectation. I further explained that I wanted his input on the opportunity. I pointed out that I would make his second employee to do this. His concerns were me up and leaving MCHD like when I first got hired or just never coming back. I went on a spiel about how fortunate I feel to work for the company and how much work I had put in just to get the opportunity to work for them

I interviewed for MCHD three times before they hired me. Now I've been here for 3 years and have every intention of coming back. I know they can't gaurantee me a full-time position after my LOA, but there are usually part-time position open. I could always teach trumpet lessons, too, to make up the ends.

 

Okay. Today's mission after I catch some sleep -- REI

 

-Brandon