Leap Year Day 2016

Greetings, and welcome to Leap Year Day for 2016.  Most of the time it comes around only once every four years.  There are exceptions.  The year 1900 didn't have one and neither will 2100.  Year 2000 did, as that the rule is that the century year has to be divisible by 400 before it qualifies for a 29th of February.

Anyway, as of one week, I have been in the new job.  It's working out well so far though I'll be glad when the training is behind me and I'm doing some real work.  I have sat in on two meetings and been able to provide engineering input.  The tradecraft of engineering itself doesn't change all that much from company to company, but processes defined by work instructions can and will contain a different recipe, if you will, as for getting something done.  There are still change orders and design reviews, but technical requirements and specifications are developed differently and we have a different set of standards that we have to abide to.

I am still somewhat overwhelmed by all of this.  My new employer has been rated as one of the best 100 companies in the world to work for, which is a vast improvement over having to leave two of the worst 100 companies in the world to work for.   I am transitioning back to a 9/80 work schedule, which means every other Friday off, which helps the work-life balance.  I am learning a great deal about the specialized medical devices that we develop and manufacture, and even though I am no longer a satellite engineer or developing test requirements for circuit cards, I am now part of the global war on cancer, and I think what I'm doing is very important.  I have this eagerness to delve right into things and to move the company forward.  I am in the capacity of a contractor, but I hope this leads to a long term job. 

I still get the occasional nightmare that I'm back in Las Vegas.  I hated the place, and still do, and it may be a while before I am back.  That could be next year sometime as that Sheila and I really did enjoy exploring the small towns of Nevada, and I'd really like to see Rhyolite again.

One other note, and this is getting us back to the topic of February 29th.  My father-in-law had his birthday today, which is something he doesn't get to have as much as most of the rest of us do.  We were over there earlier this evening for a celebration. 

That's all I have for now.  I owe a phone call that's long overdue, and I also want to turn in early.