4:00 am Ramblings

For the first time in a long time, I don't have anything specific I want to talk about. I woke up at 2:30 am this morning and haven't been able to go back to sleep. So, I got up around 3:30 and have been at the computer for about 45 minutes surfing my addictive Scuba Diving Forums. I figured I'd start writing and sooner or later a subject would hit me.

For those of you interested in the Forums:
Diving Talk is a fairly new and pretty low key forum. There isn't a huge amount of users on this one yet, but the membership is growing. Most folks that are on there are nice and helpful.
Then you have ScubaBoard. This is the mac-daddy of the Scuba Diving forums, in my opinion. Huge amount of members and many different areas to search. If you have any diving related questions, you can get your answer there. I am a member of both as "dalehall." Yeah, I know, that's a real original screen name.

Around the home, there isn't much going on, for a change. I almost have my voice back. I can, at least, carry on a conversation with others now. There have been no more outbreaks of virus' or anything else at the house, the daycare, or either work place, so we are thankful for that. (knock on wood) Both baby and #1 Mom are doing fine. In fact, Baby Ansley was just stirring, so I went in and gave her back her "passi" and she fell right back to sleep.

Valentine's Day has gone and passed. Heather and I normally don't do anything for Valentine's Day. V Day, to me, is just another "Hallmark" holiday made to make you spend money at card stores and flower shops. As Heather stated, we don't need someone else telling us we're supposed to treat the other special on this day. So, normally, we just skip the whole ordeal. But, this year, I had a change of heart, and didn't tell her. I just thought about all the ladies at her work getting flowers and her being one of only a handful that didn't get any. The thought didn't thrill me, so I had some sent to her. She loved them, but felt bad in the beginning because I sent her something and she didn't do anything for me. I told her my reasoning behind it and she was fine. Normally, when we set "rules" for gift giving, I follow them, but I just had to kinda ignore them this year.

I've been helping my niece do her home study for her confined water portion coming this Saturday. That was the first time I actually sat down and taught anyone how to use the Recreational Dive Planner. I was surprised how much I still retained and how much I had forgotten due to not doing certain portions. Like, I can get my pressure group after a dive, surface interval and a second dive with my residual nitrogen time. That's the easy bit. But, I never determine the shortest surface interval I can take to get back in the water for a certain dive and a certain amount of time. So, I had to re-learn how to do that. But, as long as you know the basics of the table, it's all cake to figure out. (No, I don't use the electronic version of the tables) But, helping her do that along with the other areas in the plan and helping Steve in the pool helps me to become a better diver all around.

Speaking of becoming a better diver, I finally have a date for my Rescue Dives... 31 March and 1 April, I will finally get my Rescue Diver class completed. Since I did my paperwork back in September of last year, I'll have to brush up on all of that again, but I'm ready to get this one out of the way.

I'm sure you've heard the old saying about people getting "promoted to the level of their incompetence." Yeah, that's about the same everywhere you go. But, in my instance, I seem to get those that get promoted by the amount of backbone they have removed. No one seems to have the balls to make a decision anymore. And, if they do make a decision, it's only after making complete sure they aren't going to offend anyone or make anyone mad by what they decide. And, if it does offend someone, they are quick to change their mind and recant their decision. These people amaze me. Sorry folks, I don't work that way. When it comes to my job, I make a decision and I stand by it whether it pisses people off or not. I finally got to the point, a few years ago, that I don't ask my boss for his opinion when it comes to my job. I was put in charge of the shop and I make the decisions as I see fit. If they have a problem with it (which 99 times out of 100, they don't) then they can come talk to me about it. But I believe in that old Navy Admiral's philosophy: "It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission." I live by that and I think others ought to also. If you're in a decision making position, do yourself and your people a favor: Grow a set, make a decision and stand by it. If it's wrong, so be it. You'll know better for next time, but at least you made a decision and you're people will respect you for it. If you don't have the balls to make a decision, they're all laughing at you and disrespecting you and your lack of a back-bone any time you walk. How do I know? Because, if you look at the management I've had over the last 10 years, you'd know I've been doing it most of the time. That may not be very adult or PC, but respect from me is earned. You don't automatically get it just because you are above me on the chain of command. You must earn my respect and trust. Just as I must earn the trust and respect of those under me. I will tell you this, the military has a better ratio of back-boned supervisors than Corporate America. Corporate America is filled with prima-donna CEO wannabe's that work their way up the ladder with ass kissing and not hard work. And the quickest way to move of the corporate ladder? Be a "Yes Man." When I worked at Deltacom, I only had one supervisor that had a set on him. Of course, he only lasted a few years and then went on to a real company. All the rest were spineless jellyfish of men that couldn't make a decision if their mother's life depended on it. They were a complete joke. Military doesn't promote by being a "Yes man", so they have people that will actually do what they are supposed to do to get the job done. However, not every supervisor is that way. We still have our "jellyfishes" we have to deal with also. But, at least I can say, with complete confidence, I'm not one of them.

See, I knew I find a subject to get me ranting this morning. :)