One of the last ducks on the pond.

I've been here at Bassford firing off e-mails to DooHow and the Mayor, all day.

I did one copy job, and pretty much just messed around the rest of the day.

It's wierd, I think I'm one of the last 4 people here, and I don't feel much of a desire to leave. I could just head out the door, and no one would ever know. For some reason, I feel compelled to stay.

In the very near future, my time working for Loffler, and so my time here at Bassford, will end.

I know what I could make at an entry level position with a PR firm. I know what I'm making now. the two figures are about $5 apart.

I like my job, even though it consists mainly of making copies and moving boxes, and makes a my degree a complete waste. I like the people at the law firm, I like working downtown, and I can get by on my income.

But I keep thinking about how I could pay off my credit card and car faster with that extra $5 an hour. $40 a day, $200 a week.

I look into the crystal ball at my future at Loffler. I could become an account manager. One of those position will likely open soon. I don't want to do that. I'd have to travel a lot and learn a lot of different sites. I don't see many positions with Corporate that I want, actually. It's like I'd be stuck here, forever.

I also hear a lot about my other co-workers at other sites. They are mostly worthless. They sit around, they act and dress lunprofessionaly, in short, they're worthless.

I work hard. I fixed a relationship with our client here at Bassford, when they were ready to drop us. I show up early, I take only my lunch break each day, and everyone here loves me.

And yet, I know that Loffler won't open up the checkbook to keep me.

It's kind of a drag.

I like working for the company Joe referred me to. I've worked with Joe a few days. I go to lunch with Bryan when he's downtown. I really like the guys who hired and trained me.

Really, if Loffler would split the difference with me, I'd be content for a while. For an extra $2.50 an hour I'd live the dream here a little longer. I'd hold off on applying for new jobs for probably a year, maybe more.

But it's not going to happen.

And so, I'll go home tonight, grab my car, buy my last Christmas present and drive on up to Mora. I'll enjoy Christmas with my family, and then I'll finish re-doing my resume.

Who knows if I'll find something, but I can't sit idly by working for far less than my potential in a job I'll never advance in.

It's been a pretty terrific year, but I have even higher hopes for next year.

I probably won't post again until after Christmas, so again, Merr Christmas everyone, and thanks for stopping by.

Post Election Circus

Sorry that my contributions to the blog have been lacking lately, but the November General Election took up most of my fall and the post election circus around here at work has consumed every ounce of energy I have since.

For all you Democrats out there, the good news is that we won. For all you Republicans, I am sorry, but it had to be done. It's always nice when you see results for your hundreds of hours of volunteer time. The political make up of the Minnesota House of Represenatives went from 68-66 with a Republican majority to a 85-49 Democratic majority. Actually it is now 85-48 with one independent, but that is a story for another post.

When I signed up for this job I knew that every two years my job would be on the line. It is the nature of the beast. What I didn't know is that there would still be things to worry about after a huge election day victory. Now I knew that I didn't have to worry about losing my job, but when your party takes over the majority a lot of new opportunities open up and everyone is scrambling to get them. My goal was to get on a committee. If you staff a committee you are in the middle of all the action. The sessions on the House Floor might get more media time, but the real work is done in committee. About 30 of said jobs opened up in the House and last I heard over 1,500 people applied for them. Even so, I figured I would be able to deliver the news to my family by Thanksgiving...I found out yesterday.

That is six weeks of long days and sleepless night of thinking of ways to position yourself to get where you want to be. The good news is that I landed in a position that I was gunning for. I will now be staffing the House Environment & Natural Resources Committee and I couldn't be more excited.

During the long and sometimes painful transition period I received some great, although cynical, advice from a long time staffer here at the Capitol. He said "You know A.J., let me tell you something that a wise man told me a few years back. You may care deeply about the cause, but the cause doesn't give a shit about you". It made me realize that in this line of work you can't think of it so much as a job, but as public service. Parties change majorities, certain members retire or get defeated, and leadership often changes staff compliments. Whether it's 2, 12, or 20 years there will come a time that I will be told my services are no longer needed. Until then I will come to work everyday with a smile on my face knowing that I have a front row seat to the best show in the state. It's the nature of the beast.

--Doohow

Happy Holidays from Our Tom's to Yours

Hey everyone,

As the blog has eclipsed the one year mark, I would just like to take a moment to pause, and say thank you to everyone who has stopped by to share a little bit of Tom.

I put up some very personal posts, especially the ones that dealt with my families health.

It means a lot to me when a friend references something that I said in a post, or when someone leaves a facebook message saying that they read my blog religiously, or when someone that I didn't even know reads the blog leaves a comment.

It's a very cool thing to think that I entertain people, or heaven forbid, even broaden their horizons or teach them something.

I have no plans to stop blogging any time soon, so hopefully I can go on entertaining, enlightening, teaching or just generally keep Tomming it up for a long while to come.

I hope you have all enjoyed the holiday season as much as I have so far, and have a safe, fun happy holiday season, filled with too much food and time well spent with loved ones.

Now please, turn off the computer. You've spent enough time with "the Tom" for this year. Go out and make babies.

And teach them the ways of "the Tom."