Eat, Play & Surf

Well it's certainly been an eventful past few weeks.  In addition to not being able to sign into Blogger, I've also been enjoying the fruits of a tyrannical, micro-managing, conniving, passive-aggressive project management twosome who've made my life and job extremely difficult.  The beauty of reaching your middle years is that you realize that life is too fleeting to tolerate a very short-list of situations or issues.  This would be one of them.  To begin with, I cannot do my job to the best of my abilities and that drives me crazy.  It's nearly impossible to manage projects and programs when a). nobody asks or listens to your input (which you've been hired to contribute) which then results in pursuing bad projects in the wrong way and you ultimately being blamed for it, b). having the big boss meddle in every microcosm of the process thus creating 3 times the work because he basically won't admit he doesn't know what he's doing, c). the bosses unofficial second in command going out of his way to circumvent your project planning timeline by doing everything from changing due dates and deliverables to making sure that you are not included in key meetings... that's my short list and I think you get the point.  Plus the "big boss", who's actually an insecure, short, Irish guy with a failed political career bid behind him, likes to scream in people's faces.  I've taken to calling him "Teflon ----" because none of his bad decisions or misdirections ever seem to stick to him. 

So - this situation is one that the Wino can't function within.  The Hillbilly has tendencies towards being a Type A, but usually pretty laid back - combined with a short fuse and the need for a good deal of creativity - and is almost incapable at this point in life, of dealing with these types of situations.  I had one really seriously bad and abusive employment issue which involved working for the Mayor of Toledo.  I had one other  more recent issue that involved having to deal with a total asshat who was also a conniving, useless POS.  For some reason, due to the hard work of others, had been given a big title but this person was totally incapable of handling the job - however personally thought they were fabulous.  I don't think Wharton offered a degree in what that person was actually good at doing...  Both of those were US jobs, but while here it's been pretty good until now.  Two idiots (now 3) out of a 25 year working history is still damn good!  The odd thing is that after all of the hard living conditions, dangerous situations, jaw breaking stress and just being in Afghanistan, it takes just conflicts of personality/management style to finally get me to leave this place.  So I'm leaving this job and leaving Afghanistinkistan!

The Hillbilly is without any employment, but doesn't care right now, and must avoid the tax man until February of 2012.  So I'm doing my own version of Eat, Pray & Love in the Dominican Republic for at least 2 months - my version is less spiritual and most likely will be more ornery, but will certainly influence the desired outcome of a more relaxed and healthy Wino.  By day, I plan to learn Stand Up Paddle Surfing - which should be great because I'll be living right on the beach.  By night, I will be looking for j-o-bs.  The end result should be the version of me that existed prior to my little adventure here in Afghanistan.  At this point, I feel totally unhealthy, stressed to the max, out of shape and not as positive about life in general as I usually am.  Plus, I could have worms from eating here, so that will be the first thing on my agenda - to be dewormed!  The Hillbilly Wino blog will continue, but you can expect surf reports and descriptions of life in the Dominican Republic which will hopefully not include explosions or too much gunfire.  It will be a different kind of "excitement" and one that involves the development of my infantile Spanish skills, shorts, sandals, local beer and a SUP Board.  I'll just be a Hillbilly on the beach.  Although I'm worried about the employment situation, right now I'm more excited about achieving a dream that involves living on a Caribbean Island - at least for 2 months, but it may be longer if I can't find work.  My other half and partner in all things, who should be canonized as a Saint for putting up with me - but is Jewish, so the Saint part won't happen - will be joining me for 3 weeks in the DR to share in part of the Caribbean dream.  Good times!

So, I'm skeedaddlin' and fly from Dubai on the 5th.  I have enjoyed the majority of the people I work with - both the expats and the Afghan staff.  I have a particular affinity for our guest house cleaning and laundry crew.  I don't know why, but I simply adore these 3 women.  Maybe its because they have the hardest lives and toughest jobs - I think all 3 are widows and this is their only means of support.  Maybe it's because there are few things worse in the world than being an Afghan woman.  Who knows, but I always take the time to tell them hello or find someone to translate my thank-yous for doing my laundry so nicely and cleaning my room so well.  They range in age from late 30s to somewhere in the early 60s. The don't speak English and I don't speak Dari, but they will have long conversations with me anyway - and I will sit there, listen and try to understand.  The only English they know, and say to me often, is "we like you" and "I love you".  One of them gave me a hand embroidered handkerchief and for some reason just loves her some Hillbilly.  Yesterday I think she was trying to warn me of something, but I don't know what - it may have had to do with being outside on the 3rd floor balcony and very visible, but I have avoided sitting out there ever since and that seems to have made her happy.  Today I gave them beautiful scarves to wish them a happy Eid holiday and thank them for taking such good care of me - when I was able to communicate through a guard that I was leaving, two of them cried and it just about broke the old Wino's shriveled, cold lump of a heart.  I'm leaving to face employment uncertainty, but doing it on a Caribbean island and these women remain, working their fingers to the bone, within a country and culture that have a long way to go in appreciating them.  Life is certainly what you make it and mine has certainly been a good one - great family, friends and partner - but it makes you wonder if a significant part of the "goodness" is just the luck of where you are born.  Who knows, and that will give the Wino something to think about on the beach. 

So, the next posting you read will be from the good ol' DR - on to the next adventure!  Lets make some memories, folks!

Drink of the day - some weird beer (Russian) that I cannot read nor pronounce, but it's good and in a can!