I just started my first of two leave periods.  This one is only a week long, but it’s a week I really need, especially after the week I’ve had.  I usually don’t like to vent about work, but this one was a bear.

I was moved to the ship’s video team, after a snafu made the team look bad.  I’m happy and sad about this.  I’m happy because I’ve really wanted to do video again, after being taken out of that world a little more than a year ago.  I had a ton of fun at AFN Tokyo.  I liked being able to come up with creative ideas and figure out how to make them a reality on screen.  I really love the technology of film and how it’s all becoming digital and immediate.  Also, the video team on the ship just got a brand-spanking new Apple MacPro (top of the line Apple computer) loaded with Final Cut Pro (industry standard editing software) and I’m really eager to figure out every nuance of it.

I’m sad about this change for a few reasons too.  For one, I’m sure most people would rather step into something that works instead of something that doesn’t, and be expected to fix it.  My division officer already told me one of the reasons he’s putting me there is because he expects me to fix it.  That’s a lot of pressure.  Two, although I’ve got a lot of video knowledge, the majority of their equipment is decades older than anything I’ve worked with in the past.  Three, this is the first time I’ve ever been given something that’s been completely mine.  Before I’ve always been the middle-manager, but now I’m the guy.  That’s a lot of pressure.

We’ll see how this all pans out.  As of now, I’m going to look at this as a good thing.

I’m also thinking about heading down to Yokota for one of my last trips (more and more of my friends are leaving), and plotting out some things to see when my dad gets here.  Mostly though, I’m looking forward to sleeping in.