Fleeing to Milwaukee

Thursday morning I got an email from the State Department with details about training and assignments. Basically we learned we will get our assignment bid list sooner than we expected and shortly after we'll find out where we are going.  When I called Janet to give her details, she dejectedly said "Now I am not going to be able to enjoy your week off since I am anticipating you starting work and getting the bid list."  Recognizing that this week might be tough if we stayed around DC I asked if she wanted to get out of town and see her family in Milwaukee.

By Thursday evening the Swagger Wagon was packed and we were ready for the 829 mile drive to Milwaukee.  Then Friday morning with the three kids packed and ready to go we were off at 5:30. The kids are road trip champs. There were almost no fights and few complaints on the 15 hour drive.  We are hoping the same level of cooperation when we get on some 30 hour flight to who knows where.

This week I am hoping to get a bunch of bike riding in, go on a date or two with Janet, relax, teach Maddie to ride a bike without training wheels, play with the kids a lot, and relax. So far the week is off to a good start and Janet hasn't thought much about where we might end up. Below are the first two fun experiences of many. 

The first discovery of the trip was Saturday morning as we were getting ready to walk out the front door we discovered a Robin's nest in the wreath. The nest appeared overnight and was a nice treat for the kids.

On Saturday evening we had a chance to surprise Janet's sister, Rissie who had been out of town at a math conference in Philadelphia. When her dad brought her over the kids hid in the living room and surprised Rissie.

Best Brownies From Great Valley

A few years back my Dad came across a recipe for brownies. Using this recipe he would win bake-offs at work year after year.

Here is the recipe.

Best Brownies in Great Valley

1 1/4 cups butter or margarine
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces chocolate chips
1 cup (+/-) chopped pecans or walnuts

Make the following mixtures in three separate bowls:
Cocoa mixture (in largest bowl): melt butter; stir in cocoa.
Dry mixture: Mix together flour, salt, baking powder.
Egg mixture: Mix together eggs, sugar, vanilla

Alternately add the dry mixture and the egg mixture to the cocoa mixture. Stir just until smooth. Add chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Bake in greased 9” x 13” pan at 350 degrees for 30 mintes.

The keys to success are to not overcook (they will not look completely done at first) and to let cool completely before serving. Brownies get that need tender/crisp shell on top when they are popped straight into the fridge after being removed from the oven.

Janet and I have enhanced the brownies with some premium chocolate. We doubled the chocolate chips using dark chocolate chips and added a really good mint chocolate bar.

Last Day At GSA

So today was my last day at GSA.  It has been a cool and unique experience. For more than two years I have worked in the agency's headquarters in Washington, DC. It is cool to be able to say that I work two blocks from the White House. Recently the press about GSA has been pretty bad and rightfully so.  Despite what happened in Vegas by a few unfortunate, the people at GSA have really impressed me. Most people I've worked with have been as driven to perform as well as anyone I've worked with in the private sector.

On my last day I decided to take a few pictures of my favorite part of work, my commute.  For two years I've been riding my bike to work and I love.  I live too far away to ride my bike all the way so I take the train and then switch to my bike about 10 miles from the office. No matter how the day goes I start with a success and no matter how it end I get to ride it off.

Morning starts at 4:30 and I walk out the door at 5:10 and get on the train at 5:15.

At 5:52 I get off the train in Alexandria and go get my bike. Notice the double U-locks and wheel locks.  Beyond that I say a prayer and hope a thief goes for an easier target.  I've been doing this for over two years and haven't had any issues yet. The bike itself is a mid priced cyclocross bike that I've turned into a awesome commuter bike. See the fenders, racks, clip less peddles, and more.

The most important part of the commuter setup is the safety equipment and in particular the lights. Among bike commuters there is a slogan "see and be seen."  A 40 lumen pulsing tail light that is nearly as bright as a car's and a 4 lumen red flasher on my helmet.  The two combined give me a lot of piece of mind when right down dark roads so early in the morning.  The front lights consist of a 180 lumen headlamp and 600 lumen handle bar light. I love the lights, they are rechargeable, compact, and keep the cars away.

Tracking my process keeps me motivated. So I use a Garmin bike computer with GPS and upload capability. It is fun to upload all my rides the web.  Over the last two years I've ridden nearly 4000 miles as part of my commute.

This year I rode through the winter. It may help that it turned out to be the winter that wasn't, but I like to think dressing right made a big impact. Last fall I got new cycling glasses.  You can see the prescription inserts and the transition lenses.  They beat Oakleys and contracts at 5:00 in the morning. Also I got a really nice soft-shell Gore jacket with WindStopper.  It is amazing what a difference the jacket makes.  The rest is a matter of watching the weather and layering my cloths in the right way.

Even better than the gear is my commuting route. From Alexandria I ride to the Mt Vernon trail that goes along the Potomac.  The trail passes right by Reagan Airport. Most afternoons I have a plane coming in for a landing not 200 feet above my head.  The trail passes through a park that usually makes the list of best places to watch a plane land. As I cross the Potomac into DC I arrive at the Jefferson Memorial, ride past the Lincoln and Washington Monuments, dodge tourists, pass the White House, the Old Executive Office Buildings, and then come to the massive GSA headquarters building.

 Then I park, change into a suit, and sit down at my desk all before 7:00am.

Even though I have been able to work from home a couple days per week I find that I choose to go to the office so that I have my commute.  I feel good about life when I get to ride this much and sure hope that where ever I end up at the State Department I still get to ride my bike.

Who Knows Where Facilities Management May Take You?

-Here is an article I wrote for an office newsletter. It is all you wanted to know about my professional life and my new job at the Department of State.-

Cameron is a Building Management Specialist in FMSP and for two and a half years he has been involved in programs ranging from Overtime Utilities to CMMS to Smart Buildings. Unfortunately he’ll be leaving FMSP for a new position as a Foreign Service Facility Manager at the Department of State. While we are sad to see him leave, we are excited to see where this new adventure will take him. As curious people, we wanted to know what leads a person to take a job that might literally send him to Tim-buk-tu.
    Cameron has been around building operations as long as he can remember. Growing up, Cameron would go to work with his dad, a Property Manager at a suburban Philadelphia office park. Later he had part time and summer jobs installing roofs, maintaining buildings and even working as a one-man demolition crew. At Brigham Young University, he discovered a BS program in Facilities Management and knew that’s what he wanted to do. When he graduated he took a job with an engineering firm in Portland Maine called MACTEC. Working for MACTEC, Cameron was able to travel the country doing facility condition assessments and developing maintenance spending plans for clients. After short time in New Mexico working for Parsons on a nuclear construction project, Cameron got a job with GSA in Washington, DC.
    As Cameron was applying for jobs with GSA he also came across a posting for a Foreign Service Facility Manager with the State Department. Not being able to resist, Cameron applied. After an interview, security clearances, medical exams for himself and his family, Cameron was put on a waiting list and eventually forgot about the job. Then nearly two years later Cameron got an email out of the blue offering him a job. Cameron accepted the offer and then awaited the verdict as to where this new job would send him. Cameron viewed the opportunity as great way to further develop his career and have an adventure at the same time.
    At this point if you ask Cameron where he is going the only answer he gives is, “I don’t know.” Although a bit frustrating, the anticipation is also exciting. Not a day goes by when Cameron and his wife don’t speculate about where they might live, what schools their kids might go to and what fun adventures are to come. In preparation Cameron and his wife have surfed the web, skimmed through dozens of blogs, DVR’d every episode of House Hunters International and Living Abroad. While Cameron will be a great loss for GSA we are thrilled to see where opportunities in facilities management can take him even if that is Tim-buk-tu.