Hi all - I'm OK. I was getting back from vacation on Monday so I was nowhere near Boston. Even if I had been at work, the office is nowhere near the finish line (though the old office was just a couple of blocks away). Anyway, I usually take Patriot's Day off to avoid the marathon / Sox home game double-whammy, but I may have to reconsider next year as a show of solidarity.

Hell of a thing to come home to. I had a fun vacation - I did a driving tour of Columbia, MD, Gettysburg, PA (or 10 miles north thereof), Saugerties, NY and Amherst, MA, staying with friends in each place. A LOT of driving, but so nice to catch up with folks in person.

My employ-ER or the place I work? Cause I noticed they replaced the vans at work, but I always thought those came through the GSA...

Bizarre.

Well, that's ridiculous.

You'd be surprised at how often that happens. Or maybe not. Your agency has done that to me more than once. It's so much fun, especially when it's coupled with requests for options/items that don't exist.

Frank, good to hear from you. Though I am a little perturbed--both Columbia MD and Gettysburg are "local" to me. We could have met up for a drink. There are a few local breweries we could have checked out. (Really not perturbed, but I couldn't resist....)

sara, the place you work. And the main subcontractor; sorry should have been clearer. Looking for a 15 pax van.

And the main subcontractor; sorry should have been clearer

Given the layers here, that is even open to interpretation...

Your agency has done that to me more than once

That doesn't surprise me. My old firm only rarely bid on projects here, because in addition to other issues, they pay their contractors fairly poorly.

Which reminds me: I need to find out what firms made the short list on our big new environmental contract, so I can send them my resume...

Waters are still rising. Students are talking about helping to sandbag.

Waters are still rising. Students are talking about helping to sandbag.

My boss's basement flooded. After his sump pump died.

If it looks like we're gonna get hit with lots more rain, I'm gonna try to leave early to avoid all the flooding.

Wow, lots of flooding in the Chicago area: [link] (pictures)

If you scroll down, you can see the big sinkhole with three cars in it.

Though I am a little perturbed--both Columbia MD and Gettysburg are "local" to me. We could have met up for a drink. There are a few local breweries we could have checked out. (Really not perturbed, but I couldn't resist....)

I was on a really tight schedule, especially w/r/t Columbia which was my longest leg of the trip (Salem to MD via New Haven/Garden State Parkway/95), so I basically got to have dinner with my friend and then to bed (he had to work the next day on top of everything).