I forgot to update...
Since late January '10, I've been working weekend nights doing domain security work, mostly MS Active Directory, for a huge company that has a bunch of people in the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Australia, etc. It pays better than any previous job, which is great in today's economy.
The
good thing is that there's no politics at night and enough work to keep things moving. The
bad part is it is
at night for 11-12 hours. I manage to stay awake, but it is difficult to stay healthy. I haven't ridden a bike since February and have gained weight while my fitness has disappeared completely.
As I move up in seniority, I'll have a shot at a day shift slot, hopefully before the end of 2010. Any longer and I'll start feeding on blood and avoid sunlight completely. :messedup:
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// Way back in my NASA days, I'd work nights, usually 1 or 2 months out of 3. Started in the Crew Systems Lab running and repairing old mainframes that collected test data. We ran bends prevention testing for astronauts preparing for EVA's (space walks). Since the spacesuit is pressurized at only 5 to 5.5 PSI, they counter the effects with a higher O2 level.
Also worked in the Space Environment Simulation Lab (7 story tall vacuum chamber),
and eventually in the Mission Control Center for several dozen missions. It was cool being part of all that, but it isn't as great a place to work as many might think.
No I wasn't a controller, but did support various equipment from old, clunky systems you'd laugh at to modern UNIX systems on a fiber optic network. I also got to support the Spaceflight Meteorology Group (Noaa/NWS). I love weather and meteorology.
