I do try not to talk about work too too much here. Not because it is uninteresting, but there is a minor streak of paranoia I have that someone will find the blog and read too much into it. ...and oddly the persons I don't want to find it? My potential next employer.
No - I'm not looking for a new job, but I'm always thinking of the next move.
So last week I visited a client site - for the first time.
The lack of my personal on-site attention isn't due to my lack of caring, but the remoteness of the site. Few flights go into the town and the ones that do are at an exorbitant cost. There is a reason for this.
I could give you the name of the company - but then I'd have to kill you. Or you could try to figure it out - but then they'd have to kill you. Ok - maybe not that severe!
The location, secrecy and reason for the no visitation boils down to one thing - security issues. If you were creative and found their website, I can guarantee you'll be tracked back via your IP address almost immediately.
There is something a little disconcerting about a place where before you come, you are told that no cellphones, BlackBerrys, laptops, cameras or jump drives are allowed on the premises.
It only seems more (sur)real when you come over the hill to see the complex. Between the gate and the building lies 12-15 rows of coiled razor wire. That is if you can get over the gate which has three rows on top of the fence. Oh - in between those razor wire rows - men with machine guns.
Mind you - that fence has multiple posted signs that say:
Deadly Force
Authorized
Authorized
Of course to see said fence and those signs, you'd have to pass a security tower and about 200 cameras. Trust me, if you happen to readjust yourself - someone has seen it.
Once at the gate, I got put through the puff-scanner to detect explosives, then the x-ray machine for metal. Mind you the only things metal I had were anything on my pen, my belt buckle and glasses. Afterward, telling Denton this, he asked "did you tell them about the metal in your leg?". Holy Crap!!!! It never occurred to me. Ruckiry (not Jon's boss), it didn't set anything off.
After making my way into the grounds, I got a tutorial on what I was to (and not to) do and where I was to go if alarms sounded. Doesn't all of this sound reassuring.
That being said - I really enjoy the client and understand why things are the way they are there. Well - kind of. I mean, I know enough to not ask exactly what they do - not that anyone is actually going to tell me.
Just another day in the life of Blobby.
Song by: Rockwell (ok, I don't listen to him or own it, I just couldn't think of another title)
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