As I write this, I’ve spent a few hours studying for the first “Celebration of Knowledge” (I swear, I wanna hurt the person at the Department training organization who came up with that particular euphemism) scheduled for tomorrow morning, and am hitting consistent 100% scores on the practice tests that some kind soul put up on quizlet to assist in studying. We’re all a little concerned, because unlike pretty much any other course in the workforce improvement/certification curriculum, the tests in this particular “capstone” program management course are closed book, and the instructors aren’t particularly open about where we ought to focus in terms of the huge volume of material.

Oh well, like most federal training courses, it seems as if it’s not too difficult; I’ll manage.

Yeah, as I’d mentioned previously, I’m on the road again, for a month-long training course for work; the final course I need for top level certification in program management in my particular area of the public sector. I’m at a certain federal facility in the “Free State” of Maryland, living in an extended-stay Hilton property for the entire month of August, more or less.

It’s not terribly exciting. It’s actually kind of exhausting, digesting all the material, and doing all kinds of group project work. Luckily, I have a pretty good team, who I get along with pretty well so far, and we seem to have metagamed the course enough to deliver the stuff they’re looking for. I’m kind of out of my depth; most of my classmates are way deeper into program management than I am; I’m just a cog in the machine of a program office, several levels down the org chart running my little corner of things supporting a business system – my classmates actually manage things (I think one of them is involved in the real-life program the “case study” fake program we use for the class is based on). Oh well, when I’m done, I’ll have another big certification that I can use to hopefully, maybe, open doors for me elsewhere.

Oh well, I’m kind of good at school.

I’ve been pretty frugal so far – I think I’ve spent a total of a day and a half of per diem money in the first week (there’s a grocery store around the corner, and my room has a kitchen); I’m planning on saving up most of my per diem and mileage reimbursement to pay off some bills (and maybe invest in a small portable P.A.). A whole month on the road is a lot of money, and I don’t need to eat fancy (not that there’s a lot here anyway).

I do have to make a trip Saturday – it’s the youngest’s birthday party on Saturday; I won’t miss that. It’s a bit of driving, but I’ll live. I don’t mind the wheel time, necessarily; I’m finally almost finished with the 30+ hour audiobook of Sanderson’s “Oathbringer”!

So far, though, I’m staying out of the home office grind; this is a vacation.

Anyway; here’s my study music:

1. “Ravens in the Library” – S.J. Tucker
2. “Scare Goat” – MC Frontalot
3. “Miranda’s Secret” – Valentine Wolfe
4. “The Ballad of Essie Tregowan” – Mikey Mason
5. “Dark Come Soon” – Tegan and Sara
6. “Come To Mama” – Lady Gaga
7. “Turn Around” – They Might Be Giants
8. “Grade Nine” – Barenaked Ladies
9. “Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?” – The Ramones
10. “Moms Away!” – Miracles of Modern Science
11. “Blame It On The Love Of Rock and & Roll” – Bon Jovi
12. “Keep Holding On” – Avril Lavigne
13. “Je Suis Rick Springfield” -Jonathan Coulton
14. “That’s All” Genesis
15. “You Can Be As Loud As The Hell You Want (When You’re Making Love)” – Avenue Q – Original Broadway Cast