These are stressful days at the Company, and the Boss isn’t one to hide his emotions when he’s feeling overtaxed. In that way (and maybe only in that way), he’s a lot like me. When I have a bad day, I have to tell somebody. When he has a bad day, he has to tell me. It wasn’t in the job description when I was hired, but that was 23 years ago and we were all a lot younger then.

He’s actually mellowed over the years. I think I’ve gone the other direction, but I’m better at acting. That’s one thing I’ve learned from him, out of necessity — how to pretend that I’m having a good day when I’m not. How to pretend to him, at least. It’s a matter of self-preservation. I seem to be rambling, which only serves to prove that I don’t do that kind of dissembling here.

Anyway, our latest problem with the State of California might or might not have to do with the financial crisis and budget problems. We have a contract for a big job up in the mountains, and now that spring is here and the snow isn’t a factor, we were eager to get started on it, after waiting all winter. So when we were issued a Notice to Proceed by a state agency, we went to work right away.

Within a week, we’d been served with a Stop Notice by another state agency. So we had to get involved in mediation between the two agencies. We are the contractor and they are the government, but we seemed to be the ones generating the momentum on this public works project. There have been meetings and (as usual with the Boss) a flurry of letters.

Today the Boss told me that we’re going back to work on the project next week. I hope that means we’ll be allowed to finish it, and I really, truly hope it means we’ll get paid for it. Eventually. The State isn’t known for being quick to pay. In fact, it’s known for dragging its feet and putting up obstacles that delay payment. But it’s also known for paying all it owes us, sooner or later (and usually later).