I actually enjoyed my job yesterday.

The BBQ Pit
1

This is an incoherent “bitch about your job” rant. You’ve been warned.

Yesterday I enjoyed my job for the first time in a while. Y’see, I was standing duty, so I decided I’d help out the guys in the galley. Spread around holiday cheer and all that. It was amazing. The people I was working with were happy to have me there. Unlike my normal workcenter, where they don’t seem to care one way or the other. The work was boring and monotonous, yet I find myself wishing I could spend the rest of my time in the Navy mess cranking. I wouldn’t have to worry about office politics or making my chiefs and first classes look good. Wouldn’t have to worry about someone calling me on the quarterdeck to bitch me out about saying “lit” instead of “lighted” over the 1MC (ship’s PA system for you civilian types). God, it’s pathetic that duty that used to be considered a punishment is more appealing than working in combat electronics division. Hell, it was refreshing to work for a chief that agrees when I said the CMC and CO were horrible, the same opinion that everyone else on the boat has. Oh yeah, if you even bring up the subject of morale, they tell you it’s not an issue. I can’t believe these people will be leading me into battle.

2

“Lighted” is the proper past tense form of “to light”? I always thought it was “lit.” Is it some sort of Navy thing?

3

EW? OS?

4

I’m an IC. I’ll admit, it’s not as politicized as working in CIC or on the bridge, but I still have to kiss a fair amount of ass.

Lit is the proper past tense. “Lighted” is traditional navy terminology. I guess the logic goes that since our forebears had poor grammar we should too.

5

They are dialectal variants.

6

Yikes… I read ‘deviant’ the first glance. :: whew :::

7

Naw, man, that’s only the bubbleheads.

::D&R::

8

According to [Webster’s, either “lit” or “lighted” is correct. The first time that I published a piece, I used “lit” and that was changed to “lighted” by the editor. That has stuck in my craw ever since.

It’s great to change duties sometimes on any job. Each situation has its good side and bad side. Is it possible that your good feelings had to do with the positive additude you took? (I’m not scolding!) Is there any way to get your duties changed?