The real 'just shoot me...'

Hmm... Before I was able to complete my first sentence while composing yesterday's blog, I got busy with a few things: phone call, e-mail, and CNN. I guess by the time I returned to my blog, I have totally forgotten the subject matter and just rambled on. So my apologies, for the title did not match up with the content. A practical first, I must say. In any case, here is the real 'just shoot me...' bla bla bla.

Imagine the excitement when my resource deployment manager told me about a longer term project in Chicago. No travel, and pretty much every week I will be working there. We started talking about it, and I asked her, "Where exactly in Chicago is it?" She didn't know, so she sent off a corporate instant message to a gal who is currently assigned there.

The response? Their corporate office is in Merrillville, Indiana. Gasp! But the location of the actual work is in Hammond. Huh? Hammond, Illinois is halfway between Chicago and St. Louis. Further clarification indicated that they are in Hammond, Indiana.

Wait a minute! That is not a local gig. Can they possibly deem it local? I would have to deal with the Dan Ryan Expressway construction, and my commute will be almost two hours each way. And I won't get meal allowances or mileage reimbursement because the client deemed it local (to Chicago). Just two trips out there will deplete a full tank of gas in my Hippo! And did I mention that it's in Indiana?

So yeah. I'd rather pass on that and travel instead of going on a 'local' gig which I will be losing money and my personal time. Hence the subject title of 'Just shoot me...'