tech pubs babes reunite [sad content]

In 1994, I interviewed for and was offered, a job in an engineering organization. The company had been through some rough times, but was supposedly coming back. I got to hear how rough and how crazy the company was after I joined. I still tell unbelievable stories about the company to amuse other people who think my kind of work is all sweetness and light. While there, I also made a few lasting and important connections with people there, one of whom I still work with, and one of whom I hope to know for a long, long time.

During the boom times, the company had a rather large technical writing department, consisting of all women except for the manager. They called themselves TPB+P, or Tech Pubs Babes Plus Peter.

As a side note, when the layoffs happened, they let go of Peter and all the writers, but kept the editors because, as far as I could understand, they couldn't figure out what editors did, so held on to them just in case. Then, one day, they realized that there were no writers, opened up a position, hired me, and I foolishly accepted the job. Eventually, the company was sold, and I finally left, just before they laid off my entire group.

Somewhere in there, I was made an Honorary Babe. I've now worked with most of the other babes at that job (some came back and contracted) or at my subsequent job. I met Peter a few times at social gatherings.

Now things have shifted dramatically. Peter is currently "gravely ill," there's a web site set up just to help with visits, and Peter's one son has taken a leave of absence from his job to be with his mother and father for a while.

I spent several hours last night talking to my recently widowed friend, a former Babe, who has been talking to Peter's wife. She seems to want to be present and available during this critical time, while also not providing too much information before Peter's wife is ready to hear it. From what she reports, she's doing an amazing job of asking permission before saying or doing anything. She is like a gentle guide, a sparkling angel.

And the Babes are meeting the challenge. They're visiting, they're putting together a wall of pictures, and possibly a scrapbook. It is amazing to me that they've been scattered to the winds for more years than they were together, but in this time of need, they're showing up. Kudos to TPB. And probably more about Peter in subsequent posts.