I made the trek to Corbin VA NGS

I attended the OPUS Projects Manager training these past two days and learned a ton on stuff about OPUS and the new projects platform they will be releasing. I am now an OPUS projects manager...

A few thoughts about OPUS that I learned this week. First and foremost OPUS is a great software program, but even more than that, OPUS is a small group of people that manage all the information. They all have names and responsibilities, and they do their best to make things work FOR US! They are very involved with client satisfaction and end results. This is very refreshing to encounter with a small government agency, and all for FREE. (OK, well our taxes pay for it, but I feel it's money well spent for the service received.)

OPUS can and does get overtaxed and runs slow sometimes. We ran into that with our class when we all were submitting data at the same time. But, for me, the results came back quickly.

OPUS could easily stand for "Overworked People Under Stress"!

I would suggest that when you want to gripe, stop a moment and consider what a hand full of folks at NGS have accomplished and continue to accomplish on a daily basis.

On my way out I was surprised to find the Shrine of Stonewall Jackson. I had to make a stop in the rain and take a short stroll. This is the home that Jackson passed away in after being wounded. A bleak moment for the South in the War of Northern Aggression...(hopefully this doesn't make this post a P&R headache!)

I met up with Jerry Davis form this board. Jerry is a former U2 Pilot, TWA Pilot and has some great stories to tell. He brought us some photo's of his plane and one of him in the G-suit... Jerry still flies, a 1946 Cub, and a Cessna 150 as well as his sail plane! With his travels you too may run into him sometime!

John Hamilton, also from this board, was in attendance and had much to offer during the course, even though he was there as a "student" his knowledge helped me understand some finer points!

Oh yeah, since I was running early for my plane I stopped in the Marine Museum at Quantico. My son, Kris, the Marine, has recommended it several times and it was well worth the stop. They have real planes hanging from all the Marine Air Corps and really well done exhibits of each era of Marine involvement. The WW1 display was almost frightening! I had just finished a long book on WW! so the Belleau Woods area was very fresh in my mind. The museum is free, open 364 days a year, except leap year when its 365 days. It is right off the exit from Rte 95 and is very easy to get in and out in an hour!

Thanks NGS!

Don (the other Don, or you can call me foggy)