Chapter 9: House Rules, Delegation of Tasks

Doctor, it is time that we have a meeting of all residents of this house to establish some rules of behavior so let us gather in the dining room, where there is sufficient room for all. This includes the so called help, Claudia the cook and Yen the housekeeper of which I have the highest regard, respect and love. The Doctor, Claudia and Yen Have been the only mothers I have known over my life time and I demand that each of the residents shown them the highest respect.

Ladies, we have become very slovenly. From this day forward, each of you will clean your own room, change you linens and take them to the laundry room, where you will pick up clean replacements. This applies to me except when one or more of you pass the night in my bed, in which case you will be expected to help me to change the bed linens and towels.

We have treated Claudia as a short order cook. Meals will be served at specific times with breakfast at seven and other meals at specific times that can be agreed to meet our schedules. Meals will be served family style with the menu decided solely by Claudia. Upon completion of your meal, you will take your plates and utensils to the kitchen where scraps will be scraped into the garbage, and they will be rinsed and placed in the dishwasher.

Claudia and Yen please seek out and hire acceptable help that you can manage to carry out your former more onerous tasks. I want both of you around for a long time.

Each of you have had your own suite until now. It is time that you double up to provide space for others we may want to join us or activities we may choose to add. Doctor, with your permission, I wish to combine my room with the room previously occupied by the language instructors along with an enlarged bath and shower. The center point of that room will be a super king sized bed.

All of us have let efforts to maintain our physical conditioning slip. Beginning in the morning, I will start a five mile jog at six o'clock and hope to be back before breakfast at seven. Ladies, I expect each of you to join me for this jog and except under extenuating circumstances you will be rudely rousted out of bed if you are not up.

The Doctor spoke up to say, "You need to convince the General to join the jogging group. His stamina could certainly stand a lift." I could not help responding to her comment, "it sounds as if you have suffered a long dry spell as I have. You should join our hot tub group. The presence of a mature attractive lady such as you might tend to prime the pumps."

If there is anyone that considers these requirements unreasonable and feel that they do not wish to adhere, please speak up, as you would probably be happier elsewhere. I hope no one falls into that category as I love each and every one of you.

As the meeting broke up, I motioned the General aside and confidentially whispered to him that the Doctor's statement seemed to indicate that he might have a problem. If Viagra was not the solution then I understood that the services would provide an inflatable penile prosthesis which he might want to consider. Red faced he continued on his way.

My personal life has been stressful because I have tried to handle each problem in great detail. I do not plan to continue along that path but to delegate to the maximum extent possible. I will begin with my financial situation.

I started the day concerned that I may be overextending myself with no knowledge of the financial interests I ended up with in the projects I have developed. Therefor I sought out the expertise at hand. "Sha, please, I need your assistance, with your knowledge and skills in accounting and finance, to determine my financial status as of now. I have completely lost track of my personal assets, cash on hand and financial commitments". Sha responded, "Yes I will assist you but due to your lack of organization, it will take some time. I expect you to pay me for these efforts at a rate my skills warrant. Furthermore, I expect you to retain my service to keep you organized in the future. This will require that you provide appropriate documentation of all your future financial transaction. Of course, I will expect you to fully review such transaction with me before hand in order to achieve the maximum tax advantage for you".

Her diatribe continued while emphasizing that she would need a clerical staff, office space and information technology related equipment to accomplish this burdensome job. I told her she sounded as if we were already married and asked if she was ready to assume that role. Before she flounced out of the office, I mentioned that I brought up the acquisition of a larger office building with the General and suggested she get with him as to her space requirements.

Holding the thought of getting organized, I decided that an email would be appropriate to accept her suggestions. I drafted and sent an email addressed to Sharla, "Your professional recommendations are wholly accepted. Please add your retainer fee, whatever you determine it to be, along with the estimated costs of required clerical staff, furniture and equipment for your office to my financial commitments. When can I expect you to have the financial information available for review with me? Hope to see you in the hot tub tonight. Most Respectfully".

I then called the major, selected to head up the security force, to inform him that I had asked the range officer and the jump master to compile inventory and desired equipment lists. He sounded quite enthusiastic about the assigned undertaking and I again reminded him of the urgency of activating the security organization and that I wanted an estimated date for the availability of a ready strike force as soon as possible.

My telephone rang with an unknown caller ID, and though I am always reluctant to answer calls from an unknown source, I picked up the phone and answered the call. It turned out to be a conference call from IDEACO's head machinist and associated engineer reporting the estimated cost of the laser weapons package and an estimated completion date for the first one hundred units in ten day if they commenced today. I was pleasantly surprised at the low cost and rapidity of manufacture of the packages, so authorized their immediate manufacture. I asked the engineer to thoroughly investigate, select and order scopes with night vision capabilities for the weapons. I suggested that if they had not done so, please advise the General of the delivery date of the completed packages.

I was looking forward to the Chief of Staff's review of the capability of the weapons, which would give me an opportunity to brief him on our planned security force and quick strike team. I noted for reference during his visit, the need for and sources of foreign weapons along with other specialized equipment.