Despite completing all my Christmas shopping ONLINE and EARLY, I still somehow found myself at the shopping mall on December 26th.
I had a gift card for Sears and I was intending on using it and picking up either a new pair of jeans, new running shoes, or both.
My shoes were "new" back at my old job (From Hell!), which means I bought them in 2003. They have holes in the sides and just scream "old". Scream of a bad smell too, but I digress...
I have 2 pair of jeans left these days since I've put on all the weight I lost in the job From Hell. If I can shed a couple inches, I have 6 pair of jeans waiting for me. At the moment, I have one semi-faded (and fairly thin) pair of Nevada jeans and a pair of Levi's that got a bleach stain on the back of one knee and have worn through. Obviously, new jeans are needed ASAP!
I hit Sears and spent about 20 minutes trying on different styles of jeans before deciding on a fairly decent pair that are a bit on the darker side than I usually wear, but they have that semi-stylish greenish/fade thing happening too. They're not like my other jeans and that was their big redeeming factor, really. I still try to break out of my clothing rut every Christmas (when crappy sweaters usually prevail as gifts --why do people insist on buying sweaters with horizontal striping for me!?!?). Sears had virtually everything on sale after Christmas and I did look at several shirts before finally acknowledging anyone sized Small would have a grand old time, but anyone a little heftier was at a loss. I have to say 'virtually everything' because I discovered when I finally made it to a cashier that my jeans were most likely the only item in the store inventory NOT on sale. Alas, since it was going on a gift card (thanks Mom), I bought them anyway.
I next went to check out the shoes. I saw very little in the way of running shows for men, and those that I did see were surrounded by an East Indian family and I thought better of trying to nab a pair of shoes from the middle of the family... So, no new shoes yet!! That's okay, though, as it's Winter and my black shoes and winter boots will do for a while.
No post-Christmas sale time is complete without adding to the DVD collection. Why I let my wife in on this, I'll never know as she still has "favorite" movies I got her for special occasions that are still in their shrink wrap from years ago. I picked up just over a half-dozen movies this year:
1. The Matrix. I had the tape, but for $3.50 it was a deal, as were the two sequels (even though I couldn't stand the 3rd one)
2. The Matrix Reloaded... see above. Another $3.50 "bargoon."
3. The Matrix Revolutions. Purely to "complete the set". For $3.50 I'll do it.
4. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. Loved the movie and the books, for a steal at $5! Besides, I know a Newfie, so the captain always makes me giggle!
5. 9-to-5. I actually picked this up for my Dad either for Father's Day or his birthday. He loved this movie when it came out, so for $5 it makes a great (and cheap!) gift.
6. Star Trek: Nemesis. It was $5 and I know I saw it. I just can't remember a bloody thing about it!
I also happened upon a copy of Sarah McLachlan's 'Wintersong' album for $4 and snatched it up right quick! I love her singing. It's pure bonus that she sings 'The River' (I love Joni Mitchell's original) and even better is a duet (of sorts) with Diana Krall on 'Christmastime is Here.' I'll be enjoying that tomorrow while I take care of the kids for the day!
I'll also be prepping my final post for 2007 and getting ready to publish a little thing about Africa.... along with my new theme for '08.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The One With The Naked Aunt
I always say at work that policies don't exist until after one was needed. It was something I heard a lawyer say years ago and it always made sense to me. Sexual harassment policies came about after they were needed, reading personal emails at work wasn't a problem until it was...It appears now, that I need a new policy when dealing with my mother sending me emails. See, I already have one. If she ever sends me a message with 'FW' in the title, then it goes directly in the trash.
So imagine my surprise the other day when reading my email when I suddenly receive a naked picture of my aunt. It appears she's posed for a calendar, much like the film 'Calendar Girls' and my mother thought to share the picture with me.
And she can't figure out why I'd want some type of warning before opening an email like that!!
The One With The One Head Cold To Rule Them All
I'm pretty sure I've survived most of this year without my traditional head cold. Don't get me wrong, I've been perfectly happy with the occasional flu, or flu-like symptoms and "taking a day" for myself every once in a while.
I'm even more excited with my raise coming when it did, knowing that I now have 11 days off and it's PAID time off!
I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and a nose so stuffed up, it almost feels like somebody stuck some cucumbers up each nostril and I'm feeling a little pressure. I finally, finally get some quality time off and this happens!!
My wife's been working all day, so I've had to deal with the kids. They were sure to wake me up whenever I fell asleep and to constantly interrupt me if I was in the bathroom or trying to type something on the computer....
I'm pretty sure a couple gallons of disgusting liquid has run out of my nose. It feels like my forehead's being pushed through to the back of my head, and my eyes just want to close and not open for a long, long time.
And then there's Christmas around the corner....
I'm even more excited with my raise coming when it did, knowing that I now have 11 days off and it's PAID time off!
I woke up this morning with a pounding headache and a nose so stuffed up, it almost feels like somebody stuck some cucumbers up each nostril and I'm feeling a little pressure. I finally, finally get some quality time off and this happens!!
My wife's been working all day, so I've had to deal with the kids. They were sure to wake me up whenever I fell asleep and to constantly interrupt me if I was in the bathroom or trying to type something on the computer....
I'm pretty sure a couple gallons of disgusting liquid has run out of my nose. It feels like my forehead's being pushed through to the back of my head, and my eyes just want to close and not open for a long, long time.
And then there's Christmas around the corner....
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The One with the 7-10 Splits?
Between the little health-scare and continuing commuting stress... piled on top of people quitting left, right, and center without any acknowledgment of what my future in the department held, this past week I was about ready to walk into my boss' office and give notice. I have 2 quotes out for web design projects that almost equal 6 months' pay at my current job. And getting sick in a bad way wasn't doing much for my motivation.
So, I made it to my boss' office door when he asked me to join him in the cafeteria. He grabbed some papers and we made our way to sit down and discuss my lack of future with the company.
And then he handed me a new job offer. With a 20% raise. And loads of benefits.
I didn't sign it. Right away, anyway. I made him sweat for a day. And I do mean sweat! He actually was perspiring by the time we finished our little meeting. He knew then just how unhappy I was, but also how powerless he was in fixing the problems --for the most part. He fixed the communication issue right away, but commuting stress is all mine to deal with.
The reason I accepted the offer was the 20% pay increase. I still want out, sooner rather than later. If they're willing to pay me 20% more while I make my escape, then so be it. I'll take it!
So, is the end? Am I having some satisfaction around the office? No, not really.
Things stirred up the very next day. One of the guys I'd worked closely with over the Summer quit in September and moved to the company that was always at the top of my list when I was in school. But being the best company on my list also means it's virtually impossible to get in to a job there. You really need someone on the inside who will vouch for you.
Just like my former co-worker who started there in September!
The very next day after signing the offer sheet, I got a phone call informing me that he'd recommended me for a similar job at the better company. Better company also means better pay. Better company also means a longer commute... but it's better too!
See, where I'm working now, I have to get off the train before it hits the final station, then grab a bus to take me to the skytrain, before moving along that route to take yet another bus! This better company is at the end of the train route and the station also joins up with the skytrain station, which sends me on my way to within 2 blocks of my office in 10 minutes. So, while my morning commute start time doesn't change, I get to take the train on a longer, faster trip and not have to worry about missing connections to and from home!
That I get to sit by the hotties in Car 4 for an extra 30 minutes is just an added bonus. :)
For now, I'm still with the company I've been with since March. By mid-January, it could all change again.... and all for the better.
So, I made it to my boss' office door when he asked me to join him in the cafeteria. He grabbed some papers and we made our way to sit down and discuss my lack of future with the company.
And then he handed me a new job offer. With a 20% raise. And loads of benefits.
I didn't sign it. Right away, anyway. I made him sweat for a day. And I do mean sweat! He actually was perspiring by the time we finished our little meeting. He knew then just how unhappy I was, but also how powerless he was in fixing the problems --for the most part. He fixed the communication issue right away, but commuting stress is all mine to deal with.
The reason I accepted the offer was the 20% pay increase. I still want out, sooner rather than later. If they're willing to pay me 20% more while I make my escape, then so be it. I'll take it!
So, is the end? Am I having some satisfaction around the office? No, not really.
Things stirred up the very next day. One of the guys I'd worked closely with over the Summer quit in September and moved to the company that was always at the top of my list when I was in school. But being the best company on my list also means it's virtually impossible to get in to a job there. You really need someone on the inside who will vouch for you.
Just like my former co-worker who started there in September!
The very next day after signing the offer sheet, I got a phone call informing me that he'd recommended me for a similar job at the better company. Better company also means better pay. Better company also means a longer commute... but it's better too!
See, where I'm working now, I have to get off the train before it hits the final station, then grab a bus to take me to the skytrain, before moving along that route to take yet another bus! This better company is at the end of the train route and the station also joins up with the skytrain station, which sends me on my way to within 2 blocks of my office in 10 minutes. So, while my morning commute start time doesn't change, I get to take the train on a longer, faster trip and not have to worry about missing connections to and from home!
That I get to sit by the hotties in Car 4 for an extra 30 minutes is just an added bonus. :)
For now, I'm still with the company I've been with since March. By mid-January, it could all change again.... and all for the better.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
The One with the Idiot in Car 4.
[yep, 3 posts in one night! Gotta get them out of my system!!]
So, now that my morning commute is somewhat settled, I find myself sitting on Car 4 instead of Car 1 on the trip into work. After a couple close calls, I found it very important to hit the nearest car from the bus stop.
And this is where my inner idiot makes an appearance again.
Car 5 is actually the closest one to the bus stop, but it gets crowded as it's also the car that is central to every station along the route. I'm not a big fan of crowded cars, so I made my way to the next car. I recognized one man on the car from one Summer morning. This was the car where there was a high number of very social people. While most cars had 2-4 people who would sit in a section and talk about things, Car 4 has always had 6-10 people engage in a conversation. That's 2-3 sections of people discussing things. It's extremely odd, especially after sitting in Car 1 where barely anyone spoke at all!
Car 4 also has, the inner idiot discovered one group of women with an absolute hottie sitting among them. It was coincidence (honest!) that I'd sat in such a location that this girl's in my line of sight for my entire trip on the train. She's enjoyable to watch and over the past few weeks, we've talked a couple times and smiled on a regular frequency as well. On my scale, this girl was sitting pretty at an 8. It's cold outside, which means she's usually bundled up, so my '8' comes from face, smile, voice, and personality. I must say, the way she licks her yogurt spoon every morning helps a little too.
I'm such an idiot.
Whether things get worse or better from here really depends on whether or not you thought I was an idiot from reading the above information....
A couple times early on in my morning residency on Car 4, there was another woman who would occasionally sit in my section. I couldn't help but notice her at first. In fact, just going by looks alone, she was a 9.5. But that's only looks and there's so much more that needs to go into the "wow" factor for me.
But now, as the weeks roll by, she's sitting across from me on a daily basis. And that's when I started noticing the little things about her. She's got fantastic eyes. Very blue. She reads a lot. She looks good in glasses (and without glasses). She bites her lip while she reads. She can be funny when she feels like talking. She's just... wow. She makes the other hottie drop to an 8 just due to proximity.
She's helped my stress come down on my commuting.
Too bad I'm such an idiot.
So, now that my morning commute is somewhat settled, I find myself sitting on Car 4 instead of Car 1 on the trip into work. After a couple close calls, I found it very important to hit the nearest car from the bus stop.
And this is where my inner idiot makes an appearance again.
Car 5 is actually the closest one to the bus stop, but it gets crowded as it's also the car that is central to every station along the route. I'm not a big fan of crowded cars, so I made my way to the next car. I recognized one man on the car from one Summer morning. This was the car where there was a high number of very social people. While most cars had 2-4 people who would sit in a section and talk about things, Car 4 has always had 6-10 people engage in a conversation. That's 2-3 sections of people discussing things. It's extremely odd, especially after sitting in Car 1 where barely anyone spoke at all!
Car 4 also has, the inner idiot discovered one group of women with an absolute hottie sitting among them. It was coincidence (honest!) that I'd sat in such a location that this girl's in my line of sight for my entire trip on the train. She's enjoyable to watch and over the past few weeks, we've talked a couple times and smiled on a regular frequency as well. On my scale, this girl was sitting pretty at an 8. It's cold outside, which means she's usually bundled up, so my '8' comes from face, smile, voice, and personality. I must say, the way she licks her yogurt spoon every morning helps a little too.
I'm such an idiot.
Whether things get worse or better from here really depends on whether or not you thought I was an idiot from reading the above information....
A couple times early on in my morning residency on Car 4, there was another woman who would occasionally sit in my section. I couldn't help but notice her at first. In fact, just going by looks alone, she was a 9.5. But that's only looks and there's so much more that needs to go into the "wow" factor for me.
But now, as the weeks roll by, she's sitting across from me on a daily basis. And that's when I started noticing the little things about her. She's got fantastic eyes. Very blue. She reads a lot. She looks good in glasses (and without glasses). She bites her lip while she reads. She can be funny when she feels like talking. She's just... wow. She makes the other hottie drop to an 8 just due to proximity.
She's helped my stress come down on my commuting.
Too bad I'm such an idiot.
The One with the Parking Tickets
I'm on a roll tonight and have numerous stories to tell. No, 'Africa' is not being published quite yet, but if you can hold off until the new year, you're going to be entertained. It'll be a great way to kick off a new theme for a new year!
I hope.
I've mentioned that my morning commute has changed. I didn't explain why, though.
Months ago, one morning when I missed the train, I'd been fighting with the pay parking machine. I punched in my parking stall number, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. I'd put my money in, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. This one morning, though, the machine kept giving me my money back. The train leaves as I'm trying to pay for parking and I end up driving in.
So, the following Monday, I start the little "dance" again. Stall number, money in, money comes back out. Again and again. Fine, screw it, and run for the train! I worry all day about a parking ticket, but assume when I return to my car that the machine was broken, hence, no ticket. The same thing happens on the Tuesday. Only this time, there's a $25 parking ticket. I"m not happy about it and resolve on the Wednesday that I'll be parking down a side street where the parking's free. I just have to run to catch the train!
All's well and good for a few months parking along the side street. That is, until one day I come back to my car and discovered a parking ticket on the window. It seems at some point either that day or the day before, the city put up no parking signs along the street. Somehow, with my leaving town before the Sun rises and coming home after it sets, I missed the tiny little signs. Truth be told, I had noticed one day that there was a metal post in a spot where I didn't recall seeing one before, but thought maybe a speed limit sign had fallen off.
As if getting the ticket for the surprise no parking section wasn't bad enough, I also discovered that the city had deemed a 40-foot section of the street as a no parking zone. 40-feet! Not the whole street! 40-feet of parking in front of trees, weeds, and blackberry bushes!!
So here was another $25 ticket staring at me for parking in the dark in a 40-foot section of no parking bush and "somehow" I missed the response deadline, which fell only on business hours of the day the ticket was issued... what the?!?!?!
The relief came when I realized I could easily fight the ticket. See, never in my life have I owned a 'Chysler'. Nor have I known anyone else to own a 'Chysler' either. And if they were to argue that it should read Chrysler, I'll give that to them too. I don't own a Chrysler, either. I just happened to buy my Japanese car from a Chrysler dealership.
Putting aside the ticket, I also decided that parking even further away was too risky. I checked the bus routes and discovered that the bus that stops directly in front of the train station runs right down my street. Well, how convenient is that?
So, my morning commute went from: 'drive, train, bus, train, bus' to: 'bus, train, bus, train, bus.'
And I couldn't be happier.
I hope.
I've mentioned that my morning commute has changed. I didn't explain why, though.
Months ago, one morning when I missed the train, I'd been fighting with the pay parking machine. I punched in my parking stall number, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. I'd put my money in, just like I had everyday for 3 weeks. This one morning, though, the machine kept giving me my money back. The train leaves as I'm trying to pay for parking and I end up driving in.
So, the following Monday, I start the little "dance" again. Stall number, money in, money comes back out. Again and again. Fine, screw it, and run for the train! I worry all day about a parking ticket, but assume when I return to my car that the machine was broken, hence, no ticket. The same thing happens on the Tuesday. Only this time, there's a $25 parking ticket. I"m not happy about it and resolve on the Wednesday that I'll be parking down a side street where the parking's free. I just have to run to catch the train!
All's well and good for a few months parking along the side street. That is, until one day I come back to my car and discovered a parking ticket on the window. It seems at some point either that day or the day before, the city put up no parking signs along the street. Somehow, with my leaving town before the Sun rises and coming home after it sets, I missed the tiny little signs. Truth be told, I had noticed one day that there was a metal post in a spot where I didn't recall seeing one before, but thought maybe a speed limit sign had fallen off.
As if getting the ticket for the surprise no parking section wasn't bad enough, I also discovered that the city had deemed a 40-foot section of the street as a no parking zone. 40-feet! Not the whole street! 40-feet of parking in front of trees, weeds, and blackberry bushes!!
So here was another $25 ticket staring at me for parking in the dark in a 40-foot section of no parking bush and "somehow" I missed the response deadline, which fell only on business hours of the day the ticket was issued... what the?!?!?!
The relief came when I realized I could easily fight the ticket. See, never in my life have I owned a 'Chysler'. Nor have I known anyone else to own a 'Chysler' either. And if they were to argue that it should read Chrysler, I'll give that to them too. I don't own a Chrysler, either. I just happened to buy my Japanese car from a Chrysler dealership.
Putting aside the ticket, I also decided that parking even further away was too risky. I checked the bus routes and discovered that the bus that stops directly in front of the train station runs right down my street. Well, how convenient is that?
So, my morning commute went from: 'drive, train, bus, train, bus' to: 'bus, train, bus, train, bus.'
And I couldn't be happier.
The One With A Little Scare
To say things were getting a little stressful at work is putting it mildly.
After getting moved to my new team, my previous boss was fired after 10 years with the company and just wrapping a successful project. None of it made sense, especially when two of his underlings were promoted the same week due to the project's accomplishments.
I knew the company was going through a major restructuring and the timing hit the same week that a number of projects were wrapping. What that meant, was a huge personnel shuffle, and a whole lot of people shown the door.
But that wasn't the end of it. The new team I was put on saw several people quit and move to competitor companies at the same time a handful of us arrived. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was quickly going from the #12 guy to the #7 person.
As of this week, I'm #3.
So, a ton of responsibility is now on my shoulders. I'm expected to train the "new hires" in an area of specialization where my "work experience" counts for less than 40 hours. Gee, I'm no expert, but I guess I'll train them! A little stress, yes?
The weather has recently taken a turn for the worse as well. We've had a few snowy days, none of which result in copious amounts of the white stuff hanging around longer than 24 hours, but it's enough that my morning commute has had a few disruptions and the close calls to the train on the way home now happen occasionally in the morning too. There's no worse feeling than running to catch a train morning and night. I'm tired of running. Especially in my dressier shoes.
Since Daylight Savings, the evening commute has gotten progressively worse. Where before I could expect to get to the train station in about 15-20 minutes, it regularly hits the 25-30 minute mark. This means I have a 40-50 minute wait for the next train and with wet/snowy/cold weather, I'm seeking shelter in one of the closest fast food joints. So much for healthy eating!!
Spending money in said fast food joints also means that I'm trying to balance the spending by eating cheaper lunches (still brought from home) at work. Noodle soups have become a staple diet for my lunches, which with less friends around the office also means I'm eating at my desk rather than socializing in the cafeteria. I noticed one day that my noodle soup has an extremely high sodium count. Roughly 72% of my daily sodium intake occurs over a 30-minute period every day. I've never been one to put salt on anything, so I'm taking in a lot more sodium now than probably ever before in my life.
Stress at work.
Less friends around.
Commuter nightmares.
Fast food diet, punctuated by higher salt content.
A week ago, I woke suddenly at about 4 in the morning. My chest hurt and I couldn't get back to sleep. I dealt with it as I got ready for work. I felt the pain as I jumped on my morning train. I struggled on the bus to the office. And by 10am, my left should was sore. By Noon I was convinced the fingertips on my left hand were feeling a little numb.
24 hours in the hospital followed, but there's nothing wrong with me. My body may have been scaring me, especially after the way I've treated it in recent weeks.
I'm fine.
I think I'm fine.
But definitely got a little scared.
After getting moved to my new team, my previous boss was fired after 10 years with the company and just wrapping a successful project. None of it made sense, especially when two of his underlings were promoted the same week due to the project's accomplishments.
I knew the company was going through a major restructuring and the timing hit the same week that a number of projects were wrapping. What that meant, was a huge personnel shuffle, and a whole lot of people shown the door.
But that wasn't the end of it. The new team I was put on saw several people quit and move to competitor companies at the same time a handful of us arrived. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was quickly going from the #12 guy to the #7 person.
As of this week, I'm #3.
So, a ton of responsibility is now on my shoulders. I'm expected to train the "new hires" in an area of specialization where my "work experience" counts for less than 40 hours. Gee, I'm no expert, but I guess I'll train them! A little stress, yes?
The weather has recently taken a turn for the worse as well. We've had a few snowy days, none of which result in copious amounts of the white stuff hanging around longer than 24 hours, but it's enough that my morning commute has had a few disruptions and the close calls to the train on the way home now happen occasionally in the morning too. There's no worse feeling than running to catch a train morning and night. I'm tired of running. Especially in my dressier shoes.
Since Daylight Savings, the evening commute has gotten progressively worse. Where before I could expect to get to the train station in about 15-20 minutes, it regularly hits the 25-30 minute mark. This means I have a 40-50 minute wait for the next train and with wet/snowy/cold weather, I'm seeking shelter in one of the closest fast food joints. So much for healthy eating!!
Spending money in said fast food joints also means that I'm trying to balance the spending by eating cheaper lunches (still brought from home) at work. Noodle soups have become a staple diet for my lunches, which with less friends around the office also means I'm eating at my desk rather than socializing in the cafeteria. I noticed one day that my noodle soup has an extremely high sodium count. Roughly 72% of my daily sodium intake occurs over a 30-minute period every day. I've never been one to put salt on anything, so I'm taking in a lot more sodium now than probably ever before in my life.
Stress at work.
Less friends around.
Commuter nightmares.
Fast food diet, punctuated by higher salt content.
A week ago, I woke suddenly at about 4 in the morning. My chest hurt and I couldn't get back to sleep. I dealt with it as I got ready for work. I felt the pain as I jumped on my morning train. I struggled on the bus to the office. And by 10am, my left should was sore. By Noon I was convinced the fingertips on my left hand were feeling a little numb.
24 hours in the hospital followed, but there's nothing wrong with me. My body may have been scaring me, especially after the way I've treated it in recent weeks.
I'm fine.
I think I'm fine.
But definitely got a little scared.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
The One With Vocabulary
I swear I'm working on the Arfica post. I've written about 6 hours' worth of stuff, which most college classmates could tell you is impressive for me. I used to submit essays that I wrote in a couple hours. No, not all the marks were good, but damn I could write em up quick!!
Work is frustrating. I'm on my new team and hear snippets of rumors everyday about more layoffs, staff shuffles, and such. 90% of the people in my area are now gone. My friends have stuck around but have all moved to a different project and I don't share the same break schedule as them. I see them in the mornings by the Starbucks and that's about it.
I'm sad, lonely, and a little paranoid.
One of my bosses was around this week "discussing" future plans with several o the guys on the team. While I should've (I think) moved into my area of specialty on this team, they wanted me to branch out a bit. The problem is, now there's only one person with the same skillset as me and he's swamped with work. He's been given a ton of responsibility, as have others on the team that are of equal 'stature' to me. I've got nothing.
I mentioned a couple job prospects that turned into nothing. Dead air. Not happy about it. I also caught wind of another opportunity that pays nearly 3 times the money and is a whopping 2-minute commute. I can handle that. The person for me to contact pulled a Costanza-like move on me and after giving me the details, took off for a 3-week project in Africa. Africa! She pawned off the job prospect to her assistant, who then received 2 emails from me. When I finally saw her in person, she told me I needed to contact someone else. Why she couldn't reply in an email with that, but waited to see me in person 3 days later.... So, off to the next person. 2 more emails and no response. The 3-week project in Africa is almost done, so I'm hoping (beyond hope, I know) that there's still some chance there at the end of next week. Ugh.
Good fortune may be smiling on me anyway as I'm also expecting to hear good news about a $5000 offer to design a new website. Can I do it? Probably! Does 5-grand motivate me to do it? You bet!!
If only that paid all the bills...
The only big highlight over the past few days is the arrival of my new friend, 'My First Love', on Facebook. She's still got that look in her eyes that drives me crazy.
Oh, and the thing with the vocabulary? I've been writing everyday on the train. I'm impressing myself and one day I might share... just not on here. :)
Work is frustrating. I'm on my new team and hear snippets of rumors everyday about more layoffs, staff shuffles, and such. 90% of the people in my area are now gone. My friends have stuck around but have all moved to a different project and I don't share the same break schedule as them. I see them in the mornings by the Starbucks and that's about it.
I'm sad, lonely, and a little paranoid.
One of my bosses was around this week "discussing" future plans with several o the guys on the team. While I should've (I think) moved into my area of specialty on this team, they wanted me to branch out a bit. The problem is, now there's only one person with the same skillset as me and he's swamped with work. He's been given a ton of responsibility, as have others on the team that are of equal 'stature' to me. I've got nothing.
I mentioned a couple job prospects that turned into nothing. Dead air. Not happy about it. I also caught wind of another opportunity that pays nearly 3 times the money and is a whopping 2-minute commute. I can handle that. The person for me to contact pulled a Costanza-like move on me and after giving me the details, took off for a 3-week project in Africa. Africa! She pawned off the job prospect to her assistant, who then received 2 emails from me. When I finally saw her in person, she told me I needed to contact someone else. Why she couldn't reply in an email with that, but waited to see me in person 3 days later.... So, off to the next person. 2 more emails and no response. The 3-week project in Africa is almost done, so I'm hoping (beyond hope, I know) that there's still some chance there at the end of next week. Ugh.
Good fortune may be smiling on me anyway as I'm also expecting to hear good news about a $5000 offer to design a new website. Can I do it? Probably! Does 5-grand motivate me to do it? You bet!!
If only that paid all the bills...
The only big highlight over the past few days is the arrival of my new friend, 'My First Love', on Facebook. She's still got that look in her eyes that drives me crazy.
Oh, and the thing with the vocabulary? I've been writing everyday on the train. I'm impressing myself and one day I might share... just not on here. :)
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The One with the Renewed Job Hunt
I was wrong in the number of people let go in my department. It was 39, not 32 as I'd originally indicated. I also did a quick calculation and I worked just over 157 hours in 3 weeks. Ouch.
No, still not me in the purge. I've moved on to another team already. Actually, couple of funny stories I'll get out of the way before I get to the subject of this post.
Yep, I've joined my new department and come in as the #12 person on the ladder. Technically, I was supposed to be #10, but the others arrived while I was still on my last project, so they got an earlier start. No biggie, really. I had 3 days of training as my area of specialty was taken by the other 2, but learning more never hurt anyone and other companies are looking for the experience I'm getting. As odd as it sounds, on my first day on the new project, 2 of the main people had requested department transfers and they were granted. Suddenly, I'm the #10 guy. On the 2nd day, 2 more people were headhunted by another company and quit on the spot. Say hello to #8. Later that same day, another guy gave 2 weeks' notice and he'll be gone as of November 1. So, now I'm #7.... 4 of the 5 were in one area of specialty (the same specialization I have), and that will only leave 2 in that specialty in November. 2 of us are temporary people, so we're waiting breathlessly to see if the company takes the plunge and hires us on on a permanent basis. More on that later too....
Story #2 is one of the 11 remaining people from my last department. He finally decided to give his 2 weeks and flee for Australia. He's young, so apparently he can get away with it. Next Friday should've been his last day, but someone decided that was too long a wait and they didn't want him bitter by the end. So, when he came in on Friday morning, he was told it was his last day (because there's no way that would make him bitter!!). We all decided to go for lunch and say farewell. As we were walking out of the office, there was a bunch of people milling about who were "purged" from our department a week earlier. Turns out they were coming in for their last paycheck. Nope, they weren't mailed out. Their assumption was that everyone was let go on the Friday and it didn't occur to them that some of us might still be working. Needless to say, there were some sad faces in the group. Not that I actually saw any of it. I was completely oblivious to them being there.... :) They probably think I think I'm above them in stature and couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them.... Not on purpose, I say! hehe
So, why a renewed job hunt?
I'm tired. Very tired. I have very early mornings and kind of late nights and I'm not getting enough sleep. That, and my wages are extremely low and I'm watching the bills mount something fierce. I need a change and I need a raise. As much as I'd like to wait and see what happens at my current job.... I can't sit back and wait. I need to get out there and see what else comes up. One of the guys from my church has talked me up with his company. They clean up toxic soil prior to new construction projects beginning. It's a big company and my friend says his Christmas bonus last year was $25,000. No, I'm not expecting anything like that, but.... ! By the time I finish where I am right now... my "year-to-date" won't read anything that high!!
The same day he told me to apply, I saw an ad for another company doing the same type of work. That, and there's been a number of companies much more local (like a 15-minute commute instead of 2+ hours!!) that are looking for people. Chances are, the pay would be low for the ones closer to home, but closer to home means less paid for gas, less paid while I'm out, and a chance to start up the eBay stuff again.
Time will tell where I end up, but the motivation's at a high point right now....
And there's still hints about Africa coming at me...
No, still not me in the purge. I've moved on to another team already. Actually, couple of funny stories I'll get out of the way before I get to the subject of this post.
Yep, I've joined my new department and come in as the #12 person on the ladder. Technically, I was supposed to be #10, but the others arrived while I was still on my last project, so they got an earlier start. No biggie, really. I had 3 days of training as my area of specialty was taken by the other 2, but learning more never hurt anyone and other companies are looking for the experience I'm getting. As odd as it sounds, on my first day on the new project, 2 of the main people had requested department transfers and they were granted. Suddenly, I'm the #10 guy. On the 2nd day, 2 more people were headhunted by another company and quit on the spot. Say hello to #8. Later that same day, another guy gave 2 weeks' notice and he'll be gone as of November 1. So, now I'm #7.... 4 of the 5 were in one area of specialty (the same specialization I have), and that will only leave 2 in that specialty in November. 2 of us are temporary people, so we're waiting breathlessly to see if the company takes the plunge and hires us on on a permanent basis. More on that later too....
Story #2 is one of the 11 remaining people from my last department. He finally decided to give his 2 weeks and flee for Australia. He's young, so apparently he can get away with it. Next Friday should've been his last day, but someone decided that was too long a wait and they didn't want him bitter by the end. So, when he came in on Friday morning, he was told it was his last day (because there's no way that would make him bitter!!). We all decided to go for lunch and say farewell. As we were walking out of the office, there was a bunch of people milling about who were "purged" from our department a week earlier. Turns out they were coming in for their last paycheck. Nope, they weren't mailed out. Their assumption was that everyone was let go on the Friday and it didn't occur to them that some of us might still be working. Needless to say, there were some sad faces in the group. Not that I actually saw any of it. I was completely oblivious to them being there.... :) They probably think I think I'm above them in stature and couldn't be bothered to acknowledge them.... Not on purpose, I say! hehe
So, why a renewed job hunt?
I'm tired. Very tired. I have very early mornings and kind of late nights and I'm not getting enough sleep. That, and my wages are extremely low and I'm watching the bills mount something fierce. I need a change and I need a raise. As much as I'd like to wait and see what happens at my current job.... I can't sit back and wait. I need to get out there and see what else comes up. One of the guys from my church has talked me up with his company. They clean up toxic soil prior to new construction projects beginning. It's a big company and my friend says his Christmas bonus last year was $25,000. No, I'm not expecting anything like that, but.... ! By the time I finish where I am right now... my "year-to-date" won't read anything that high!!
The same day he told me to apply, I saw an ad for another company doing the same type of work. That, and there's been a number of companies much more local (like a 15-minute commute instead of 2+ hours!!) that are looking for people. Chances are, the pay would be low for the ones closer to home, but closer to home means less paid for gas, less paid while I'm out, and a chance to start up the eBay stuff again.
Time will tell where I end up, but the motivation's at a high point right now....
And there's still hints about Africa coming at me...
Sunday, October 14, 2007
The One With The Distant Heart
Another post with snippets of things going on in life. Hey, at least you know I'm alive, right?
Facebook: My friends totals jump in spurts these days and I've discovered a few old friends to add to the list. I do like sending messages and catching up with people. I've only added one of my best friends from my school days. I know 2 others for sure are on Facebook, but I can't be bothered to talk to them any more. One of them annoyed the crap out of me at our high school reunion to the point that all the things that made us drift apart in the first place resurfaced. The other one... we had a falling out in senior high and we've talked once or twice since.
I am friends with his ex-wife, though. She remembers initially meeting me at a lake about 2 years before I ever remember seeing her at anything. My best friend who annoyed me later in life was there the day she talks about, but I don't remember her at all. I haven't seen her in about 15 years. She admitted to having a crush on me back then, which makes me wonder what life could have been with her. No, none of it looks interesting. Another girl I used to hang with in the late 80s and early 90s also just admitted to having "a thing" for me back then. Odd.
Coincidentally, the girl I had a big crush on in senior year is friends with me as well. She's rated me as one of her top friends and says I'm the kindest, smartest, most punctual, most reliable... and most dateable. Hunh?!?!
Work: The big date with all the layoffs happened on Friday. Out of the 500 people hired for the busy season, 450 are now gone. I'm not. My office area went from 18 people to 6 and the team I was on went from 50 to 14. I'm also not sure just how long I'm going to last, but I've impressed enough people that I have some sort of staying power. That hasn't stopped me applying for other work. The commute is still killer when I have to drive. I had to do that a lot over the past 2 weeks and in the end I discovered I'd worked 107 hours in total. It's no wonder I'm tired.
Africa: I promise. Africa is going to be a lengthy post. Hopefully soon. Not today, though, and probably not for at least a week. It'll be big, long, and most likely heavy. That's why it's taking so long to post. It's that big.
Facebook: My friends totals jump in spurts these days and I've discovered a few old friends to add to the list. I do like sending messages and catching up with people. I've only added one of my best friends from my school days. I know 2 others for sure are on Facebook, but I can't be bothered to talk to them any more. One of them annoyed the crap out of me at our high school reunion to the point that all the things that made us drift apart in the first place resurfaced. The other one... we had a falling out in senior high and we've talked once or twice since.
I am friends with his ex-wife, though. She remembers initially meeting me at a lake about 2 years before I ever remember seeing her at anything. My best friend who annoyed me later in life was there the day she talks about, but I don't remember her at all. I haven't seen her in about 15 years. She admitted to having a crush on me back then, which makes me wonder what life could have been with her. No, none of it looks interesting. Another girl I used to hang with in the late 80s and early 90s also just admitted to having "a thing" for me back then. Odd.
Coincidentally, the girl I had a big crush on in senior year is friends with me as well. She's rated me as one of her top friends and says I'm the kindest, smartest, most punctual, most reliable... and most dateable. Hunh?!?!
Work: The big date with all the layoffs happened on Friday. Out of the 500 people hired for the busy season, 450 are now gone. I'm not. My office area went from 18 people to 6 and the team I was on went from 50 to 14. I'm also not sure just how long I'm going to last, but I've impressed enough people that I have some sort of staying power. That hasn't stopped me applying for other work. The commute is still killer when I have to drive. I had to do that a lot over the past 2 weeks and in the end I discovered I'd worked 107 hours in total. It's no wonder I'm tired.
Africa: I promise. Africa is going to be a lengthy post. Hopefully soon. Not today, though, and probably not for at least a week. It'll be big, long, and most likely heavy. That's why it's taking so long to post. It's that big.
Sunday, October 07, 2007
The One With Thanks
I said earlier that it's Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. I'm working all weekend, but so far it hasn't been too stressful.
Here's hoping it continues tomorrow!
There's quite a few things I'm thankful for, and some of them even follow-up on points brought up in my 700th post. Here's a list of things/people I'm thankful for:
Here's hoping it continues tomorrow!
There's quite a few things I'm thankful for, and some of them even follow-up on points brought up in my 700th post. Here's a list of things/people I'm thankful for:
- A job. It doesn't pay well and there's little to no credit for the work I do. But it's a job. And apparently, I'm "excellent" at it (my boss' word, not mine!).
- A train. It means a less stressful commute. I get to read and listen to music while making my way into the city. It's a little longer than driving most days, but also half the price.
- A plan. Africa may be in my future and I'm planning for it.
- A face. Facebook is addicting as anything, but I'm thankful for every face from my past who enters my life again. To think I didn't think I had any friends....
- A family. They've been supportive of my good decisions and bad decisions. Thankfully.
- A church. Don't roll your eyes. They support me too and a bunch of the men are coming to do some renovations to our house.
- A cash jar. I'm putting all my American money in a jar and holding onto it for a while. It's worth less than the Canadian dollar right now, but I know in 2008 it's going to climb again. And 2008 is not that far away!
- A blog. I still have thoughts that sometimes need somewhere to be expressed. So, thanks for reading.
The One With Breathing Room
I never really commented about "happenings" at work, but then, I've also tried avoiding the work subject a bit more over the past few months other than to say it's busy.
It's still busy. It's the Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, and I'll relate more in my next post. It's a three-fer" night for posts.
I've had some occasional difficulties with my security pass at work and it happened twice in the past couple weeks. Security has now informed me that my "final day" is October 22. It's more notice than most people get (5 business days seems to be the max for contracts coming to a sudden end). The odd thing was it also hit at the exact time I had 2 people on another team tell me they've been told I'm joining them at the end of the month. I'm not a big believer right now, so I'll breathe a little easier about that when/if I'm actually sitting in a chair there. If it's true, then out of the 500 people they hired this past spring, I'll be one of the final 40 still there. Right now, I'm in the final 100.
Imagine how I'd be doing if I thought it was a competition. I've always accepted this as a temporary job with little to no prospect in the future. My attitude has been to go in, do my job and get out. However, that seems to have impressed some people. Yay me?
While all this is happening, I've also had a friend tell me his company (3 blocks from where I am now) is in desperate need of people and they pay much, much more than I make right now. The application's already in. It's 9-5 job, which settles the train Vs. car debate. Train it is!!
So, a little bit of breathing room is always good.
It's still busy. It's the Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, and I'll relate more in my next post. It's a three-fer" night for posts.
I've had some occasional difficulties with my security pass at work and it happened twice in the past couple weeks. Security has now informed me that my "final day" is October 22. It's more notice than most people get (5 business days seems to be the max for contracts coming to a sudden end). The odd thing was it also hit at the exact time I had 2 people on another team tell me they've been told I'm joining them at the end of the month. I'm not a big believer right now, so I'll breathe a little easier about that when/if I'm actually sitting in a chair there. If it's true, then out of the 500 people they hired this past spring, I'll be one of the final 40 still there. Right now, I'm in the final 100.
Imagine how I'd be doing if I thought it was a competition. I've always accepted this as a temporary job with little to no prospect in the future. My attitude has been to go in, do my job and get out. However, that seems to have impressed some people. Yay me?
While all this is happening, I've also had a friend tell me his company (3 blocks from where I am now) is in desperate need of people and they pay much, much more than I make right now. The application's already in. It's 9-5 job, which settles the train Vs. car debate. Train it is!!
So, a little bit of breathing room is always good.
The One at 701
I just saw as I logged in that my last post was my 700th. Kind of appropriate that I spent it reflecting on items that had passed as well as looking to the future. I probably won't comment on reaching another "milestone post" until I hit #1000.
And I guess that's as big a promise as anything I've made about blogging in the past year.
And I guess that's as big a promise as anything I've made about blogging in the past year.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
The One With Words
Work's been keeping me busy and I honestly don't have much to write about. I have to get up even earlier these days as we're working earlier. Pretty soon, the train will be out too because I'll be starting early and ending late. Very late. I can expect a few nights where I don't come home.
So, a few minor items while they're in my head.
So, a few minor items while they're in my head.
- Signed up for a specialized account for a website that will publish my "work." Not only does it publish, but it's done through Amazon, so not exactly a minor distribution market.
- So, what does my "work" consist of? Well, for starters I've been jotting down notes for a bunch of short stories during my train commutes... I may have a single character tie them all together too.
- With the exception of a few people, nearly everyone I've listed in 'My Dramatis Personae' (look up the post, I'm too lazy) is now a friend on Facebook.
- One of them, 'Alberta' has really been on my mind lately. I feel she's going to change the world and I'm excited for her. She's in Africa right now... starting the change.
- Africa's been on my mind for nearly a year too. Some people from my church set up an orphanage and school there a few years ago and they've invited a number of people to come help. I've felt a few tugs drawing me in that direction, even if it is only for a few weeks. It'll be the ultimate far cry from 'My Year' back in 2004 when I was thinking only of myself. And, yes, the idea of visiting 'Alberta' there has crossed my mind. She'll be there 'til June and I may go as early as January. Maybe.
- Something I read in 'Alberta's' Facebook profile has really hit me too. It's just a saying, but I keep hearing her say it when I'm sleeping. No, nothing erotic or anything like that. More disconcerting than anything.
- No, still nothing happening on eBay. I'm too busy with work and that means no one gets their stuff in a timely fashion or through a delivery system I trust. Total back burner, but I have plans --again.
- A trip to Vegas may be in the cards very, very soon. My bro-in-law might be heading North again, this time working in Seattle. His wife insists on flying back, which means he needs people to drive cars from Nevada to Washington. We'll see.
- I'm trying to get my personal website up and running again. Apparently, I let the payments lapse for the hosting server and now I can't get a hold of the guy so I can pay him again.
- I'm tired. But I haven't gotten sick in a while. I'm paranoid about it, though. It'll happen soon enough, I'm sure.
- I finally gave up on my old cell phone and wanted to get a decent multifunctional cell for my next one. There are, essentially, 3 cell phone providers in our area to work with. I've been with one for 4 years and they sent me a notice that if I renewed for 3 years, they'd give me any phone currently priced at $99.99 on their 3-yr plan for half-price. That seemed worth it and they had a phone with most of the functions I wanted at that price. I ordered online and they delivered within a week... with a bill for $600+! It seems the phone I want is only for new subscribers.
- Which brings me to the latest thing that bothers me about phone/cell/internet companies. Their marketing geniuses reward new customers but essentially dump on existing ones. Why? Our ISP offers a free computer or a $400 credit with Dell if you sign up with them --but only for new customers. Our phone company offers $50 of monthly features free for 6 months if you sign with them. The cable company offers 3 free months of their premium cable package when you order the tier-3 package. No upgrades are accepted.
- The last customer loyalty "reward" I got from the cell phone company? A 2007 calendar. I order it in December and it hasn't arrived yet.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
The One About Parental Frustration
Ask me how I feel about my daughter's school or extracurricular activities and you're likely to get a growl at best.
My daughter had her first day in grade 2 last week and I was quite annoyed to discover she's in a split class of Gr. 1 & 2 kids. I don't like that. We've had issues before where she's struggled to advance because other kids were bringing down the teaching level in the class. Add to the mix the troublemaker girl from her class last year and there's going to be bad chemistry.
I'm confused, though. When I went to school and was in a split class (Gr. 2-3 split), it was because there were a number of extra Grade 3 kids and and a number of extra Grade 2 kids. Neither group was enough to justify 2 teachers for 2 classes, so they merged into one room. At my daughter's school, there's 4 classes of Grade 2 kids. All are split. 3 are with younger kids and one with older kids.
My daughter's best friend is in with the older kids and she was already reading at an advanced level like my daughter. She's got a great opportunity to learn more with the older kids, as opposed to my daughter who got to spend a day this week learning the alphabet....
Enter the grumpy father. My daughter's home reading was at too low a level, so I let the teacher know. A book about rhymes (bat, cat, dog, bog, etc.) is too low. My daughter's reading for the weekend is a Junie B. Jones book. Much better.
As I deal with my daughter's school life and the breaks her best friend gets, it reminds me of their ballet school. 2 years ago, when they had their year-end dance exams, both girls had chicken pox and had to cancel. I found out about 2 months later that they offered a new exam date to my daughter's friend, but never said anything to us. So, my daughter continued with a new class, but not at the same level as her friend. Then we discovered that they invited all the younger girls (age 3-5) to join my daughter's class. Essentially, she learned nothing all year as the dance instructors spent the classtime chasing around toddlers.
So, my daughter's now in her 3rd year of ballet. I found out this week that another friend of hers will be in the same class. This girl's never taken a ballet class before. I detect a repeat of last year...
Enter the grumpy father. I'm going to the first ballet class and have already warned the dance school that I'll pull my daughter from their program if this goes the same way as last year.
My daughter had her first day in grade 2 last week and I was quite annoyed to discover she's in a split class of Gr. 1 & 2 kids. I don't like that. We've had issues before where she's struggled to advance because other kids were bringing down the teaching level in the class. Add to the mix the troublemaker girl from her class last year and there's going to be bad chemistry.
I'm confused, though. When I went to school and was in a split class (Gr. 2-3 split), it was because there were a number of extra Grade 3 kids and and a number of extra Grade 2 kids. Neither group was enough to justify 2 teachers for 2 classes, so they merged into one room. At my daughter's school, there's 4 classes of Grade 2 kids. All are split. 3 are with younger kids and one with older kids.
My daughter's best friend is in with the older kids and she was already reading at an advanced level like my daughter. She's got a great opportunity to learn more with the older kids, as opposed to my daughter who got to spend a day this week learning the alphabet....
Enter the grumpy father. My daughter's home reading was at too low a level, so I let the teacher know. A book about rhymes (bat, cat, dog, bog, etc.) is too low. My daughter's reading for the weekend is a Junie B. Jones book. Much better.
As I deal with my daughter's school life and the breaks her best friend gets, it reminds me of their ballet school. 2 years ago, when they had their year-end dance exams, both girls had chicken pox and had to cancel. I found out about 2 months later that they offered a new exam date to my daughter's friend, but never said anything to us. So, my daughter continued with a new class, but not at the same level as her friend. Then we discovered that they invited all the younger girls (age 3-5) to join my daughter's class. Essentially, she learned nothing all year as the dance instructors spent the classtime chasing around toddlers.
So, my daughter's now in her 3rd year of ballet. I found out this week that another friend of hers will be in the same class. This girl's never taken a ballet class before. I detect a repeat of last year...
Enter the grumpy father. I'm going to the first ballet class and have already warned the dance school that I'll pull my daughter from their program if this goes the same way as last year.
The One with the Neverending Expiry Date
I leave for work around 6:30am every day. 9 days out of 10, I take the train. That means on a good day I'm home before 7pm. On a bad day, which is usually the case, it's closer to 8pm. So, my day away from home is 12-13 hours. I'm tired when I get home. And chances are, I haven't had dinner yet and the clock's close to 8.
So, if you're wondering why there's so few posts these days... reread the first paragraph.
Work's been busy. When it comes the data entry aspect of it, we have a daily quota we're supposed to hit. I'm in a specialized area and I think I've hit the departmental quota once. I told my boss and his only response was "Cool." The less issues in my area of expertise, the better off things are. Fortunately, I have an experienced team of specialists who review my work and they've reported how good a job I'm doing.
So, not surprisingly, my contract has been extended indefinitely. While that's all and good, I'm still holding out hope that some miracle occurs and I can get a job much closer to home. Yes, it means I'm basically giving up on the career path I went to school for, but the money's not much at the end of the day and the debt continues to grow.
Friends I started with (and went to school with before that) are now starting to leave. One had his last day today and is making a move north to work in the oilfields. He figures he could do that for a few years and pay down his student loan debt. Another one's taken a job that actually pays less(!), but has potential for advancement. We really don't have that where we are right now.
So, I"m looking to move on and at least have some level of stability while I look elsewhere. The question is, where will I end up and when?
So, if you're wondering why there's so few posts these days... reread the first paragraph.
Work's been busy. When it comes the data entry aspect of it, we have a daily quota we're supposed to hit. I'm in a specialized area and I think I've hit the departmental quota once. I told my boss and his only response was "Cool." The less issues in my area of expertise, the better off things are. Fortunately, I have an experienced team of specialists who review my work and they've reported how good a job I'm doing.
So, not surprisingly, my contract has been extended indefinitely. While that's all and good, I'm still holding out hope that some miracle occurs and I can get a job much closer to home. Yes, it means I'm basically giving up on the career path I went to school for, but the money's not much at the end of the day and the debt continues to grow.
Friends I started with (and went to school with before that) are now starting to leave. One had his last day today and is making a move north to work in the oilfields. He figures he could do that for a few years and pay down his student loan debt. Another one's taken a job that actually pays less(!), but has potential for advancement. We really don't have that where we are right now.
So, I"m looking to move on and at least have some level of stability while I look elsewhere. The question is, where will I end up and when?
Friday, August 24, 2007
The One With the Chicken
I honestly thought I'd write this either very soon (same night) after the last post or at most, the next day. Meanwhile, 18 days later....
My wife applied for a job at my old office (From Hell!) in July. She's done the job, essentially, for a few years already on an on-call basis, but finally decided when the opportunity arose, to apply for a full-time position. Good pay, good benefits... paid holidays. Who can complain? That, and she figured after doing the job for so long that she's a natural shoe-in for the position.
And that's when the ol' gears started turning and some From Hell flashbacks occurred.
See, at the office From Hell, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and even flies like a duck. Well, around there they call that a chicken.
As the days passed after she applied, my wife received more news:
See, although my wife has worked in that specific position for years, teaches the skills in adult education classes 7 weekends a year, and has over 15 years experience in similar positions, she didn't have the right "qualifications" for the job. It's an entry-level job and one of the new-hires had no experience.
Although my wife was informed, in writing, that she was an internal candidate (and that following the union rules, internal candidates take precedence over external ones), it turns out she was given the wrong information by both the HR and Union reps. Good job, people!
Although I had 2 (very much former) friends on the hiring committee, they felt that 2 other candidates were better suited for the job --than 2 people who have worked there for over 5 years. Yep, see, it wasn't just my wife who didn't get hired, her on-call co-worker didn't either.
I've encouraged my wife that it is, indeed, the office From Hell nd that no good will ever come from continuing to work there. As crazy as life is on the "outside" she can be assured that if she sees something that looks, quacks, and flies.... no one will think she's crazy for saying "duck."
My wife applied for a job at my old office (From Hell!) in July. She's done the job, essentially, for a few years already on an on-call basis, but finally decided when the opportunity arose, to apply for a full-time position. Good pay, good benefits... paid holidays. Who can complain? That, and she figured after doing the job for so long that she's a natural shoe-in for the position.
And that's when the ol' gears started turning and some From Hell flashbacks occurred.
See, at the office From Hell, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and even flies like a duck. Well, around there they call that a chicken.
As the days passed after she applied, my wife received more news:
- There were actually 2 open positions, so she had double the chance of landing the job (looks like a duck).
- 2 former co-worker/friends of mine were on the hiring committee (quacks like a duck).
- My wife, having worked in the union environment for years had earned enough hours of seniority to become an internal candidate, and the only internal candidate being interviewed (flies like a duck).
See, although my wife has worked in that specific position for years, teaches the skills in adult education classes 7 weekends a year, and has over 15 years experience in similar positions, she didn't have the right "qualifications" for the job. It's an entry-level job and one of the new-hires had no experience.
Although my wife was informed, in writing, that she was an internal candidate (and that following the union rules, internal candidates take precedence over external ones), it turns out she was given the wrong information by both the HR and Union reps. Good job, people!
Although I had 2 (very much former) friends on the hiring committee, they felt that 2 other candidates were better suited for the job --than 2 people who have worked there for over 5 years. Yep, see, it wasn't just my wife who didn't get hired, her on-call co-worker didn't either.
I've encouraged my wife that it is, indeed, the office From Hell nd that no good will ever come from continuing to work there. As crazy as life is on the "outside" she can be assured that if she sees something that looks, quacks, and flies.... no one will think she's crazy for saying "duck."
Monday, August 06, 2007
The One with the Human Puddle
While I'm usually taking the train to work, on Friday I drove in "just in case" there was anything extra to do after work and before tackling the commute back home. The morning drive was quick, very quick, and within an hour of leaving home I was at the security gates. Only my keypass wasn't working. I called security and they buzzed me in so I could park my car. My ID pass worked fine on the doors, so I made sure to stop by the security kiosk before heading to my desk --thinking the battery must be kaput on the keypass.
The security guy confirmed it was actually ME trying to use the pass (always good to be vigilant) and scanned my keypass only to give me some startling news.
My contract expired in July.
This news nearly floored me. Not only was I facing sudden unemployment, but I was also looking at giving the company an entire week's worth of work for FREE. That, and thinking immediately of the irony that earlier in the week we'd had a huger meeting with 200+ people where virtually everyone was told things are "winding down." What that means is they're counting down the days --weeks-- until they close the doors on us for good (or for at least a year). It's the nature of the biz and something we all expect sooner or later. "Later" sounded pretty good to me as later that day I was given my production schedule through to October. So, while others were counting the days, I was looking at the months.
Sweet! At least until I got the shock from security.
To make matters even more confusing, my ID pass was definitely still functional, so the security guard suggested I go to work (another free day!?!!?) and they'd get it sorted out.
So, off to my office I went. I got a draft "goodbye" email ready, packed up my personal belongings and got ready to work and to inform my boss of the bad news....
Off on a tangent... years ago I learned some quick lessons in reading body language and with that came reading facial expressions. I now know when people could care less about talking with me (makes job interviews shorter), when people are distracted by something else, or even when they really want to be. I also know when the pressure's becoming just a little too much. So, meet my current boss.
I walked up to him and informed him of the bad news. There's a dynamic duo working on this project and my partner somehow scheduled the entire month of August off (and they expect him back in September, which really confused most of us). So for the month, I'm expected to cover the tasks we both usually do. And now I'm giving my boss the bad news: "Apparently, I"m done." If you've never seen a human being suddenly turn into a puddle, you're missing out. He just collapsed.
And then he got to work.
The emails and phone calls went out in a flurry of frustration and panic. What do we need to do to keep him on? Is he really going? Is he getting paid!?!? What the hell is going on!?!?!?!!?! And then the emails started coming in from other departments I've been in contact with: "Don't let him go." "He's one of the best ones we have here." "Give him a better contract if necessary!" Awesome comments from all over a huge, huge company.
By the end of the day, everything was sorted out. It was a simple clerical error that may have gone unnoticed as long as I continued taking the train instead of driving. But now, I"m still working and working until at least October.
And maybe beyond? Hard to tell, to be honest. I'll just take it one day at a time and enjoy the accolades I got last week.
That, and remind myself how my boss became a human puddle.
NEXT POST: How my good day was my wife's bad day --and my dilemma in dealing with it.
The security guy confirmed it was actually ME trying to use the pass (always good to be vigilant) and scanned my keypass only to give me some startling news.
My contract expired in July.
This news nearly floored me. Not only was I facing sudden unemployment, but I was also looking at giving the company an entire week's worth of work for FREE. That, and thinking immediately of the irony that earlier in the week we'd had a huger meeting with 200+ people where virtually everyone was told things are "winding down." What that means is they're counting down the days --weeks-- until they close the doors on us for good (or for at least a year). It's the nature of the biz and something we all expect sooner or later. "Later" sounded pretty good to me as later that day I was given my production schedule through to October. So, while others were counting the days, I was looking at the months.
Sweet! At least until I got the shock from security.
To make matters even more confusing, my ID pass was definitely still functional, so the security guard suggested I go to work (another free day!?!!?) and they'd get it sorted out.
So, off to my office I went. I got a draft "goodbye" email ready, packed up my personal belongings and got ready to work and to inform my boss of the bad news....
Off on a tangent... years ago I learned some quick lessons in reading body language and with that came reading facial expressions. I now know when people could care less about talking with me (makes job interviews shorter), when people are distracted by something else, or even when they really want to be. I also know when the pressure's becoming just a little too much. So, meet my current boss.
I walked up to him and informed him of the bad news. There's a dynamic duo working on this project and my partner somehow scheduled the entire month of August off (and they expect him back in September, which really confused most of us). So for the month, I'm expected to cover the tasks we both usually do. And now I'm giving my boss the bad news: "Apparently, I"m done." If you've never seen a human being suddenly turn into a puddle, you're missing out. He just collapsed.
And then he got to work.
The emails and phone calls went out in a flurry of frustration and panic. What do we need to do to keep him on? Is he really going? Is he getting paid!?!? What the hell is going on!?!?!?!!?! And then the emails started coming in from other departments I've been in contact with: "Don't let him go." "He's one of the best ones we have here." "Give him a better contract if necessary!" Awesome comments from all over a huge, huge company.
By the end of the day, everything was sorted out. It was a simple clerical error that may have gone unnoticed as long as I continued taking the train instead of driving. But now, I"m still working and working until at least October.
And maybe beyond? Hard to tell, to be honest. I'll just take it one day at a time and enjoy the accolades I got last week.
That, and remind myself how my boss became a human puddle.
NEXT POST: How my good day was my wife's bad day --and my dilemma in dealing with it.
Monday, July 30, 2007
The One with a Headache
I started the last post with a comment about not posting for three weeks... and now I've beaten that record. Woot, 22 days between posts!
I think, anyway.
The one really good thing about not posting on an almost-daily basis is that things pile up and I have stuff to say.
Like this:
I think, anyway.
The one really good thing about not posting on an almost-daily basis is that things pile up and I have stuff to say.
Like this:
- Last week was a very bad week for me. Sick on Monday, almost fired on Tuesday (I made a major mistake and one of my friends totally saved my bacon!), and because of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were total gong shows as everyone was paranoid around the office. Friday was Friday only I was told by my boss to expect overtime soon... because a co-worker hadn't done enough work. Wha!?!
- I didn't get fired, but 3 people on my team did. Not sure the rationale behind it, but one I don't have a clue what he looked like and the other two I would've helped escort out. :) Nothing lost, really.
- My fairly uneventful birthday came and went. I went and saw a movie all by myself and got almost half the people in the theatre kicked out. It was an afternoon matinee and there were 8 of us. 3 people sat directly behind me and wouldn't shutup. They were soon gone.
- The movie wasn't great. I don't think I'll ever enjoy a movie again as there's always something now that annoys me.
- Sorry, it was Transformers.
- Best birthday presents in years. A number of cool books by authors I like, movie tickets, clothes, and cash. What more could I ask for? Well, people to stop saying I'm difficult to buy for!!
- The reunion happened on Saturday night and I was at home for my birthday. I've seen 150+ pictures on Facebook from the event, which was attended by 70+ people. I knew 7 or 8 of them. I would've been bored silly.
- I have even more friends on Facebook and am meeting up with some for coffee and chats. I have all but 2 of 'My Kids' as friends. I miss 'em.
- My wife's up for a decent job at the old office From Hell. It's a job I've never done before, but the hiring process is giving me a headache as similar themes are occurring for her that happened to me once upon a time.
- Back to Facebook (it is crack). I've caught up with friends far and wide and have discovered some freaky-ass connections. Such as:
**One of my college friends was close friends in high school with a girl I... was with. We didn't really date exclusively, but mainly just slept around (I'm such a whore) when she was dating a friend of mine.
**A girl I knew in the 5th Grade is best friends with a guy who works with my old college roommate.
**She helped me figure out what happened to my first girlfriend. - OK, I have 5 friends who are technically "ex's". There's also a couple that I had major crushes on. One, from my high school grad class, to this day and who found me on there. She's still hot --and twice divorced.
- Another friend from high school may be hooking me up with a better job --and soon. I'll say more when/if I can.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
The One With Little To Say
3 weeks between posts pretty much wraps up what I have to say.... nothing much at all.
I am tired, that's for sure. The past 3 weeks have averaged about 70 hours' work. It's been a long haul, but the first project is essentially done and I've moved on to a second one already. This project's a bit bigger and with it comes more responsibility. I have a couple guys answering to me, so I have to make sure they're keeping on track. It's also about three times the size of the previous group I was with and there's been a few people fired already too. There was one guy around my age who was fired this week for doing something really stupid... something that should be common knowledge not to do, but he did it anyway and paid the price. Very stupid person. The office is actually filled with a number of idiots like that, though, and they're fairly easy to spot. If they're younger, then they usually have their pants below their ass and if they're older, they think ratty t-shirts are "work casual."
Idiots.
The reunion thing his a snag and was re-scheduled to my birthday. I've never been one for socializing with too many people on my birthday anyway, so the idea of meeting up with a number of people who may or may not have been part of my past doesn't enthuse me. Apparently, there was 40+ people on Facebook planning on attending and another 100+ not online who sent an RSVP as well. Then someone went and announced it was back on the original date, and at a new location. Typical. Then the original host announced that they knew nothing of the new time/location and that the reunion was still going as scheduled. Even more typical. I had major flashbacks to the crap I faced with these people in the early 90s and promptly left the group (in '94 and in 2007!). Enough. I emailed the people I'd like to catch up with and left it at that. Good enough for me.
Work's been busy enough that I've had no time to work on any other projects. EBay is unofficially out of the picture until I can figure out some schedule for mailing stuff. I desperately needed to get some items out a few weeks ago and wasn't able to do it until last week. EBay buyers have never been a patient bunch (I've gotten emails within 24 hours of receiving payment asking why their stuff hasn't arrived), so delaying things doesn't help.
I can't think of anything else right now, so this post's come to an end.
I am tired, that's for sure. The past 3 weeks have averaged about 70 hours' work. It's been a long haul, but the first project is essentially done and I've moved on to a second one already. This project's a bit bigger and with it comes more responsibility. I have a couple guys answering to me, so I have to make sure they're keeping on track. It's also about three times the size of the previous group I was with and there's been a few people fired already too. There was one guy around my age who was fired this week for doing something really stupid... something that should be common knowledge not to do, but he did it anyway and paid the price. Very stupid person. The office is actually filled with a number of idiots like that, though, and they're fairly easy to spot. If they're younger, then they usually have their pants below their ass and if they're older, they think ratty t-shirts are "work casual."
Idiots.
The reunion thing his a snag and was re-scheduled to my birthday. I've never been one for socializing with too many people on my birthday anyway, so the idea of meeting up with a number of people who may or may not have been part of my past doesn't enthuse me. Apparently, there was 40+ people on Facebook planning on attending and another 100+ not online who sent an RSVP as well. Then someone went and announced it was back on the original date, and at a new location. Typical. Then the original host announced that they knew nothing of the new time/location and that the reunion was still going as scheduled. Even more typical. I had major flashbacks to the crap I faced with these people in the early 90s and promptly left the group (in '94 and in 2007!). Enough. I emailed the people I'd like to catch up with and left it at that. Good enough for me.
Work's been busy enough that I've had no time to work on any other projects. EBay is unofficially out of the picture until I can figure out some schedule for mailing stuff. I desperately needed to get some items out a few weeks ago and wasn't able to do it until last week. EBay buyers have never been a patient bunch (I've gotten emails within 24 hours of receiving payment asking why their stuff hasn't arrived), so delaying things doesn't help.
I can't think of anything else right now, so this post's come to an end.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
The One About the Sweet Sixteens
So, the July reunion ended up having a "pre-reunion" this week as one of the people, an ex-girlfriend of mine (well, we dated once) had her birthday this weekend. So, a bunch of us got together and started the reunion early.
Seriously, if the creator of Facebook suddenly jumps up and says, "Hey, it was all a sociological experiment to see if people could socialize over the internet and then expand into meeting in-person," then I'm glad they made the attempt. But, to the "preunion"...
I made a couple of discoveries along the way:
I just have to remind myself to lay off the drugs beforehand.
Seriously, if the creator of Facebook suddenly jumps up and says, "Hey, it was all a sociological experiment to see if people could socialize over the internet and then expand into meeting in-person," then I'm glad they made the attempt. But, to the "preunion"...
I made a couple of discoveries along the way:
- It's been 16 years... since I'd dated the birthday girl. And she was celebrating her 32nd birthday this time around. I realized the last time I'd gotten her a birthday card was for her 16th, so it was appropriate to see her for her 32nd --and that I can't wait to celebrate her 48th.
- I'm not a mean drunk, I'm an honest drunk. While it was interesting and somewhat exciting to get together with people I hadn't seen in over a decade, I discovered that a few too many drinks can make this guy a little too honest.... Hence, telling one guy I thought he was gay (he was hitting every bell on my gaydar!). Telling one girl she'd definitely gotten bigger since I last saw her. And, of course, the doozy. Meeting this one guy who had dated the birthday girl for over 2 years, only to be dumped for me.... who went out with her for about 6 hours. Yeah, I told him. I've never seen someone's face go that way before.
- Alcohol + antihistamines = whoopsie! I've been hit with allergies over the past week+, but it never occurred to me to NOT take some allergy pills before going out and having a few drinkies. Around the 6th drink, I noticed a funny buzzing in my ear. Someone said it must be a sparkly blue fairy, but I could only recall a green pixie. Which made me think of this:
- Sometimes you can't go back again --even if you would. 16 years since I've last seen her. Smoking is a definite turn-off and we don't have much in common.... I'd still do her. ;)
I just have to remind myself to lay off the drugs beforehand.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
The One About Transitions
Between work keeping me away from any 'net presence from 6am - 8pm 5 days a week and only so many hours to breathe on weekends, my blog writing has nearly vanished. So has my reading, so if you've noticed a lack of comments on your posts, that's why.
This week I worked 6 days as our project is supposed to wrap-up this coming Friday, the 15th and there's always a lot to do at the end of the production.
But with the end looming, I was starting to get a little concerned as to where I was going next. Fortunately, there's nothing to fear because I was informed yesterday that another team pushing for an early September finish has asked my boss about getting me onto the project ASAP. No problem there. I still wish the pay was better.
I've been taking the train almost exclusively since the beginning of May and I'm very happy I made the switch. It's just over $150 a month to "train it" and my ticket is good for all types of transit around the city. So, no extra "cha-ching" paid out to buses or the LRT system. Timing is a big thing and I experimented with a different bus route in the morning. It takes a longer route but leaves about 8 minutes earlier than the other bus. I can grab it at the train station and sit down as opposed to standing next to the driver in a sardine tin-like crowded bus that may or may not show up on time. The new route driver is also a very friendly guy and knows almost everyone on the route by name.
I also made arrangements to leave work 30 minutes earlier than my co-workers by taking a half hour lunch instead of an hour. It's almost working out. If I can catch the right bus and the right LRT, I can make it to the train station by 5:51 and be home before 7pm. If I miss any connection, then I have to wait until 6:41 for the next train. Ugh.
Funny thing. I know I've missed the earlier bus if the cute driver picks me up outside the office. Always try and find a balance, eh? I may miss my train, but there's a cute girl to talk to in the meantime ;) I also like the people-watching aspect of riding the train. I've discovered quite quickly which train has the better looking people on it as opposed to the one car that seemed to attract a group that acted like it was a church outing. They were milling about and talking to people 8 seats over on the way in, so I've tried to stick with the same car for every trip into the office.
Yesterday was a drive-to-work day as the trains don't run on weekends. I hated it as people were slowing down on the freeway for no apparent reason and then slamming on the brakes when they saw a radar trap. Honestly, I wish the polcie would start pulling these people over too. What's worse? A guy going 110 in a 100 zone or someone going 80 in a 100 zone and then slamming on the brakes when they see a cop? Ridiculous. Back to the train tomorrow!
IF the train's are running, that is. We're on a bit of f a flood alert here as we had a record snowfall in the mountains and a lengthy winter followed by a week of 25+ degree weather. The train goes beside the rive and is essentially the only dike blocking some areas from flooding. Watching out the window, I can see spots where the river's creeping up higher and closer to businesses and homes and the debris in the river is definitely getting worse! Friday was the first sign of really bad news, though, as it's the first tree I've seen floating by with fresh greenery on it. That means a riverbank's given way somewhere. I'll know later this afternoon if I have to drive to a closer station to catch the train or if there'll be buses running between the affected stations.
The reunion I griped about in my last post is happening in July and it took a few more days and I got an invitation. I replied fairly quickly and am happy to go. I still don't think I need friends, but who am I kidding? I love hearing what people have been up to since I last saw them and most of the 30+ people who have said they'd be there (there's another 50+ who might show up), one of them was my prom date. I haven't seen her in 13 years and, no, it's not the same girl I've posted about before (as in 'My First Love'). That was the girl I should have taken... the one at the reunion is the one I took and shouldn't have bothered.
There's a couple people at the reunion who I could care less about seeing. I mentioned in an earlier post that some people have improved with age and some definitely have not. Being a selfish bastard, one girl I didn't want to see again had dated a couple of my friends in high school and I could never figure out what they saw in this annoying girl who definitely weighed in the 250+ pound range. 250+ pounds almost means she was half the girl she is today judging by the pictures on Facebook. Good Lord! The girl has not taken care of herself and I'm happy I've been running again because I'll have to keep my distance from her at the reunion.
Also on the selfish front, I noticed my best friend from those days is on Facebook and no one's tagged him yet. I'll avoid him until after the reunion's done as he really annoyed me at our high school reunion when he started lying to a girl he had a crush on back in the day. It was always so easy to see when he was lying because his neck tightened up and he'd bob his head while the pitch of his voice changed. I'd forgotten about it until he did it again at the banquet.
I'm still addicted to Facebook. I'm almost at 100 friends (go figure) and I'm writing up a little something when I hit the century mark. I do the occasional search for old friends to see who's turned up and sometimes there's a new face.
The small world syndrome hits every once in a while too. Idiot Boy from school (and eventually work where he was fired) was a high school friend of the wife of one of my friends. A high school friend of mine (who lives 5 blocks away from me!) went to college with a guy from my youth group. They never would've crossed paths otherwise. One of "My Kids" is also next door neighbors to my old college roommate. 'Tis a small world after all.
So, with a lack of posts, I kind of throw everything into one post like this. I"ve been thinking more and more about just stopping altogether, but then I still need a location to vent and facebook is not the place to do it. I'd never reveal this blog to anyone on Facebook as there could be problems. I'd rather keep tihs one somewhat 'anonymous' as opposed to a public face....
I've looked at dropping other things as well lately. The game I was totally addicted to has undergone some changes recently and I play maybe 10-15 minutes a week now compared to the 10-20 hours a week I'd put in before I got the new job. Even when I"m home I can't find the urge to play very often, although last week I needed to put in a couple hours before I lost some stuff. It may be virtual gods, but it doesn't exactly mean I'd like to get rid of it quite yet. :)
Kind of like this blog.
This week I worked 6 days as our project is supposed to wrap-up this coming Friday, the 15th and there's always a lot to do at the end of the production.
But with the end looming, I was starting to get a little concerned as to where I was going next. Fortunately, there's nothing to fear because I was informed yesterday that another team pushing for an early September finish has asked my boss about getting me onto the project ASAP. No problem there. I still wish the pay was better.
I've been taking the train almost exclusively since the beginning of May and I'm very happy I made the switch. It's just over $150 a month to "train it" and my ticket is good for all types of transit around the city. So, no extra "cha-ching" paid out to buses or the LRT system. Timing is a big thing and I experimented with a different bus route in the morning. It takes a longer route but leaves about 8 minutes earlier than the other bus. I can grab it at the train station and sit down as opposed to standing next to the driver in a sardine tin-like crowded bus that may or may not show up on time. The new route driver is also a very friendly guy and knows almost everyone on the route by name.
I also made arrangements to leave work 30 minutes earlier than my co-workers by taking a half hour lunch instead of an hour. It's almost working out. If I can catch the right bus and the right LRT, I can make it to the train station by 5:51 and be home before 7pm. If I miss any connection, then I have to wait until 6:41 for the next train. Ugh.
Funny thing. I know I've missed the earlier bus if the cute driver picks me up outside the office. Always try and find a balance, eh? I may miss my train, but there's a cute girl to talk to in the meantime ;) I also like the people-watching aspect of riding the train. I've discovered quite quickly which train has the better looking people on it as opposed to the one car that seemed to attract a group that acted like it was a church outing. They were milling about and talking to people 8 seats over on the way in, so I've tried to stick with the same car for every trip into the office.
Yesterday was a drive-to-work day as the trains don't run on weekends. I hated it as people were slowing down on the freeway for no apparent reason and then slamming on the brakes when they saw a radar trap. Honestly, I wish the polcie would start pulling these people over too. What's worse? A guy going 110 in a 100 zone or someone going 80 in a 100 zone and then slamming on the brakes when they see a cop? Ridiculous. Back to the train tomorrow!
IF the train's are running, that is. We're on a bit of f a flood alert here as we had a record snowfall in the mountains and a lengthy winter followed by a week of 25+ degree weather. The train goes beside the rive and is essentially the only dike blocking some areas from flooding. Watching out the window, I can see spots where the river's creeping up higher and closer to businesses and homes and the debris in the river is definitely getting worse! Friday was the first sign of really bad news, though, as it's the first tree I've seen floating by with fresh greenery on it. That means a riverbank's given way somewhere. I'll know later this afternoon if I have to drive to a closer station to catch the train or if there'll be buses running between the affected stations.
The reunion I griped about in my last post is happening in July and it took a few more days and I got an invitation. I replied fairly quickly and am happy to go. I still don't think I need friends, but who am I kidding? I love hearing what people have been up to since I last saw them and most of the 30+ people who have said they'd be there (there's another 50+ who might show up), one of them was my prom date. I haven't seen her in 13 years and, no, it's not the same girl I've posted about before (as in 'My First Love'). That was the girl I should have taken... the one at the reunion is the one I took and shouldn't have bothered.
There's a couple people at the reunion who I could care less about seeing. I mentioned in an earlier post that some people have improved with age and some definitely have not. Being a selfish bastard, one girl I didn't want to see again had dated a couple of my friends in high school and I could never figure out what they saw in this annoying girl who definitely weighed in the 250+ pound range. 250+ pounds almost means she was half the girl she is today judging by the pictures on Facebook. Good Lord! The girl has not taken care of herself and I'm happy I've been running again because I'll have to keep my distance from her at the reunion.
Also on the selfish front, I noticed my best friend from those days is on Facebook and no one's tagged him yet. I'll avoid him until after the reunion's done as he really annoyed me at our high school reunion when he started lying to a girl he had a crush on back in the day. It was always so easy to see when he was lying because his neck tightened up and he'd bob his head while the pitch of his voice changed. I'd forgotten about it until he did it again at the banquet.
I'm still addicted to Facebook. I'm almost at 100 friends (go figure) and I'm writing up a little something when I hit the century mark. I do the occasional search for old friends to see who's turned up and sometimes there's a new face.
The small world syndrome hits every once in a while too. Idiot Boy from school (and eventually work where he was fired) was a high school friend of the wife of one of my friends. A high school friend of mine (who lives 5 blocks away from me!) went to college with a guy from my youth group. They never would've crossed paths otherwise. One of "My Kids" is also next door neighbors to my old college roommate. 'Tis a small world after all.
So, with a lack of posts, I kind of throw everything into one post like this. I"ve been thinking more and more about just stopping altogether, but then I still need a location to vent and facebook is not the place to do it. I'd never reveal this blog to anyone on Facebook as there could be problems. I'd rather keep tihs one somewhat 'anonymous' as opposed to a public face....
I've looked at dropping other things as well lately. The game I was totally addicted to has undergone some changes recently and I play maybe 10-15 minutes a week now compared to the 10-20 hours a week I'd put in before I got the new job. Even when I"m home I can't find the urge to play very often, although last week I needed to put in a couple hours before I lost some stuff. It may be virtual gods, but it doesn't exactly mean I'd like to get rid of it quite yet. :)
Kind of like this blog.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
The One About Rearing an Ugly Face
It's been 10 days since I posted. Things happen, deal with it.
The facebook addiction has continued, but it's also waning a wee bit at the moment. I mentioned previously that I'd been "found" by My Kids and eventually found by others, including high school friends, friends from a youth group --and even my prom date!
In some ways, it's been kinda cool for my current friends to put names to faces and suddenly see I wasn't BS'ing them about events in my past. But the big thing I always had misgivings about has also reared it's ugly... face (for lack of a better term).
I've never been too good with friends. Oh, I care for them and their well-being and I cheers them on and support them through tough times. But I also hold grudges when I feel that my "friends" are shutting me out. It's not that I'm hurt that I'm "out", it hurts that they can't just come up and say "Well, you're out because..."
OK, that most likely kills the friendship, but if I'm out anyway... who really cares?
So, case in point. People from my youth group are literally crawling out of the woodwork. There's people popping up that I haven't spoken to in 13+ years and suddenly they've found me and are adding me to their friends lists. Well, great, it's good to hear from you too and here's what I've been doing while people currently in the youth group were conceived, born, and grew up. So, some people start talking reunion. Have a reunion because it's been a long time for so many of us...
Did I say "us"? Well, maybe I should say "them" because I haven't been invited.
It's not that I live too far away. They've invited people from Alberta, Virginia... Hell, they invited a guy from Abu Dhabi!
Me? Well I live 20 minutes away, so no invite for me.
I hate friends.
The facebook addiction has continued, but it's also waning a wee bit at the moment. I mentioned previously that I'd been "found" by My Kids and eventually found by others, including high school friends, friends from a youth group --and even my prom date!
In some ways, it's been kinda cool for my current friends to put names to faces and suddenly see I wasn't BS'ing them about events in my past. But the big thing I always had misgivings about has also reared it's ugly... face (for lack of a better term).
I've never been too good with friends. Oh, I care for them and their well-being and I cheers them on and support them through tough times. But I also hold grudges when I feel that my "friends" are shutting me out. It's not that I'm hurt that I'm "out", it hurts that they can't just come up and say "Well, you're out because..."
OK, that most likely kills the friendship, but if I'm out anyway... who really cares?
So, case in point. People from my youth group are literally crawling out of the woodwork. There's people popping up that I haven't spoken to in 13+ years and suddenly they've found me and are adding me to their friends lists. Well, great, it's good to hear from you too and here's what I've been doing while people currently in the youth group were conceived, born, and grew up. So, some people start talking reunion. Have a reunion because it's been a long time for so many of us...
Did I say "us"? Well, maybe I should say "them" because I haven't been invited.
It's not that I live too far away. They've invited people from Alberta, Virginia... Hell, they invited a guy from Abu Dhabi!
Me? Well I live 20 minutes away, so no invite for me.
I hate friends.
Monday, May 21, 2007
The One With the Picture Perfect Frame
The Facebook frenzy really took off when some of 'My Kids' from "the job From Hell!" found me. Needless to say, I went from a few friends to close to 60 fairly quickly.
I'm loved.
And missed, apparently. One of the first 'kids' to add me as a friend also jumped up and sent a message letting me know that my old boss (from Hell!) is leaving. He's moving back to his home province... and not a tear was shed.
A definite emotional high from that, just knowing that he isn't going to be around here any longer. He'll be far away and the chances of running into him are that much slimmer. I couldn't ask for more, really.
But then I got more too. See, my kids set up a "Hall of Fame" because of the sheer number of people involved with my old job. I'll let you fill in the blanks as to what types of people would be involved. Regardless, there's A LOT and the Hall of Fame was set up out of respect for the consensus favorites to come out of there. As a (former) staff member, I've received an honorary induction into the Hall which was clinched when tales of my drunken admission to my old boss that he was the worst boss I'd had in my 7 years working there. No, my boss is not in the Hall of Fame, and as long as these kids are alive, he won't be.
Being a somewhat public position that my boss was in, the newspaper articles began to print this week letting everyone know he was on his way out. While most had positive things to say in the headlines, there was one headline that just said he's resigned and is leaving.
That one's now framed and is hanging on the wall as another reminder that I can sit down to work with a smile on my face everyday because I no longer work for him.
'course, I'm also smiling because I have the picture of the Fat Cat right above it....
I'm loved.
And missed, apparently. One of the first 'kids' to add me as a friend also jumped up and sent a message letting me know that my old boss (from Hell!) is leaving. He's moving back to his home province... and not a tear was shed.
A definite emotional high from that, just knowing that he isn't going to be around here any longer. He'll be far away and the chances of running into him are that much slimmer. I couldn't ask for more, really.
But then I got more too. See, my kids set up a "Hall of Fame" because of the sheer number of people involved with my old job. I'll let you fill in the blanks as to what types of people would be involved. Regardless, there's A LOT and the Hall of Fame was set up out of respect for the consensus favorites to come out of there. As a (former) staff member, I've received an honorary induction into the Hall which was clinched when tales of my drunken admission to my old boss that he was the worst boss I'd had in my 7 years working there. No, my boss is not in the Hall of Fame, and as long as these kids are alive, he won't be.
Being a somewhat public position that my boss was in, the newspaper articles began to print this week letting everyone know he was on his way out. While most had positive things to say in the headlines, there was one headline that just said he's resigned and is leaving.
That one's now framed and is hanging on the wall as another reminder that I can sit down to work with a smile on my face everyday because I no longer work for him.
'course, I'm also smiling because I have the picture of the Fat Cat right above it....
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The One With the Seinfeld Moment
This is weird too. I swear I've written this entire post before, but it's not showing up in any of my searches.
So, if this is familiar, then it' already old news. To you, anyway.
We've had quite a number of hot, sunny days recently (except Mother's Day --go figure) and hot, sunny days mean lots of things:
And then she joined us one day.
Not sure if you recall the Seinfeld episode with the woman who only looked good in certain light? I never thought I'd meet one.
See, when someone doesn't get much light at all and then shows up outside.... well, the pale skin really shines through! She's got a few pock marks on her face as well and they are really accentuated in sunlight. And then her hair gets scraggly too.
Inside, this girl's a 9. Outside? 4? Maybe?
At least she's interesting to talk to, but definitely doesn't grab my attention the same way anymore!!
So, if this is familiar, then it' already old news. To you, anyway.
We've had quite a number of hot, sunny days recently (except Mother's Day --go figure) and hot, sunny days mean lots of things:
- Lunch on the patio.
- Shorts & Sandals.
- (An occasional) Mocha shake.
- Skimpier clothing...
And then she joined us one day.
Not sure if you recall the Seinfeld episode with the woman who only looked good in certain light? I never thought I'd meet one.
See, when someone doesn't get much light at all and then shows up outside.... well, the pale skin really shines through! She's got a few pock marks on her face as well and they are really accentuated in sunlight. And then her hair gets scraggly too.
Inside, this girl's a 9. Outside? 4? Maybe?
At least she's interesting to talk to, but definitely doesn't grab my attention the same way anymore!!
The One With A Lot of FACE Time
Within minutes of one another I got invites to Facebook.com from about half a dozen people. A certain someone reading this post sent me one (I'm sure) and she's done it with other internet fad-du-jour sites in the past.
Not mad at her, but I noticed with a couple of the sites, they just keep spammin' ya until you sign up. So, sign up I did.
I have 18 friends on Facebook, some dating back to the late 80s who suddenly appeared on there and got in touch with me. I've got a friend in my old college roomie, a girl who I knew in a youth group in the early 90s (she remembers me better than I remember her), and one of my current supervisors.
Weird.
But it's also somewhat addicting and I check in every couple of hours to see how I'm doing.
And I kinda wish the girl would let me see her pictures... she looks much better now than she did back then!!
What else is weird? I've totally lost my typing skills whenever I type on my home computer. I forget words in sentences. I've lost me mind!!
Not mad at her, but I noticed with a couple of the sites, they just keep spammin' ya until you sign up. So, sign up I did.
I have 18 friends on Facebook, some dating back to the late 80s who suddenly appeared on there and got in touch with me. I've got a friend in my old college roomie, a girl who I knew in a youth group in the early 90s (she remembers me better than I remember her), and one of my current supervisors.
Weird.
But it's also somewhat addicting and I check in every couple of hours to see how I'm doing.
And I kinda wish the girl would let me see her pictures... she looks much better now than she did back then!!
What else is weird? I've totally lost my typing skills whenever I type on my home computer. I forget words in sentences. I've lost me mind!!
Friday, May 11, 2007
The One With the Decision
So, not soon after I last posted I decided it was time to call and leave a message, saying "thanks but no thanks."
It wasn't a job in the industry I'm trying to be in (and went to bloody school for!!) and paid much more but sometimes when it feels like you're being psycho-analyzed it can be a bad thing.
I seriously had flashbacks to my first job (a pizza slinger at a restaurant that.. was... 'Little') in high school. The way they handled "performance reviews" was to throw a little test at each person at some point during a 4-week span. In my case, they scheduled me to work until 10pm one night, which was strange because people usually worked until 9pm or they were there until closing (11pm). Oh well, I thought, they warned us of changes to the schedule and to not question it. Come 10pm, I'm clocking out and the manager flips out. Why am I clocking out? Aren't I there to close? When I argued that I was just following the posted schedule, I lost out on a promotion. Awesome!
Giving me a flashback like that didn't put Mr. Potential Boss in a better light.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Fortunately, I also received word quite soon after making the decision that there may be an opportunity coming up for me --thanks to a high school friend who had a strange parallel life with me for a few years...
It wasn't a job in the industry I'm trying to be in (and went to bloody school for!!) and paid much more but sometimes when it feels like you're being psycho-analyzed it can be a bad thing.
I seriously had flashbacks to my first job (a pizza slinger at a restaurant that.. was... 'Little') in high school. The way they handled "performance reviews" was to throw a little test at each person at some point during a 4-week span. In my case, they scheduled me to work until 10pm one night, which was strange because people usually worked until 9pm or they were there until closing (11pm). Oh well, I thought, they warned us of changes to the schedule and to not question it. Come 10pm, I'm clocking out and the manager flips out. Why am I clocking out? Aren't I there to close? When I argued that I was just following the posted schedule, I lost out on a promotion. Awesome!
Giving me a flashback like that didn't put Mr. Potential Boss in a better light.
Thanks, but no thanks.
Fortunately, I also received word quite soon after making the decision that there may be an opportunity coming up for me --thanks to a high school friend who had a strange parallel life with me for a few years...
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
The One With the Chocolate Muffin
The high point of my week has been a chocolate muffin I got today. Now, that's an off-week.
I talked to "Mr. Interview" on Monday to set up the second one and had one of "my adventures" just in calling.
See, I didn't charge my cellphone over the weekend and my battery was beyond the final bar for power. I called anyway.
15 rings.... Voicemail finally picks up and I prepare to leave him a message. It's the guy's voice "You have reached blah-blah-blah..." he says. "Our hours are..." Uh-oh! I think. This isn't his voicemail, but the company voicemail!! "On Monday, we are open from 8am until 12 Midnight. On Tuesday, we are open from 8am until 12 Midnight..." Seriously, they're open the same hours 5 of 7 days and this guy's describing each individual day!! "Our Summer hours begin June 1st. On Mondays we will be open..." And again, through all 7 days! Finally, he gets to the voicemail part... "For so-and-so, press 1-1-5." Uh-oh. "For such-and-such, press 1-1-2. For that-girl, press 1-0-9..." Crap! they're not even in order!!! FINALLY, after naming 8 other people, he lists his --naturally, the lowest number. So, I enter in his voicemail number.
15 rings....
I'm about hang up when the voicemail kicks in. "Hello. You have reached blah-blah-blah. I'm sorry... blah-blah-blah... Please leave a detailed message after the tone with your name and phone number and I will get back to you as soon as I am able." BBEEEEE---*
My phone died.
I eventually (after a few minutes of cursing and swearing) borrowed a friend's cell and called back. This time, someone picked up and I asked to be put through to his voicemail. They said he was around, but at the moment I didn't care... I eventually got through to him anyway.
I introduce myself and he says "Oh, so you've thought about it over the weekend and have decided to pursue this further?" While my mouth said 'Yes', my mind said 'I was supposed to think about it?"
After my mouth said yes, my mind wished I'd just learn when to shut up. See, he suddenly turned from a somewhat odd fellow but friendly enough into a Hyde of a boss who demanded all sorts of things from me. We could only meet at one time and one time only. "No ifs, ands or buts!" He then rips into the type of work I'm currently doing, warns me that there'll be a few people doing a shotgun interview and I'd "better be prepared this time!" The entire time, I'm either speechless or just saying "o-kay" and letting him continue to throw things at me. Finally it comes to a conclusion, but with one final shot:
"And this time, WEAR A TIE!"
Then he hung up.
Not sure how to take it, but it's 2 days later and I'm still a little shocked that this was the same guy I met before.
Yesterday was just another day at work. I had to drive because I missed the damn train (the road to the station has a railway crossing on the way and a train goes through 5 minutes before the commuter train leaves the station. Get behind some slackass driver and you're doomed to wait an extra 30 minutes for the next train. Screw that. It's faster to drive at that point!
And today was a forced day off. With no one available to watch the kids and my wife working a 5-hour shift, it's actually cheaper for me (paid a little more) to stay home from my 7-hour shift for her to work the 5-hour one. Go figure. Not that I got much done today (I made a list of 10 things and I checked off #1 and almost finished #2....). While trying to work on the second part of my list, my wife called me from an event she was attending asking me to help clean up. And there went the next 3 hours of my day.
But I got a chocolate muffin out of it.
I talked to "Mr. Interview" on Monday to set up the second one and had one of "my adventures" just in calling.
See, I didn't charge my cellphone over the weekend and my battery was beyond the final bar for power. I called anyway.
15 rings.... Voicemail finally picks up and I prepare to leave him a message. It's the guy's voice "You have reached blah-blah-blah..." he says. "Our hours are..." Uh-oh! I think. This isn't his voicemail, but the company voicemail!! "On Monday, we are open from 8am until 12 Midnight. On Tuesday, we are open from 8am until 12 Midnight..." Seriously, they're open the same hours 5 of 7 days and this guy's describing each individual day!! "Our Summer hours begin June 1st. On Mondays we will be open..." And again, through all 7 days! Finally, he gets to the voicemail part... "For so-and-so, press 1-1-5." Uh-oh. "For such-and-such, press 1-1-2. For that-girl, press 1-0-9..." Crap! they're not even in order!!! FINALLY, after naming 8 other people, he lists his --naturally, the lowest number. So, I enter in his voicemail number.
15 rings....
I'm about hang up when the voicemail kicks in. "Hello. You have reached blah-blah-blah. I'm sorry... blah-blah-blah... Please leave a detailed message after the tone with your name and phone number and I will get back to you as soon as I am able." BBEEEEE---*
My phone died.
I eventually (after a few minutes of cursing and swearing) borrowed a friend's cell and called back. This time, someone picked up and I asked to be put through to his voicemail. They said he was around, but at the moment I didn't care... I eventually got through to him anyway.
I introduce myself and he says "Oh, so you've thought about it over the weekend and have decided to pursue this further?" While my mouth said 'Yes', my mind said 'I was supposed to think about it?"
After my mouth said yes, my mind wished I'd just learn when to shut up. See, he suddenly turned from a somewhat odd fellow but friendly enough into a Hyde of a boss who demanded all sorts of things from me. We could only meet at one time and one time only. "No ifs, ands or buts!" He then rips into the type of work I'm currently doing, warns me that there'll be a few people doing a shotgun interview and I'd "better be prepared this time!" The entire time, I'm either speechless or just saying "o-kay" and letting him continue to throw things at me. Finally it comes to a conclusion, but with one final shot:
"And this time, WEAR A TIE!"
Then he hung up.
Not sure how to take it, but it's 2 days later and I'm still a little shocked that this was the same guy I met before.
Yesterday was just another day at work. I had to drive because I missed the damn train (the road to the station has a railway crossing on the way and a train goes through 5 minutes before the commuter train leaves the station. Get behind some slackass driver and you're doomed to wait an extra 30 minutes for the next train. Screw that. It's faster to drive at that point!
And today was a forced day off. With no one available to watch the kids and my wife working a 5-hour shift, it's actually cheaper for me (paid a little more) to stay home from my 7-hour shift for her to work the 5-hour one. Go figure. Not that I got much done today (I made a list of 10 things and I checked off #1 and almost finished #2....). While trying to work on the second part of my list, my wife called me from an event she was attending asking me to help clean up. And there went the next 3 hours of my day.
But I got a chocolate muffin out of it.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The One About My Morning Train
I've had a lot of friends ask me if I ever thought about taking a train into the Vancouver area instead of the daily commute of 90 minutes. I know my drive isn't always great as I always seem to come across accidents, heavy congestion, and pretty much anything aside from planes falling from the sky in an effort to block my way to work. To go 65km (just over 40 miles) in 90 minutes, well, SUCKS!
I have a carpool buddy who has helped get the drive down to just over an hour (thanks to the HOV lane), but now with gas hitting a new "all-time" (soon to be a theme-of-the-week) high, it's looking like driving to work would cost me $250 a month. Um, yikes!!
So, after debating the issue late last week and watching the gas continue to climb (for my American readers, gas right now is close to $6 a gallon in my region) we decided this week would be the beginning of the train commute. Taking the train costs nearly $100 a month less.
I like less. Friday's commute was another horrible one, taking nearly 2 hours to get home thanks to all that crappy traffic. Enough is enough. It's time to take the train!
Tuesday morning turned into "day one" of the train commute. No more accidents for me, right?
Right.
Any of my regular readers (hi, you two!) notice I worked in my last 3 blog themes into the title? Didn't think so....
I have a carpool buddy who has helped get the drive down to just over an hour (thanks to the HOV lane), but now with gas hitting a new "all-time" (soon to be a theme-of-the-week) high, it's looking like driving to work would cost me $250 a month. Um, yikes!!
So, after debating the issue late last week and watching the gas continue to climb (for my American readers, gas right now is close to $6 a gallon in my region) we decided this week would be the beginning of the train commute. Taking the train costs nearly $100 a month less.
I like less. Friday's commute was another horrible one, taking nearly 2 hours to get home thanks to all that crappy traffic. Enough is enough. It's time to take the train!
Tuesday morning turned into "day one" of the train commute. No more accidents for me, right?
Right.
Any of my regular readers (hi, you two!) notice I worked in my last 3 blog themes into the title? Didn't think so....
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The One with the Incredible Change of Luck
So, Thursday was the day of defeat and I moped around early in the morning before semi-reluctantly getting ready for work. The training over the next 4 days was going to be pure Hell with Idiot Boy assigned to sit beside me and I wondered who I'd angered to be stuck like this.
The garage still smelled of the burned shirt and I hoped against hope that the linger smell would usher in a change of fortune for me. But I don't think I have that kind of luck.
My stomach growled and grumbled a bit as I got ready to pick up my carpool buddy. Last Saturday's breakfast had been a chore to digest apparently and my "diet" for the rest of the weekend as well as Monday and Tuesday had consisted of the occasional banana or fruit bar, water, and some green tea to soothe the grumbling. The only other person I know with worse "luck" than mine had cooked at the charity breakfast and it only made sense he'd given me some form of food poisoning. This is a guy who used to be a prison guard and got sued by a prisoner after he whacked him in the head while attacking another guard. He'd then been arrested a few months later when his trailer had become unhitched on a hill and he'd called for some friends to help him hitch it back up. He was arrested for being a nuisance (he was tying up traffic, but still...). And here my stomach was still "of a mood" 5 days after his breakfast....
I eventually got to work and it wasn't as bad a drive as I expected. Sure, there was an accident to avoid, but that's a thrice-weekly occurrence these days. The Sun has returned to Vancouver, so everyone's driving IQ has dropped into single digits. Don't believe me? This is my Friday route home...
But I digress.... I'd survived the drive and here I was at work, eating breakfast and watching the sports highlights (our new morning tradition) and praying Idiot Boy wouldn't join us again like he did yesterday when I wore the bad luck shirt. I was definitely in a sour mood, but my workmate/friends didn't much care because they knew they'd see little of me today with the training commencing.
I got back to my office and started getting all my materials ready for the training. I had a 200+ page manual I was supposed to read and had been given 4 hours' notice. I also wasn't allowed to take it home because of all the confidential information inside. So, I skimmed. And the entire I time I skimmed through it, I wondered how Idiot Boy would handle all this material. This is a guy who usually got confused if an assignment had more than one 'step' to get the work done. Sad, really, but then he's an idiot.
The guy who sits at the next desk arrived just before our work day begins and smiled as he told me he heard a good Idiot Boy story. No, we don't call him that at work... well, I try not to.
Idiot Boy was fired.
My luck had turned. I'll never have to see him again.
When I got home, I breathed in the still-lingering smell of what used to be an unlucky shirt.
The garage still smelled of the burned shirt and I hoped against hope that the linger smell would usher in a change of fortune for me. But I don't think I have that kind of luck.
My stomach growled and grumbled a bit as I got ready to pick up my carpool buddy. Last Saturday's breakfast had been a chore to digest apparently and my "diet" for the rest of the weekend as well as Monday and Tuesday had consisted of the occasional banana or fruit bar, water, and some green tea to soothe the grumbling. The only other person I know with worse "luck" than mine had cooked at the charity breakfast and it only made sense he'd given me some form of food poisoning. This is a guy who used to be a prison guard and got sued by a prisoner after he whacked him in the head while attacking another guard. He'd then been arrested a few months later when his trailer had become unhitched on a hill and he'd called for some friends to help him hitch it back up. He was arrested for being a nuisance (he was tying up traffic, but still...). And here my stomach was still "of a mood" 5 days after his breakfast....
I eventually got to work and it wasn't as bad a drive as I expected. Sure, there was an accident to avoid, but that's a thrice-weekly occurrence these days. The Sun has returned to Vancouver, so everyone's driving IQ has dropped into single digits. Don't believe me? This is my Friday route home...
But I digress.... I'd survived the drive and here I was at work, eating breakfast and watching the sports highlights (our new morning tradition) and praying Idiot Boy wouldn't join us again like he did yesterday when I wore the bad luck shirt. I was definitely in a sour mood, but my workmate/friends didn't much care because they knew they'd see little of me today with the training commencing.
I got back to my office and started getting all my materials ready for the training. I had a 200+ page manual I was supposed to read and had been given 4 hours' notice. I also wasn't allowed to take it home because of all the confidential information inside. So, I skimmed. And the entire I time I skimmed through it, I wondered how Idiot Boy would handle all this material. This is a guy who usually got confused if an assignment had more than one 'step' to get the work done. Sad, really, but then he's an idiot.
The guy who sits at the next desk arrived just before our work day begins and smiled as he told me he heard a good Idiot Boy story. No, we don't call him that at work... well, I try not to.
Idiot Boy was fired.
My luck had turned. I'll never have to see him again.
When I got home, I breathed in the still-lingering smell of what used to be an unlucky shirt.
Friday, April 20, 2007
The One About the Burning Shirt
I may have mentioned long ago one of the lonely female classmates of mine who had a bit of a medical emergency in class one day --and how I was sitting beside her when she collapsed off the chair...
Well, it happened twice while we were in school, but the second time I knew enough about the problem that it didn't escalate to a collapse like last time and I was able to help her out pretty damn quick. But there was something I noticed the second time it happened...
I was wearing the exact same shirt both times.
It was one of my favorite shirts from my old job (From Hell!), where I acquired quite the "logo" collection over my 7 years. It was an extremely comfortable one and (I think) fit quite nicely.
After the second medical incident, I put the shirt away to wear later in the future, once I was done with school. No more bad luck rubbing off form this shirt!!
So, Wednesday it came out from the bottom of my shirt drawer to see sunlight for the first time in over a year. One of my favorite shirts and a year goes by between wearings.... the bad luck's gotta be gone, right?
Just after lunch at work a guy collapsed in a heap in the kitchen, not 10 feet from me. He chugged some ice cold water after a 1-hour workout. At my old office (from Hell!), a friend of mine collapsed at the front of the classroom while giving a lecture and had to be sent to hospital.
And my grueling 4 days of intensive training had me assigned to sit beside.... Idiot Boy.
Yep, that's it! I was almost crying my eyes out just thinking about having to spend 4 days with the guy who ruined school for me sitting right beside me! FOUR DAYS!!! Four freakin' days!!!!!
The shirt came off at home, fell into the bottom of a trash can, got doused with lighter fluid and away it burned!!!
Hopefully, the bad luck has been exorcised for everyone.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The One About a 4-Year Anniversary
Work keeps me busy enough that posting is irregular. This is the last warning....
Deal with it. Life's still an adventure for me.
Easter weekend came along and I had a sudden realization. It's been 4 years since the original 'Sex Caffeine' incident occurred.
The Sex Caffeine incident was essentially the event that lead to the beginning of this blog back in 2003, even though it happened a few months in advance of the first blog entry.
4 years since the odd blow up and (almost) 2 years since I last talked to her. It's sometimes hard to believe I could have someone in my life at such a high level of.... intensity... and now not speak to them for such a long time.
Could I finally be maturing and reaching out toward my (29 dammit!) age? Naaahhhh.
In fact, there's a fine lookin' young thing who started at work this week who's caught many an eye. I just keep telling the Boys I'm scouting her out for them.
Hehe.
Deal with it. Life's still an adventure for me.
Easter weekend came along and I had a sudden realization. It's been 4 years since the original 'Sex Caffeine' incident occurred.
The Sex Caffeine incident was essentially the event that lead to the beginning of this blog back in 2003, even though it happened a few months in advance of the first blog entry.
4 years since the odd blow up and (almost) 2 years since I last talked to her. It's sometimes hard to believe I could have someone in my life at such a high level of.... intensity... and now not speak to them for such a long time.
Could I finally be maturing and reaching out toward my (29 dammit!) age? Naaahhhh.
In fact, there's a fine lookin' young thing who started at work this week who's caught many an eye. I just keep telling the Boys I'm scouting her out for them.
Hehe.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
The One with the Actual Favorite Vids
So, I added a "fave vids" YouTube link yesterday, but despite the actual links I give it, it just spouts off whatever key words it likes. So, one of those over there -------->
...is actually a "favorite" video.
Here's some others:
If you've ever played 'The Sims' this is a music video made with some of the latest expansions for Sims2. I'm not completely caught up with the expansions for Sims2 (there's 'University', 'Nightlife', 'Open for Business', 'Pets,' and 'Seasons.' There are some additional content packs as well for various holidays. Good $$ for Electronic Arts, yes? Anyhoo, enjoy the video.
I was actually searching for a different video when I came across this. It's a fairly simple animation, but if it were from the school I went to, it would've been one of the best. At around 2:10 you finally see the scope of what's happening and at 2:20 you get the emotion. In other words, it's really good! So, enjoy it too!
OK, this is the video I was looking for... Well, an extended version of it. This game is the reason to own a X-Box 360. Yeah, the Halo series is great, but 'Gears of War' is the sole decider in a 360 purchase. And it looks even better on a HD-TV! Before anyone says "360? Phhbbbbtt!! Get a Wii!" I love the Wii. But Gears of War is the 360 game. So there. And an FYI, the song is 'Mad World' by Gary JUles (remake of a Tears for Fears song, no less!)
...is actually a "favorite" video.
Here's some others:
If you've ever played 'The Sims' this is a music video made with some of the latest expansions for Sims2. I'm not completely caught up with the expansions for Sims2 (there's 'University', 'Nightlife', 'Open for Business', 'Pets,' and 'Seasons.' There are some additional content packs as well for various holidays. Good $$ for Electronic Arts, yes? Anyhoo, enjoy the video.
I was actually searching for a different video when I came across this. It's a fairly simple animation, but if it were from the school I went to, it would've been one of the best. At around 2:10 you finally see the scope of what's happening and at 2:20 you get the emotion. In other words, it's really good! So, enjoy it too!
OK, this is the video I was looking for... Well, an extended version of it. This game is the reason to own a X-Box 360. Yeah, the Halo series is great, but 'Gears of War' is the sole decider in a 360 purchase. And it looks even better on a HD-TV! Before anyone says "360? Phhbbbbtt!! Get a Wii!" I love the Wii. But Gears of War is the 360 game. So there. And an FYI, the song is 'Mad World' by Gary JUles (remake of a Tears for Fears song, no less!)
Friday, April 06, 2007
The One With The New Look
Yeah, OK so I've changed the look of this blog for I think the third time in 2007. Hopefully it's the last, but no guarantees and I may have yet another change in mind before the month is done. Deal with it. Change is good.
Work's been pretty good. I've had a couple rough commuting days and those days I really think twice about working so "far away" especially when I question whether or not I'll see my kids again.
I have noticed that there seems to be a theme amongst the drivers in a particular town/city. I know Richmond (which I fortunately never have to drive through or to) is notorious for drivers who stop whenever and wherever they make a right turn. Abbotsford (which I occasionally drive to) has drivers who do less than half the speed limit or more than double the speed limit, which apparently is the only way to catch the lights to get through town. Go figure. Mission is known for drivers who will turn right to get in front of you and who cannot figure out how to accelerate up a hill. Imagine driving up a hill in San Francisco behind someone who's easy on the gas pedal in an attempt to get to the top. Annoying. My discovery over the past 2 weeks is the Maple Ridge driver: the most important thing on the drive is the cell phone. I've been in 2 near-misses with people going through red lights while chatting away and have lagged behind more people who don't feel it necessary to do anything besides coast and talk. I've seen three cars go off the road because they're so distracted by their phone conversation that they didn't notice the bend in the road. I also almost got slammed into by a truck making a left in front of me. He pulled over to let me by and the entire time he was behind me, the cell phone never left his ear.
That was a long paragraph.
I'm still looking for a different job, but I'm not burning any bridges while I continue with this one. I've made some friends and already had some there. I also found out one of the heads in my department went to high school with me (although a few years younger than me). My Dad said he heard there's another high school friend there as well, but no one could quite recall his name and a yearbook search followed by an email directory search turned up nothing. Apparently (according to my Dad) he hung out with "some Chinese kid" which I took to mean a Korean friend in junior high. In my high school, if you weren't white or East Indian, then most people could probably know your name. Oriental or African? I can still name the 5 in my graduating class.
This post has become a bit of a ramble, but now you all know I'm still alive. And looking at a new look.
Work's been pretty good. I've had a couple rough commuting days and those days I really think twice about working so "far away" especially when I question whether or not I'll see my kids again.
I have noticed that there seems to be a theme amongst the drivers in a particular town/city. I know Richmond (which I fortunately never have to drive through or to) is notorious for drivers who stop whenever and wherever they make a right turn. Abbotsford (which I occasionally drive to) has drivers who do less than half the speed limit or more than double the speed limit, which apparently is the only way to catch the lights to get through town. Go figure. Mission is known for drivers who will turn right to get in front of you and who cannot figure out how to accelerate up a hill. Imagine driving up a hill in San Francisco behind someone who's easy on the gas pedal in an attempt to get to the top. Annoying. My discovery over the past 2 weeks is the Maple Ridge driver: the most important thing on the drive is the cell phone. I've been in 2 near-misses with people going through red lights while chatting away and have lagged behind more people who don't feel it necessary to do anything besides coast and talk. I've seen three cars go off the road because they're so distracted by their phone conversation that they didn't notice the bend in the road. I also almost got slammed into by a truck making a left in front of me. He pulled over to let me by and the entire time he was behind me, the cell phone never left his ear.
That was a long paragraph.
I'm still looking for a different job, but I'm not burning any bridges while I continue with this one. I've made some friends and already had some there. I also found out one of the heads in my department went to high school with me (although a few years younger than me). My Dad said he heard there's another high school friend there as well, but no one could quite recall his name and a yearbook search followed by an email directory search turned up nothing. Apparently (according to my Dad) he hung out with "some Chinese kid" which I took to mean a Korean friend in junior high. In my high school, if you weren't white or East Indian, then most people could probably know your name. Oriental or African? I can still name the 5 in my graduating class.
This post has become a bit of a ramble, but now you all know I'm still alive. And looking at a new look.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
The One About Depression
'Sky' 'Dreama' or whatever she's going by these days mentioned that I might be depressed after I commented that people say I'm never happy. I've never considered myself depressed, but then I also finally acknowledged that there are things that I'm really not happy about. But does unhappiness mean depressed?
I took a couple of online quizzes (my way of getting a second opinion) just to "see" what the results were.
OK, I'm moderately depressed.
In some ways, I'm not surprised at all. I've been writing this post over a few days (when I have time, that is) and I'm trying to be more aware of my feelings and.... anxieties as life flows around me.
And, no, having Idiot Boy show up at work isn't helping.
We'll see where I am in a little while, I guess.
I took a couple of online quizzes (my way of getting a second opinion) just to "see" what the results were.
OK, I'm moderately depressed.
In some ways, I'm not surprised at all. I've been writing this post over a few days (when I have time, that is) and I'm trying to be more aware of my feelings and.... anxieties as life flows around me.
And, no, having Idiot Boy show up at work isn't helping.
We'll see where I am in a little while, I guess.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
The One About Roadworthy Songs
So, a roadworthy song is one that you enjoy listening to anytime you're in the car. I've got a bunch... 'Rocks' by Primal Scream, 'Window in the Sky' by U2, 'Music for a Found Harmonium' by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra, 'Ahead by a Century' by the Tragically Hip. Good songs. The type that make you feel a bit more relaxed and ready to drive a little faster and enjoy the open road.
One of those CDs took a frustrated flight across my car yesterday. There's no way to relax, drive a little faster, and enjoy the open road when the car in front of me goes 20 km/h less than the speed limit, slows down whenever a side road intersects the highway, and then speeds up again.
My kingdom for a passing lane.
One of those CDs took a frustrated flight across my car yesterday. There's no way to relax, drive a little faster, and enjoy the open road when the car in front of me goes 20 km/h less than the speed limit, slows down whenever a side road intersects the highway, and then speeds up again.
My kingdom for a passing lane.
The One With The Impending Return of 'Idiot Boy'
For those of you reading this blog for a while may recall, a majority of my school time was hindered because of 'Idiot Boy.'
Idiot Boy was the one who got lost and confused in every class and slowed everything down to a snail's pace. Idiot Boy was the one who stopped a project because he couldn't do simple math. Idiot Boy was the one who broke 'Brain Age' because he thought 4x4 was a single digit answer.
On Wednesday, Idiot Boy told one of my former classmates (and current co-worker) that he starts in the same department next week.
Then my team lead informed us that our team quintuples --next week. I nearly threw up.
And Wednesday night, the job hunt started again. Oh, I have confidence he'll be fired fairly quickly, but I never want to see him again.
Never. Again.
Idiot Boy was the one who got lost and confused in every class and slowed everything down to a snail's pace. Idiot Boy was the one who stopped a project because he couldn't do simple math. Idiot Boy was the one who broke 'Brain Age' because he thought 4x4 was a single digit answer.
On Wednesday, Idiot Boy told one of my former classmates (and current co-worker) that he starts in the same department next week.
Then my team lead informed us that our team quintuples --next week. I nearly threw up.
And Wednesday night, the job hunt started again. Oh, I have confidence he'll be fired fairly quickly, but I never want to see him again.
Never. Again.
The One About Finally Understanding
I promised when I last 'signed off' that I wouldn't talk about "work" or at least about my new job.
One of the reasons behind that is I've always detested people saying I'm never happy. I got that a lot with my old job (From Hell! --get it?) and I always hated hearing that. I never thought it was true.
So, how does a guy write about a job (From Hell!) for nearly 2 years and not acknowledge that maybe other people are right and that I'm not happy?
Maybe I do it right now.
See, I'm talking about my new job right now and of course there's negatives to it that I didn't foresee when I wrote out the PROs and CONs. And, yes, I could really focus on those at the moment and write a multitude of paragraphs on crazy things and empty promises.
But I won't.
This message is just stating that I got up on Friday morning and realized I'm not happy, I'm never happy, and chances are I won't be happy --ever. Yep, any job will pile it on and situation totally out of my control will frustrate me, but that's just who I am. If I can learn to deal with it, then maybe I'll find a medium --a happy medium or not, but still a balance.
Still, this isn't stopping me from looking elsewhere (closer to home) for work. But that's another story.
One of the reasons behind that is I've always detested people saying I'm never happy. I got that a lot with my old job (From Hell! --get it?) and I always hated hearing that. I never thought it was true.
So, how does a guy write about a job (From Hell!) for nearly 2 years and not acknowledge that maybe other people are right and that I'm not happy?
Maybe I do it right now.
See, I'm talking about my new job right now and of course there's negatives to it that I didn't foresee when I wrote out the PROs and CONs. And, yes, I could really focus on those at the moment and write a multitude of paragraphs on crazy things and empty promises.
But I won't.
This message is just stating that I got up on Friday morning and realized I'm not happy, I'm never happy, and chances are I won't be happy --ever. Yep, any job will pile it on and situation totally out of my control will frustrate me, but that's just who I am. If I can learn to deal with it, then maybe I'll find a medium --a happy medium or not, but still a balance.
Still, this isn't stopping me from looking elsewhere (closer to home) for work. But that's another story.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The One With The Lazy Updates
I did one of these in early February, and thought I'd do another one. This is most likely the last week in some time that I get any breathing time with work starting up next week. Wow! Hard to believe it's finally happened!
I found out today that one of my classmates starts in the same office a week later than me. There's a small chance we'll be working on the same project... unless the offer from the smaller company comes through.... more on that later.
So, here's the quote from the last message of similar theme:
Reads: I read through Mitch Albom's 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' in a single afternoon. I'd already seen the movie, but still found the book emotional. He's a decent writer to be sure. Since then, I've moved onto a more historical book, 'The Far Farers' by... I just forgot her name.... oops. I also borrowed some technical books from the library to upgrade some of my techie skills (not working very well, though!).
Watches: I watched 4 episodes of Battlestar Galactica today. I know I'm still behind, though. I heard a vicious rumor that this was going to be the final season for 'BG' which was both upsetting, annoying, and somehow not surprising. I'm sure it's an expensive show to make, it's got a very large ensemble cast (and some big names too!), and even the original series didn't last as long. But it's sssoooooo good! It would be a shame to lose it! Now that February sweeps are done, some shows seem to be 'done' too. Grey's Anatomy is back in repeats. Studio 60 vanished from the airwaves. Fortunately, Studio 60 was replaced by The Black Donnellys which I'm enjoying very much. Kate Mulgrew is likable as the Mother of the family, unlike her role in Voyager where she was a poor leader on a poor show! The usual shows are the usual shows....
Plays: Over the past few weeks, my game playing has pretty much ground to a halt. The game I was completely addicted to on a daily basis is now a 2-3 hour log-in/log-out schedule a couple days a week. There's been some serious background issues with the development company and it's disillusioned me about the potential quality (and the ongoing quality) of the game. I still have games sitting in boxes and remaining un-installed, but just haven't been compelled to try them yet.
Works: I was quite surprised on a visit to a local liquidation shop to see some sought-after hobby product sitting on their shelves. Usually selling about $4-$5 a piece, they were in-store for 50-cents a piece. I bought a bunch and onto eBay they went!
And then they didn't sell.
So, oh well.... The eBay plan I started working on for a March 1st beginning didn't happen on time and my plan was to get it going instead for April 1. Depending on where I'm working as of Monday, that might not be possible and I've put a lot of effort into doing this for basically nothing. Or at least, nothing yet.
Official work starts Monday, most likely. I've accepted the offer from the big company. As 'Dreama' told me, they were the only offer on the table. There's another potential opportunity coming up too, but I'm a little leery to look into it despite the higher pay (about $200 a week more). I know there's no opportunity for advancement through that company!
The company that had the most 'Pros' when I made my list on the weekend has expressed interest in me and despite my "threat" (more like I uttered a comment) they've told me they'll let me know where I stand in their eyes by the end of the week. I'd still prefer that work over what I'm going to start on Monday, but that being said. I'm still totally excited about going to work in less than a week! No more job-hunt... well, sort of.
I found out today that one of my classmates starts in the same office a week later than me. There's a small chance we'll be working on the same project... unless the offer from the smaller company comes through.... more on that later.
So, here's the quote from the last message of similar theme:
This one's all about some itemizing, so maybe at the end of the year I can look and see where I was at the time. These items are broken down like this: Reads (books currently on the go), Watches (what TV shows are doing it for me right now), Plays (which games I'm currently playing the computer and/or game console), & Works (ignore the irony that this is the last 'item'. What I'm doing right now to make money or other important projects).So, here we go again!
Reads: I read through Mitch Albom's 'The Five People You Meet in Heaven' in a single afternoon. I'd already seen the movie, but still found the book emotional. He's a decent writer to be sure. Since then, I've moved onto a more historical book, 'The Far Farers' by... I just forgot her name.... oops. I also borrowed some technical books from the library to upgrade some of my techie skills (not working very well, though!).
Watches: I watched 4 episodes of Battlestar Galactica today. I know I'm still behind, though. I heard a vicious rumor that this was going to be the final season for 'BG' which was both upsetting, annoying, and somehow not surprising. I'm sure it's an expensive show to make, it's got a very large ensemble cast (and some big names too!), and even the original series didn't last as long. But it's sssoooooo good! It would be a shame to lose it! Now that February sweeps are done, some shows seem to be 'done' too. Grey's Anatomy is back in repeats. Studio 60 vanished from the airwaves. Fortunately, Studio 60 was replaced by The Black Donnellys which I'm enjoying very much. Kate Mulgrew is likable as the Mother of the family, unlike her role in Voyager where she was a poor leader on a poor show! The usual shows are the usual shows....
Plays: Over the past few weeks, my game playing has pretty much ground to a halt. The game I was completely addicted to on a daily basis is now a 2-3 hour log-in/log-out schedule a couple days a week. There's been some serious background issues with the development company and it's disillusioned me about the potential quality (and the ongoing quality) of the game. I still have games sitting in boxes and remaining un-installed, but just haven't been compelled to try them yet.
Works: I was quite surprised on a visit to a local liquidation shop to see some sought-after hobby product sitting on their shelves. Usually selling about $4-$5 a piece, they were in-store for 50-cents a piece. I bought a bunch and onto eBay they went!
And then they didn't sell.
So, oh well.... The eBay plan I started working on for a March 1st beginning didn't happen on time and my plan was to get it going instead for April 1. Depending on where I'm working as of Monday, that might not be possible and I've put a lot of effort into doing this for basically nothing. Or at least, nothing yet.
Official work starts Monday, most likely. I've accepted the offer from the big company. As 'Dreama' told me, they were the only offer on the table. There's another potential opportunity coming up too, but I'm a little leery to look into it despite the higher pay (about $200 a week more). I know there's no opportunity for advancement through that company!
The company that had the most 'Pros' when I made my list on the weekend has expressed interest in me and despite my "threat" (more like I uttered a comment) they've told me they'll let me know where I stand in their eyes by the end of the week. I'd still prefer that work over what I'm going to start on Monday, but that being said. I'm still totally excited about going to work in less than a week! No more job-hunt... well, sort of.
Monday, March 12, 2007
The One With the Really Good Monday
I've been gearing up for a big eBay sell-off and, ironically, it meant buying up a bunch of things off "the 'Bay" in order to make my stuff look better. I had a couple tricks up my sleeve for the good ol' "buy low, sell high" strategy.
Today's mailbox was so stuffed with... stuff... that it was actually bulging out from the wall. It looked kinda cool and I was like a kid on Christmas morning as I tore through the envelopes.
There were a couple other pieces of mail as well that I basically ignored as I went through everything. But that's when I saw the logo.
It was from my insurance company.
After 5 months, they have finally concluded their investigation and have found me 0% at fault. Yep, for the exact reasons I told them in October, they've now spent thousands of dollars investigating to come to the same conclusion. And, according to the arbitrator, the Google maps helped immensely!
So, I have $350 coming my way in about a week or so. Yay!!
I've also finally made a decision on the job front. Despite having more "con's" compared to the other, I've decided the best action for me to take is with the big company. A big company means some job security and growth potential that may or may not exist with a new company just starting up. That being said, and decided upon, I've still done everything that the new company asked of me and now if they turn me down, it's not a let-down.
If they offer me a job.... That's just a hurdle for further down the road :)
Today's mailbox was so stuffed with... stuff... that it was actually bulging out from the wall. It looked kinda cool and I was like a kid on Christmas morning as I tore through the envelopes.
There were a couple other pieces of mail as well that I basically ignored as I went through everything. But that's when I saw the logo.
It was from my insurance company.
After 5 months, they have finally concluded their investigation and have found me 0% at fault. Yep, for the exact reasons I told them in October, they've now spent thousands of dollars investigating to come to the same conclusion. And, according to the arbitrator, the Google maps helped immensely!
So, I have $350 coming my way in about a week or so. Yay!!
I've also finally made a decision on the job front. Despite having more "con's" compared to the other, I've decided the best action for me to take is with the big company. A big company means some job security and growth potential that may or may not exist with a new company just starting up. That being said, and decided upon, I've still done everything that the new company asked of me and now if they turn me down, it's not a let-down.
If they offer me a job.... That's just a hurdle for further down the road :)
Friday, March 09, 2007
The One About Making a Choice --If I Had to Choose
I honestly figured by today I'd be applying for any job I saw in the paper, regardless of potential, career, or happiness. Things were far too quiet on the job hunt front and even acts of desperation were getting me "no thanks" in reply.
Suddenly, I got hit with a company wanting to talk to me about working for them.
'Them' is overrated here as it's a new venture and is still in initial start-up and a very, very small team. So far.
However, something about my work "intrigued them" and I guess I left them wanting more --or at least clarification in what it is that I do. Yeah, it's a little funny and a little disconcerting to think that after 5 months of applying within such a specialized industry, someone's come along and asked me to clarify what I do.
"And what do you want me to do?" is apparently not the right answer to that question. But, c'mon, I'm desperate for work here!
So, I have the mega-fantastic very enthusiastic phone interview and things look up as he wants to meet in person and discuss things further. I like that and can't wait to meet him.
In the meantime, someone who called me about a job months ago suddenly calls me up again. I was their #2 guy and the #1 just pooped out on them. So, the day before my interview with the new company, I'm headed into Vancouver for another interview with the mega-company.
Crazy.
OK, it's crazy, but things are about to get crazier. See, after yesterday's interview (which was an odd set of questions, followed by some computer testing), they actually offered me the job. Yep, you read that right. I've been officially offered a job. I have 'til Monday to accept their offer.
Cut to my next meeting with the new company. No, not really offering me a job --yet. But it sounds like he likes what I'm saying & seeing about their production and he just needs the weekend or maybe a few days longer to decide if I'm the guy he wants in the role.
So, now I need to make a decision by Monday.
I've said before (who can count how many times) that it really bugs me when people can't make a decision. Good or bad, jut make the decision already! And now I'm in the boat for a decision that affects my life, my family's life, and the life of virtually everyone around me. So, time for the good ol' Pro's & Con's...
Mega-Company Pro's:
My choice is looking fairly clear. And I still have until Monday to add to the lists.
Suddenly, I got hit with a company wanting to talk to me about working for them.
'Them' is overrated here as it's a new venture and is still in initial start-up and a very, very small team. So far.
However, something about my work "intrigued them" and I guess I left them wanting more --or at least clarification in what it is that I do. Yeah, it's a little funny and a little disconcerting to think that after 5 months of applying within such a specialized industry, someone's come along and asked me to clarify what I do.
"And what do you want me to do?" is apparently not the right answer to that question. But, c'mon, I'm desperate for work here!
So, I have the mega-fantastic very enthusiastic phone interview and things look up as he wants to meet in person and discuss things further. I like that and can't wait to meet him.
In the meantime, someone who called me about a job months ago suddenly calls me up again. I was their #2 guy and the #1 just pooped out on them. So, the day before my interview with the new company, I'm headed into Vancouver for another interview with the mega-company.
Crazy.
OK, it's crazy, but things are about to get crazier. See, after yesterday's interview (which was an odd set of questions, followed by some computer testing), they actually offered me the job. Yep, you read that right. I've been officially offered a job. I have 'til Monday to accept their offer.
Cut to my next meeting with the new company. No, not really offering me a job --yet. But it sounds like he likes what I'm saying & seeing about their production and he just needs the weekend or maybe a few days longer to decide if I'm the guy he wants in the role.
So, now I need to make a decision by Monday.
I've said before (who can count how many times) that it really bugs me when people can't make a decision. Good or bad, jut make the decision already! And now I'm in the boat for a decision that affects my life, my family's life, and the life of virtually everyone around me. So, time for the good ol' Pro's & Con's...
Mega-Company Pro's:
- Stable company, so no chance of it shutting down/layoffs.
- Major project with some credit by the end.
- Gets my name in an established company.
- Supervisor role for me.
- Big mega-company, so I'm just a small cog in a very, very large machine.
- Has the potential for extremely long hours, which means I don't get to see my family.
- Pay isn't great.
- Fairly long commute which eats into my income with insurance and fuel costs.
- No time for eBay, Dr. Jones!!
- Contract position with no promise of promotion or career longevity.
- I'll be part of a creative idea and not just a cog.
- Potential for promotion.
- Telecommuting, which means my family actually sees me!
- Telecommuting also means there's time for eBay (Dr. Jones!)
- Pay should be more, but could be less.
- Commuting once or twice a month has little effect on my budget.
- Potential to learn new things.
- Understanding boss with similar values/beliefs (nice change of pace!)
- Small company which may not exist a year from now.
- Pay could be less.
- My name will be out there, but will it have an impact?
- Potentially could challenge me beyond my skill levels (already hinted at during the 2nd interview)
My choice is looking fairly clear. And I still have until Monday to add to the lists.
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