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...

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.

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:

• 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.

OK, I still have to work tomorrow, so 3 posts in one day is more than you usually get from me in a week!

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.

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.

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.

• 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.
  

I'm tired and I have to work tomorrow. I'll post more thoughts next week. Hopefully.

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.

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?

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:

• 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).

My wife didn't get the job. And I'm down 2 friends after how upset she got. While that chicken walked, quacked and flew, it was definitely a chicken.

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."

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 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:

1. 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!?!
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Sorry, it was Transformers.
6. 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!!
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Another friend from high school may be hooking me up with a better job --and soon. I'll say more when/if I can.

OK, that's another dozen things from the past 22 days. Some day I may even clarify some of those points!!

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.

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:

1. 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.
   
2. 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.
3. 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:
   
4. 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. ;)
   

My understanding that although only 30 people have replied on Facebook for the July reunion, right now there's approximately 100 people planning on attending.

I just have to remind myself to lay off the drugs beforehand.

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.

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 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....

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:

• Lunch on the patio.
• Shorts & Sandals.
• (An occasional) Mocha shake.
• Skimpier clothing...

It means spending a lot of time in natural light, something we don't get to do very often in our cubicle world. And when we're not spending time ogling the office hottie, we might as well enjoy some rays.

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!!

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...

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.