WHAT MADE YOU GRIMACE & GRIT YOUR TEETH TODAY?

thanx.
unfortunately, it's not much of a bonus-givin'-out kinda place.
i get a few "atta boy's" and a pat on the back.
it's more of a "what have you done for me lately?" atmosphere.

the way i look at it is -- i get a steady paycheck, the perks are decent... and i've been there a while, so i will more likely than not continue to weather the lay-offs...

At least there's a bright side, RP. (Hope the pressure eases soon.)

And speaking of weather, I had to shovel my way out the front door this morning. It's only November for Pete's sake! (And more snow predicted...)

Thanksgiving is fast becoming a less-favored holiday for me.

thanx TC.
sorry to hear about the early white shite...!

Mr. Fix-it's youngest sister got 15 minutes to clear out her desk yesterday after 18 years with the same company. We had heard on the news that the corp was making big cuts but had hoped she would be okay. Merry bloody Christmas!

Damn.

Ugh, that makes my stomach drop and I don't even know your sister-in-law.

I was let go along with the serious staff in a recession (early eighties) but I was just a trainee sort in a kind of second life. Snagged another job, which turned out to be long term, after something like 45 phone calls - the difference is, that in those days with the firms I looked at, people talked to me, including the bosses.

Nothing like your sister-in-law. Big blow. Sympathy, interested in more info if you or she feel like it.

That's terrible, Tai.

What a way to treat a long-term employee!

I hope this is not one of those companies asking for government hand-outs!

In a rather weird twist, we have a good friend who works for a different division (in a different city) of the same company as my sister-in-law. He has been given a temporary lay-off over Christmas and is quite happy about it as it gives him more time to spend with his children. The Mr. and I are now wondering if it will indeed be temporary.

Mr. Fix-it went in to the city the other night to see his old work buddies before Christmas. Some of them keep in touch and were interested in hearing how his schooling is going (I'll post about that, I promise). While there he heard that a major contract has been lost and it is almost certain there will be more lay-offs. As difficult as his decision to leave and return to school was, I'm thinking we are probably better off than if he had stayed.

Best case scenario, my work hours will be halved in the New Year. (None of these companies are looking for government hand-outs but they are definitely trimming staff to the bare bones in these tough economic times.)

sidewalk and driveway got snow-plowed last night.
dirty slush turned to concrete over night.
it has all but negated the shovelling i already did...

Sounds like haiku.

I shovelled my long walkway 3 times over the weekend. I shovelled out my car Sunday afternoon in prep for Monday morning. i did a damned good job, too, despite the plow and neighbors' best efforts to bury it. This morning I found that the plows had been busily building up a concrete wall around my tires. The f*&#%*ing stupid thing is that there is parking only on one side of the street - why not plow all one way? I guess because of the driveways on both sides, still - rather annoying. And people drive like idiots. I think this is because we have so many people from warmer climates (from within and without the US) living here.

I'm GRUMPY. I'm stressed. I've lost my mobile phone.

I thought my holidays began on Friday after work....but, luckily I was booking in someone to do some work around here, went to book them in on Monday, and discovered I was on Intake and therefore had to work.

So....since I am a one-person program...I try to get all the key people actually knowing I won't be there, and so I circulate en email to senior staff, and all our daft (except for one) admin staff....and I leave signs up in Intake.

So...it's 5.00 pm, and I have done all that, plus put my leave up on the big staff whereabouts board.

I am trudging my way up to my office to do what I need to do up there before I leave.........daftest admin person chirps happily that a number of people have rung during the day to enquire about my program, and because I was busy on Intake, she has emailed all the messages up to my room, telling them that I will call them "tomorrow".

a. All such calls are supposed to GO THROUGH INTAKE anyway.

b. I have done everything short of strip naked and paint on my body that I will be gone for three weeks STARTING NOW....and still our numbskull first line troops have taken no notice. I'd have thought that the "out of office, will be back on 12th January" messages that came back every time she emailed me might have been a SMALL clue, but seemingly not.

Bugger, that all does sound stressful, Deb. Bugger, bum!

Here's a delicious, tender baby carrot for you to chomp on .... & would you like a nice bunny head rub as well?

I would love one, thank you...and a wee scritch around the ears?

Berserkers.

Done!!

Yes, it's all Sodom and Gomorrah downunder.

Pardon, Walter?

Speaking of which, I foolishly made a comment about one of my exes (whom I had seen when i was out on Saturday night) at work yesterday. Actually, I more made a comment about his current, who had just become my CEO when she became his current, and started being a total arsehole to me, after I'd had a perfectly cordial relationship with her for years. (This came out of another conversation at the time).

Of course, my boss was there, and guessed who the CEO was, and therefore who my ex was, and started pumping me for information and gossip.

I HATE IT WHEN MY WORLDS COLLIDE LIKE THAT!!!!!!

I usually am careful not to say anything that reveals any history like that, and I was kicking myself.

Grrrrrrrrrrr..........