tinyfroglet

When I arrived at work today, C asked me, "Have you changed your mind--are you staying? Because S changed her mind....she's not going to take the job after all."

O RLY???

Turns out I spent all day yesterday training someone who decided to not take the job after all due to "personal reasons."

So K and C spent the day trying to convince me to change my mind and stay. I was really tempted...not.

C gave me a sweet card and a cute little clock. She also bought chocolates for the office and brought me a shirt (?) that doesn't fit her that she thought I might like.

All these kind gestures almost caused me to want to stay.

Who am I kidding?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last night we went to dinner at Vessia with J's aunt and uncle. We brought along a bottle of Silver Oak that J has had for over ten years in order to celebrate J's huge promotion and my job ending. OK, mostly celebrating J's promotion. :)

Today is my last day at work. The woman I'm training has dragon lady fingernails. She scratches her head a lot and her shoulders and back are covered with breadcrumb-like dandruff that she brushes off ceaselessly. C asked if I could come in early to do extra training and I said that I just couldn't -- trying to get ready for my parent's visit.

My parents arrive tomorrow. Most of the house cleaning still needs to be done. Any volunteers?

K hired my replacement today. A sixty-something widow with accounting experience. She starts tomorrow, so I'll spend my last two days training her.

So much for taking it easy my last few days!

Work went well yesterday. By that, I mean it all went to hell, but I handled it well. I walked into a shitstorm that essentially occurred because C gave dispatch the incorrect contact information for a load of material to be delivered yesterday. I spent the first two hours of the day tracking down where the material got dropped and how to get it from there (where there was no loading equipment) to its correct destination. Meanwhile multiple people were panicking, near and far, and I was doing C's job, so a bit out of my comfort zone.

The situation resolved, I survived. K said to me, "I have no idea what we're going to do without you," which was gratifying and overdue. I said, "Well you know, a door closes, a window opens, right?" And he said, "What I'm afraid of is that a big hole is going to open ... and we're all going to fall through it."

So there you go. I felt like saying, "A little time off for me now and then doesn't seem so bad now, right?" What I said was, "I'm sure you'll find the right person and everything will be fine."

Next career: Politician???

Nah. But I'm learning something. Not sure what, but something.

C has decided to take today off. I can't blame her, since in a week things are going to get more difficult for her.

It means I'm headed into work early, to cover for her. I was very "gracious" about it, but nobody noticed.

I wish I didn't have such a good work ethic. It's so tempting just to let things slide for the next five workdays.

Instead I've been working like a madwoman trying to get caught up from my two days off and in preparation for being off for good. C has slacked off, dumping more of her work on me (oopsie! i didn't have time to do this today) as she sashays out the door, denial in her purse.

Today is the first day they start interviewing candidates for my replacement. Joy. I'm working my job and C's and dealing with my replacement and extra people in the office! I guess I'll just look at it as the last big hurdle in the gauntlet.

Freeeeeedommmmm!!!

All week I've been waiting for the right time to talk to my boss. Monday he didn't come in to work. Tuesday, he was in his office with the door closed except for lunch, which he took with C. Then he and C left together around 3 pm. Frustrated, I sent him an email after he left, saying I needed to talk to him on Wednesday if possible.

Wednesday I received no email from him. Nor did he say anything about meeeting with me when he called in from "offsite." I asked him if he were going to be in that day. When he said he wasn't sure, I asked him if he would be around Thursday, as I needed to talk to him. He said he thoughts so and that was the end of the conversation.

Yesterday, 4:29 pm (one minute before I leave work) he calls and says, "Hey, I have a second to talk now if you want."

Long story short: I broke up with my job over the phone.

After Wednesday, June 27th, you will no longer be able to tune in to this station for the Small Office Soap Opera.

I could not be more pleased!!!

Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback, support, suggestions and information helpful to my current vacation situation. I needed the perspective.

I was really angry for a day and then I got over it. Everyone has crappy stuff to deal with at their jobs. I have crappy stuff too. I talked to my dad the day after my head exploded and told him that when I stopped being angry, I felt really drained. He said, "Maybe you should get angry again. It would re-energize you." That made me laugh!

I also spoke to C and explained to her that while it was unfortunate that the wedding was happening only a few weeks before my parents arrive, I would still need to spend time with my family. I reassured her that, since I live nearby, if she got overwhelmed or needed help, she could call me and I'd come in and help out. I reminded her that I was willing to "swap days" with her -- and since her kids are home for the summer, surely she would want to take advantage of that. She seemed relieved that I had brought up the subject. I left it at that.

K sent his email to me on Monday. Today is Thursday. Still no further news on whether he and C have decided to allow me unpaid time off with my family. Somehow I'm not worried about it. I'll do what I have to do and accept the consequences.

Truth is, as one of my friends pointed out, I'm overqualified for my job and not working in my area of interest/expertise. This has always been true. I never could quite figure out what to do with my English major. I tried writing, but didn't know how to make money with it. I don't want to teach, so that narrows the field. And I'm fairly sure one has to have been a writer to become an editor. So I don't really know how to "work in my area of expertise." Instead, I've just worked wherever they were passing out green stuff. *shrug*

I've really been trying to be positive.  But it's tough to do when I get emails like this:

****

I called my parents tonight. I woke them up, because we're on opposite coasts. We talked for a while, in spite of the sleepiness. I mentioned to my dad that I think K and C at work are having an affair. I don't have proof, but...I'm 60% sure they are. I also told him that K had me purchase his wife's flowers and anniversary card. My dad, always pragmatic, said, "Well, at least he had you buy them and not C." That really made me laugh, in a sick-to-my-stomach kind of way.

My roses are still beautiful. I keep finding baby preying mantises on my roses. This makes me happy. I also have ladybugs and ladybug larvae (babybugs?). Spiders seem to enjoy living in roses also. They are a scary pop-out surprise when I am going for a sniff of the sweetness. I also have jasmine! Just figured that out recently.

Oh boy. Suddenly, inexplicably, my job is boring.

This should be a good thing, right? No more learning curve, no more feeling of overwhelm, no more extreme office craziness. (except for the ongoing global warming schtick)

I'm caught up. I'm not learning anything new. (unless you count my task to cure the planet's rising temperatures) C and I are getting along just fine. K and H are pleased as punch with my performance.

But I'm bored. I literally do not know how to pass the time. I've tried brainstorming about my upcoming art program, but there's only so much I can do on the sly. The office is small, so I can't surf or make personal calls.

This is a new and unexpected level of torment. I'm considering cutting back my hours, but that would also cut back my paycheck. Mammon, my cruel master!

***

got to walk out of here
I can't take anymore
going to stand on that bridge
keep my eyes down below
whatever may come
and whatever may go
that river's flowing
that river's flowing