And so it begins...

Found out that yesterday they laid off 30 people from the Marketing Department.

I didn't know that Marketing had that many people in it!

But yeah, they did it some time yesterday down in the plaza area of the building behind where visitors check in. Police present and everything.

I went down about 10:30 to cool off after having a set to with another company and didn't see anything so I don't know when it happened or who was let go. I have limited dealings with the department.

I'm surprised because I guess I assumed that it would be like last time, one day and a big chop... if they spread it out oh that's just torture 'cause any day you come in could be your day.

I, as always, have mixed feelings.

T.C.B.

Very busy day, but productive... well at least on one front which is all I can ask. Nearly finished a set up that will allow for a massive correction. Oh how Accounting is gonna love me... and I'm already soooooo popular with them. For real.

D'oh!

JP left this morning for Denver. He'll be back Thursday so it's not that bad a trip... just it's proximity to the other trip is what sucks so bad.

I think JP wants to do something on Friday. No idea what but I'll let him put that together. I'm off that day so it's no big deal to me. Since I saw Slumdog Millionar last week I'm gonna go see The Wrestler on Friday I've decided.

I LOVED Slumdog, that's a movie to own... and really besides The Beach I do love Danny Boyles' films so so much. Slumdog is right up with Sunshine... but a much more feel good kind of movie.

Well just two more bits to finish and then I can notify accounting of what's up. Oh the fun the fun THE FUN!

TCB bay-be TCB!

Imagine that!

This morning, with "all my work" being so cruely given to Sally... some how I am still very busy! IMAGINE THAT!

Oh but wait... it doesn't count when it's my desk according to certain people here. I keep forgetting that bit.


So this weekend, just a two day one so it went quickly... and I swear if Sally doesn't stop walking by my office and giving me the stick eye I will shoot a rubberband out the door at her! (she just did it yet again while I typed that)

Saturday during the day I was on my own. JP was supposed to be back by 3 but Murphy's Law his flight was delayed and he arrived 5 minutes before I had to leave for the concert. Always our luck.

Concert was so much fun. Not like Duran Duran fun but a great show. He's got such an amazing voice and really knows how to put on a show. Our seats were right infront of the speakers which was the big draw back. A girl sitting behind us kept saying she just knew she was going to meet John Legend and she ran up to the stage at one point. Two songs later she was dancing on stage with him. It was so funny!

We didn't hang out afterwards just went straight home where I found Smudge had been giving JP a hard time. She wouldn't stop whining and she's still complaining. Whiny cat that she is.

So Sunday we just spent the day together. JP had some shopping to do and we just relaxed. Made a small Burn's Night Dinner and watched a movie (which was a horrible mess... Hancock... don't recommend it at all).

Turned out we got a rather last minute invite to the formal Burn's Night this coming Saturday but I already have theater tickets so easy way to say no.

Last night between JP lecturing Smudge at 1am about how it's not all about Smudge..., I have no idea what he busted her doing, and JP's own snoring I got a crap nights sleep. My eyes are gritty I'm that tired.

So you can imagine my joy in coming to an office where I've got a handfull of people who if they could incenerate me with their thoughts they would. Great.

Well, at least I AM still busy and that will fill up my day very nicely. It's only a 4 day week so I can make it work.

Not my fault that we aren't acquiring companies this year...

"No le gusta caminar... no puede montar al cabaio... como se puede bailar es un escandalo!"

Well... so much for people acting mature and doing what they can to pitch in and help.

Evidently in this office "Pitching in to Help" only happens if it's to help themselves out and not anyone else.

What went down is this... we were told in our last meeting due to the economic downturn and the massive collapse in the price of crude there will be NO acquisitions for the coming year.

Now, the person who took over the county I fell behind in and was overwhelmed by... she didn't have an area like the rest of us. She was point man for the acquisitions. And when you've got at least 3 massive acquisitions going on at overlapping times I'm sure she was crazy busy herself...

Since there are no coming acquisitions and they're just tidying up the loose ends of the last one she'd have NOTHING ON HER FRAKING DESK TO DO. I'm sure if acquisitions were still coming in even at half the speed of the last year I would still have all that crazy workload... but NOTHING is coming in. Zip. Zilch. Nada.

So I do the proactive, grown up in the office thing, and go to talk to her yesterday afternoon at the end of the day...

she basically implyed that I haven't BEEN working and that now I WON'T be working because she'll be doing ALL my work. Gee, I guess all I've been doing since the middle of summer is eat bon bons at my desk and getting mani/pedis on my extended lunch hour.

So much for feeling bad about any of the changes. Why do people have to be such enormous titty babies?! Maybe I needed some help and maybe someone could actually pitch in with the downturn. But as usual my overwhelmed and busy isn't "important" to certain department A-holes.

I brought in homemade banana bread for everyone yesterday... *growl* before I even knew what the changes would be?!


THEN this morning I spray an air freshner I brought in because my office doorway has been musty since Ike. I get someone running down the hall demanding to know who sprayed a deoderizer. *Deep Breath* If it wasn't the four of us who do have to sit down in this funk every morning until it airs out then this stink would have been taken care of way back when... but because of who sits down here nothing gets done. I told this person, yes I sprayed it and I'm gonna keep spraying it until something changes. I don't like have to breath in wetfunk every morning.

I have HAD IT with being pushed to the bottom. I'm not taking it from anyone. I come in, I do my work to the best of my abilities with what information I do get and I just want to be left alone. My sole motivation in the offic these days is to avoid contact with people so I don't have to be yelled at, condescended too, or belittled.

Am I just asking for too much?!

OMG! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!!!

We've re-distributed the workload, and since there will probably be no acquisitions this year... Sally is taking the bulk of my Permian Basin properties. This is excellent because she is beyond amazing at title work AND it's the scary scary owners that are involved.

Whoo-hoo!!!

I'm down to one bad county but it's not that bad really by comparison and since she'll have the two bad ones I can probably go to her for information as she gets more of a response.

I swear I didn't have the experience or the paid grade from some of this stuff that's been landed on me.

So I'll get to focus on Hugoton properties which hopefully means I can do a better job with all that crazy stuff.

This will all change in 6 months as quiet areas become busy and problem projects are finished but man I don't feel like I have to worry about being fired any more! (We're hoping to get laid off if/when we leave! Or leaving for a joyous change in life).

This cracked me up!

Was someone close to you rude without any provocation? Were you the target of unpleasant criticism? You take these slights to heart. Beginning today, and throughout the days to come, you can expect to withdraw somewhat to lick your wounds. You need more harmony and gentleness in your love life, and you are likely to obtain that soon. Be patient!



And this "incident" would be any different from my normal dealings how?!

...and some junk...

The migraine from yesterday seems to be gone, but my vision is still a bit loopy. Right now I'm okay to have the overhead lights on, but I wouldn't be surprised if I have to turn them off again.

Sunday is Burns Night so I have been tasked with buying tinned Haggis and finding "tatties and 'nips." The haggies and the tatties are easy enough, but finding the right variety of turnip is not. I'll give Central Market a go tomorrow and Whole Foods on Friday if it comes to that.

Fun.

Last night I fell asleep well before 9pm with the tv blaring. The girls did not come up to bed with me like they normally do. They stayed downstairs waiting for JP to come home. Keiko came to bed at 3:30am... She makes this odd chirping sound when she jumps. Graceful she is not. Smudge didn't come to bed until 4:30 and she staked her claim on my sternum. So I'm a tad tired now.

Smudge was very very mopey this morning. I am no longer enough for her. Probably a good thing I'll be gone on Saturday night so she can have JP to herself for awhile. She snuggles up to him more when I'm not there.

As always, bunches to get done. Still no word on the redistribution. Come OOOOONN! He better not be waiting until the end of the month!

This is what pops into my mind...

I've been listening to the Inauguration today and all the talk about the "transition."

So what comes to my mind? The old SNL skit with Phil Hartman as Barbara Bush and Jan Hooks as Nancy Reagan, refusing to leave the White House and "Barbara" having to manhandle her as "Nancy" has a death grip on the door. Hilarious... and of course no clip is available on YouTube thanks to Hulu. *boohiss*

I'm not sure what's up with me today. My eyes are all funny and I've gotten light headed a couple of times... this typically would have lead to a migraine which Thank God I seem to be slowly but surely outgrowing.

*Ugh*

If the visual auras get worse I'll head home, but so far so good. I just have to close my right eye frequently to read the monitor without the flashing.

So much to correct, so much to actually dig into... oh please please let them announce the redistribution soon and may it actually give me some relief for a change!

ARRRRRGH!

Don't know what it is...

But when JP is away I have a much harder time waking up in the morning.

That plus the excesses of the holidays have made several pairs of pants a bit snug, and it takes so much longer to take it off than to put it on. ARGH!

I went back to a Pilates DVD yesterday just to shake things up from the routine... I forgot how much those plank poses mess with my right shoulder. Not as bad as I belive I've improved strength wise with the weights but still that slightly familiar twinge showed up for a moment.

Watched Big Bang Theory last night, that was hilarious! I used my last $25 to Amazon for season 1 since it was marked down to $17. This show always makes me laugh out loud. I have to shuffle some recordings as they've moved House to 7 on Mondays. Grrr... Well... as long as they don't pursure House/Cutty and dump 13. She bugs me.

Today I need to go get cash as the cleaner comes tomorrow and I was thinking of going to Francesca's to look for a bracelet for the Valentine's Scottish Dance. I got my dress:



It fits my pearshaped self very well keeping everything covered under lovely thick silk fabric. I used my birthday money from Charming Charlie's for some earings and I just want a new bracelet to go with it. I've got shoes and a bag so I'm set. And more than likely I'll wear this to Andrew & Katie's wedding this summer as it's an evening wedding at the Houstonian.

Gotta keep up with my man in his kilt. well, really... when he's in the kilt people never notice what the girl is wearing. HAHAHAHA! In Ireland on the way to the Church a Norwegian tourist kept snapping JP's picture so I offered to take one of them together. She was a cute little old lady and was so happy.

I hope this week goes quickly... I find that the evenings do because I have to do all the prepping for the evening with a very upset cat. JP typically does the few dishes and clean up around the outside of the house (we're always getting junk blowin into our yard) but I have to do all of that plus my work out and the other stuff I normally do like the cooking of lunch etc... and I at heart am just a lazy soul.

I guess I should just be proud that I did my workout and a few chores and be done with it.

Not feeling to spiffy today though. My stomach has been all crazy and cramping off and on... I wonder if the cous cous I made upset my tummy. It came out rather greasy, I think I put a tad too much olive oil. oh well... hopefully it'll settle down this morning.

I have NPR on as they interview various people at the National Mall. I hope they stay on the whole morning...

Do I really have to go back...?

Next week I'm working the full 5 days... it's been over a month since I have had a 5 day week. Ugh. I'm not looking forward to it since work has been so miserable.

Friday I was off so I met my parents for lunch and did some light food shopping.

Olga came and stayed a couple of nights so I cooked the first night.

Saturday we went up to the 290 Outlets again. Another excellent sale going on at Kate Spade. They had just gotten a huge shipment from the Galleria store. Olga got an amazing deal on a red leather bag... and yes I was naughty and got a black bag for work. The sales lady told me if I liked the one I was looking at I shouldn't put it back down as it was moving very quickly.

At the time it was one of 5 bags. 10 minutes later there were none left... whoa.

The bag I got for my sister was no longer in stock, but they had other colors. My duffle was still plenty in stock and actually $10-12 less, darn but hey it's hard to know when they'll have sales these days. Typically you never see sales like they're having.

Today Jim comes home from snowboarding very late. So after a nice lunch with the pastor of our church I came home and I'm doing laundry and just popped in Get Smart. Love Steve Carrell.

I did get to listen to part of that concert at the Lincoln Memorial as I drove home.

Watched the latest BSG episode... I can't believe the Final Cylon... how in the world is that gonna work out? And okay so the body they found in the wreckage... what does that mean then?! I'm gonna try and save as many of the episodes on the DVR so that I can rewatch them 'cause i bet I'm missing stuff.

Also watched the latest of Supernatural... icky! feral people living the walls... that just creeped me out. Good thing I watched it in broad daylight... but I think part of why it creeped me out so much is that JP has left the garage access to the attic area open for nearly two weeks and in the back of my head I wonder if some critter could sneak in there... eep.

crazy times... I'm telling ya...

It's been one of those weeks... even our office Little Miss Sunshine is in a mood. She left a post it on a transfer that wasn't working that said, "This transfer is giving me hell..."

She might as well have dropped and F-Bomb she's that cheerful.

I think we're all hoping the next couple of hours fly by. Sheesh.

Part of it, I have to wonder, if it's caused by the new order of reporting to Accounting and boy howdy do they like to stick to us...

I've resigned myself to setting up what they demand knowing that all documents haven't been signed and that ownership is either incomplete, incorrect, or likely to get us sued in the coming years.

As long as my supervisor sends me a happy little email that I can print out that says "do it." I have my get out of jail free card. Then years down the road when it does blow up there will be evidence that we tried to do the legal and correct thing and were thwarted at every turn.

The industry she is a changing and it's going to pot.

If you are reading this and happen to own Mineral Interest somewhere... sell it! Get rid of it! It'll be more hassel than it's worth unless you take it upon yourself to track everything about it. The companies won't know their assests let alone a royalty interest.

*sigh*

it doesn't help that basically I help mean nasty people get more money everyday. And my sole motivation now is to avoid phonecalls... not unlike the guy from Office Space who is only motivated by not having to have contact with his 8 bosses.

So yeah...

Anyway, weekend starts at 4:30 today. Starting with Bernard Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession." Awesome will fill the stage... can't wait. I adore the Alley Theater... oh yes.

Weekend is still rather open. JP leaves tonight and I believe Olga is gonna come over on Friday. She's having a very rough week so I promised to fill her with lasagna and beer...

come on 4:30!

Change that to "I DON'T WANT to Survive"

I don't think Gloria Gaynor would mind too much...

Talked with my supervisor about some issues going on that I thought he should be aware of regarding classification issues and as usual we got to chatting.

He informed me that he had spoken with the bosslady recently. Again doing the dance of layoffs and lists...

He said she asked how would we do without Land Techs...

*SH*T*

Right now we're crippled, hobbling along. We'd be the amputated limb without techs. Geez-o-Pete!

So I dunno... I don't want to survive if the department is going to be gutted to that extent. It's hard enough to get stuff done now... but do I want to try and jump ship now? What if I am on the list, that's at least 6 months of pay with the severance deal... some people are saying it's a full year.

*ARGH*

"You came on your own... That's how you'll leave...."

"With hope in your hands and air to breathe..."


I've been playing my "Party" mix the last couple of days while I've worked on my new set ups. And I broke down and asked for help. I passed on one new very strait forward take over and a convluted accounting/IT issue... I just don't have time to dig in with accounting on anything right now with all the Operation issues that have popped up.

My supervisor is gonna do both I'm pretty sure so yeah... they are the simplest issues to pass off... not simpliest to take care of.

What a jacked up week.

Tonight is dinner with Campbell & Ann. Tomorrow is BBQ with Mom & Dad. I think it'll be a nice laid back weekend.

And go me, I scored very decent tickets to Joel McHale... WHOO-HOO! Master of Pop Culture Snark ala The Soup. Should be a good night, not until February. Hopefully JP doesn't get sent out of town that weekend!

So yeah, I've gotten several set ups taken care of so I'm feeling a bit better about my desk. Still insanely behind and I believe I always will be... *sigh*

Will I ever dig out?

Oh my... the amount of work that came in this morning is 100% insane...


Not even counting what I already had on my desk. Sheesh. Nothing I can do but what I can. There is still no help to be had... and rumors have not changed about layoffs.

Oh well.

Weekend away was very nice. It was very quite and peaceful with very little driving having to be done. Which was good because JP got in a snit about the GPS speaking. Made it a bit harder to follow the stupid thing. I think what he really is wanting some kind of auto-pilot.

Aren't we all.

I have a few pictures from the weekend, not much and I'm sure eventually I'll get them uploaded. Especially my pig, Wilbur.

Best get back to set ups. A whole mess of them came on yesterday and this morning. Then I get to try and figure out which monster project do I want to attmept to get too next... ugh. Not looking forward to that.

Fun!