I've determined that the main reason I am incapable of keeping this blog up to date is that I can't write on demand. I have to have a reason to blog and a post forming in my head before I can even manage to get a few words typed. I've tried and tried to do daily updates, but I just can't manage it. I always manage to start a post, but since I haven't really been inspired by its contents, I cannot finish it.
I've got tons of drafts saved, but they aren't complete. Nor will they ever be. So, I've decided to just write whenever my creative juices flow, and not try to force it. This works very well, considering most of my posts are "rants" and they seem to do better as a 'stream of consciousness' type thing. So, when ever I manage to be inspired to write, I will. Otherwise, it may be weeks or even months between posts.
I guess I just can't force creativity.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Live Blogging a Customer Service/Tech Support Call
So, I had to call my ISP tech support/customer service regarding my DSL modem. It has decided to be a total pain in my ass the last few days. Apparently, it likes to change all of it’s settings anytime you try to do anything with it. I waited til late in the evening to make the call, like 10pm, with hopes that there wouldn’t be much of a wait time. There wasn’t hardly any wait at all. That is the only thing that went my way though.
First of all, I obviously got someone who is not based in the US, to put it mildly. I had to have her repeat everything numerous times because her accent was so thick. I’m used to this level of customer “unservice” by now, but good Lord, this is ridiculous.
The real problems started when she asked what Operating System I am using. I told her Mac OS 10. She got silent and asked why I had switched from Windows XP. I flatly told her it was because I had gotten a new computer. This is where the real fun began…
She was nice enough to inform me that she didn’t know anything about the Mac OS. Then casually asked if it was a laptop or desktop. I told her desktop and she seemed even more confused. Then I was put on hold for what seemed like forever while she tried to find someone who knows anything about Mac. This is where I began to get pissed. The problem is in the modem. It has absolutely nothing to do with the computer’s settings. The modem is just randomly disconnecting itself from the internet. If she would have listened, or been able to understand basic English, I could have been off the phone 15 minutes ago. But, no, she heard Mac, and commenced to freak out. When she finally came back on the line, she told me they couldn’t help me because they don’t do Mac support. I had to explain to her very slowly and clearly that the problem that I’m having has nothing to do with the computer; the problem is in the modem. The computer is doing what it is supposed to do.
After several more minutes of trying to explain this to her, she told me she was going to transfer me to a different department to address my concerns. At this point I’m getting very pissed and I can feel my blood pressure beginning to rise. It is not good for customer service agents when my blood pressure begins to rise. I used to work in customer service and I understand what they have to go through, but there is no excuse for incompetence. Nor is there any excuse for having agents who can’t speak the language they are supposed to communicate in. Not only must they communicate, but they must be able to speak in technical terms. This girl can’t. That’s for damn sure. I’ve called this ISP before and gotten someone overseas. But in those cases, the person spoke better English, and at least knew something about the subject matter. I’ve never had problems with this company like this.
Basically she heard “Wireless” and “Mac” and freaked out, so she never actually heard the real problem. The problem is the modem has disconnected itself from the DSL. (Luckily, our city-wide WiFi is about to launch so I can drop these fools and pick up the KiteNet service from the city. (For about ½ as much as this ISP). Unfortunately, I’m stuck with these fools for at least another month, or until the WiFi goes live. )
So, she comes back on the line and is still hung up on the whole wireless thing. I’ve now asked her to transfer me to someone who can actually understand the issue and do something about it. She’s checking with her “team leader.” Now, she wants to send me a new modem, she thinks the modem is bad. Funny thing is, that is always their response. Every single time I’ve called them over the last 1 ½ years (since I’ve had this service) they’ve tried to say the modem was bad. Every single time they have been wrong. They just don’t want to deal with it, so they think it’s easier to tell me it’s the modem, send me a new one, and punt it to the next poor rep that gets my call when the new modem has the same problem as the first. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM ISN’T A BAD MODEM, THE PROBLEM ISN’T MY COMPUTER, THE PROBLEM ISN’T THE WIRELESS, THE PROBLEM ISN’T MAC OS 10, THE PROBLEM IS THE FREAKING SETTINGS ON THE MODEM, AND SOMETHING WITHIN IT THAT WON’T LET IT RESET WITHOUT GOING BACK TO DEFAULT. AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
Still on hold…still on hold… still on hold… still on hold… still on hold… still on hold…
She’s back…still obsessed with the wireless. I told her for the fifteenth time that I’m not having a problem with the wireless. The computer can connect to the modem wirelessly. Not a single freakin’ problem there. The problem is that when I reset the modem to enable the security settings, the modem itself no longer recognizes the DSL connection. Now, I’m on hold AGAIN while she tries to get in touch with some other department. Every single time that I have tried to explain the problem to her, she has pulled this same shit.
On hold…still on hold…still on hold…still on hold…still on hold…I think I may hang up and call back to try to get someone with a better understanding of English and technical matters. You better damn well believe that this ISP is going to hear from me about this.
I guess this has turned into some weird live-blog. Oddly, it’s very calming to write what is happening in real time. It’s helping me get through the really freakin’ long holds without losing my mind. Maybe I should have done this the week of Christmas when I was fighting with Best Buy and UPS. Speaking of those two…don’t ever use either one. Their customer service sucks and they couldn’t care less about their customers. On the 3rd day that I contacted Best Buy, I spent 2 ½ hrs on hold before I finally got a human being. At one point, someone actually picked up the line then hung up. But that is a whole other saga.
Well, we finally got it resolved. Somehow, someway, the password for the ISP in the DSL modem settings had reverted to all lowercase letters. God only knows why. She, of course, wasn’t able to tell me why or how that had happened, considering that I hadn’t been in that part of the setup when I did the wireless connection. All of that to find out that I was right the entire time (as always). I’m kind of pissed because on of the first things she had me do was verify that stupid password according to what was in setup. She said it was fine then. Before I could get off the phone with her, she had to “recap” our conversation including all the steps that we took to correct the problem. I HATE dealing with tech support!!!
Tune in next time…I just sent off for a rebate…I’m sure there will be many fireworks involved in that transaction. (There has been every other time I’ve ever submitted a rebate. I actually consider it a bonus if I actually get the damn thing).
First of all, I obviously got someone who is not based in the US, to put it mildly. I had to have her repeat everything numerous times because her accent was so thick. I’m used to this level of customer “unservice” by now, but good Lord, this is ridiculous.
The real problems started when she asked what Operating System I am using. I told her Mac OS 10. She got silent and asked why I had switched from Windows XP. I flatly told her it was because I had gotten a new computer. This is where the real fun began…
She was nice enough to inform me that she didn’t know anything about the Mac OS. Then casually asked if it was a laptop or desktop. I told her desktop and she seemed even more confused. Then I was put on hold for what seemed like forever while she tried to find someone who knows anything about Mac. This is where I began to get pissed. The problem is in the modem. It has absolutely nothing to do with the computer’s settings. The modem is just randomly disconnecting itself from the internet. If she would have listened, or been able to understand basic English, I could have been off the phone 15 minutes ago. But, no, she heard Mac, and commenced to freak out. When she finally came back on the line, she told me they couldn’t help me because they don’t do Mac support. I had to explain to her very slowly and clearly that the problem that I’m having has nothing to do with the computer; the problem is in the modem. The computer is doing what it is supposed to do.
After several more minutes of trying to explain this to her, she told me she was going to transfer me to a different department to address my concerns. At this point I’m getting very pissed and I can feel my blood pressure beginning to rise. It is not good for customer service agents when my blood pressure begins to rise. I used to work in customer service and I understand what they have to go through, but there is no excuse for incompetence. Nor is there any excuse for having agents who can’t speak the language they are supposed to communicate in. Not only must they communicate, but they must be able to speak in technical terms. This girl can’t. That’s for damn sure. I’ve called this ISP before and gotten someone overseas. But in those cases, the person spoke better English, and at least knew something about the subject matter. I’ve never had problems with this company like this.
Basically she heard “Wireless” and “Mac” and freaked out, so she never actually heard the real problem. The problem is the modem has disconnected itself from the DSL. (Luckily, our city-wide WiFi is about to launch so I can drop these fools and pick up the KiteNet service from the city. (For about ½ as much as this ISP). Unfortunately, I’m stuck with these fools for at least another month, or until the WiFi goes live. )
As a side note, (while I’m on hold), I cannot believe that my little Podunk city is actually going to have city-wide WiFi.) It’s one hell of a set up. They say that the monthly service will be about $20, and you may have to have a modem to boost the signal in some areas, but holy crap, it’s freakin’ city-wide WiFi. In Longmont, of all places. Boulder doesn’t even have city-wide, and they are a hell of a lot more progressive than this town.
So, she comes back on the line and is still hung up on the whole wireless thing. I’ve now asked her to transfer me to someone who can actually understand the issue and do something about it. She’s checking with her “team leader.” Now, she wants to send me a new modem, she thinks the modem is bad. Funny thing is, that is always their response. Every single time I’ve called them over the last 1 ½ years (since I’ve had this service) they’ve tried to say the modem was bad. Every single time they have been wrong. They just don’t want to deal with it, so they think it’s easier to tell me it’s the modem, send me a new one, and punt it to the next poor rep that gets my call when the new modem has the same problem as the first. BECAUSE THE PROBLEM ISN’T A BAD MODEM, THE PROBLEM ISN’T MY COMPUTER, THE PROBLEM ISN’T THE WIRELESS, THE PROBLEM ISN’T MAC OS 10, THE PROBLEM IS THE FREAKING SETTINGS ON THE MODEM, AND SOMETHING WITHIN IT THAT WON’T LET IT RESET WITHOUT GOING BACK TO DEFAULT. AAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
Still on hold…still on hold… still on hold… still on hold… still on hold… still on hold…
She’s back…still obsessed with the wireless. I told her for the fifteenth time that I’m not having a problem with the wireless. The computer can connect to the modem wirelessly. Not a single freakin’ problem there. The problem is that when I reset the modem to enable the security settings, the modem itself no longer recognizes the DSL connection. Now, I’m on hold AGAIN while she tries to get in touch with some other department. Every single time that I have tried to explain the problem to her, she has pulled this same shit.
On hold…still on hold…still on hold…still on hold…still on hold…I think I may hang up and call back to try to get someone with a better understanding of English and technical matters. You better damn well believe that this ISP is going to hear from me about this.
I guess this has turned into some weird live-blog. Oddly, it’s very calming to write what is happening in real time. It’s helping me get through the really freakin’ long holds without losing my mind. Maybe I should have done this the week of Christmas when I was fighting with Best Buy and UPS. Speaking of those two…don’t ever use either one. Their customer service sucks and they couldn’t care less about their customers. On the 3rd day that I contacted Best Buy, I spent 2 ½ hrs on hold before I finally got a human being. At one point, someone actually picked up the line then hung up. But that is a whole other saga.
Well, we finally got it resolved. Somehow, someway, the password for the ISP in the DSL modem settings had reverted to all lowercase letters. God only knows why. She, of course, wasn’t able to tell me why or how that had happened, considering that I hadn’t been in that part of the setup when I did the wireless connection. All of that to find out that I was right the entire time (as always). I’m kind of pissed because on of the first things she had me do was verify that stupid password according to what was in setup. She said it was fine then. Before I could get off the phone with her, she had to “recap” our conversation including all the steps that we took to correct the problem. I HATE dealing with tech support!!!
Tune in next time…I just sent off for a rebate…I’m sure there will be many fireworks involved in that transaction. (There has been every other time I’ve ever submitted a rebate. I actually consider it a bonus if I actually get the damn thing).
Thursday, December 21, 2006
The Blizzard and the Boss
As I sit here tonight, I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders. My little shoulders. No, it's not even because of Bush this time. This time the problem is snow. Lots and lots of snow. And all that it seems to represent.
I'm gonna ramble, I'm gonna complain, but ultimately, I hope to make my point.
In the middle of the "Holiday Blizzard 2006", as the news channels are calling it, (they are apparently required to name every storm that produces more than a dusting of snow) I've come to realize all that snow represents. Let me begin by explaining how my awakening happened...
This morning, when my fantastic boss finally let us leave work, two hours after we should have been allowed to, I drove home at a whopping 15mph in white-out conditions, in a front wheel drive sports-car with good, but not 'snow' tires. After sliding several times and worrying about the jackasses around me, I made it to my street. Unfortunately, I live at the top of a nice little incline, and so had to park my car at the bottom of the hill and walk the last 1/2 mile. In a blizzard. Gusting wind. Snow, ankle deep. In high heels. I did quite a bit of thinking on that 10 minute walk. Mostly to keep my mind off of the fact that I couldn't feel my feet, except for the ice that was forming in my arches.
I began to think about my amazing boss, and how at 9:30 this morning, when one of our project managers, who was on the interstate, called and said we had to leave right then or it was going to be too dangerous, he just shrugged it off. Then, 20 minutes later, when one of our foremen called and said the same thing, he still shrugged it off and said we could stick it out until 2:00. Finally, he was overruled by our Op Mgr, who at 10:30 said "Shut it down". When I called back into the shop, to let my brilliant boss know that yes, I'd made it home, and thanks for nothing since I had to hike in a blizzard to get home, he actually had the gonads to ask if I thought I'd be able to make it in tomorrow, and if not, could I get a ride in with someone. I laughed and informed him that no one is going anywhere tomorrow morning. He said he'd be in, cause his big ass' gas-guzzlin', over-sized, "Bush-Cheney" bumper-stickered, SUV could get through anything. I hope he gets stuck.
I'll stop rambling and get to my point. The mere fact that anyone seems to think that the accounting office of a construction company needs to be open during a blizzard is a stunning example of how far this country has slid down hill. That bosses are actually expecting people to risk life, limb, and property to make sure that a deposit gets posted or an invoice gets mailed befuddles me. When did I give my soul to that company, or any company. All that matters is the bottom line. To hell with the snow, screw CDOT, they don't know what they're doing when the shut down the interstate. How dare they say we peons can't go into work in 26" of snow.
The fact is, everything is being reduced to the bottom line. No matter how a company gets there, how dangerous their methods, how warped their motives, nor how psycho their demands, they are just racing to the bottom. All ends justify their means, according to them. I already work longer hours than I used to, with more (many more) duties, and come next week, I'll get a nice little pat on the back, an "atta-girl" and a raise that will equal about 1/2 of a cost of living increase. And I will act gracious. For this, I was expected to risk my well-being to go into work? I don't think so.
Maybe you'll say I have a bad attitude, but I'm sick and tired of being treated as a mere pawn in some screwed up Titans-of-Industry game. I'm sick and tired of knowing that I am making less now than I was in 2000. I'm tired of seeing my middle-class status slip from my fingers helplessly. Yeah, sure I could get a second job, but the point is, I shouldn't have to. No one should have to. My husband is already working his ass off traveling 75% of the time just so we can make enough money to live a decent life. But, when he is bouncing around the country at the whim of a boss with too much money and too much spare time, how are we supposed to enjoy that life.
If this is middle-class, I don't want to even think about what the less fortunate have to deal with. This country didn't use to be like this. It was never equal, it was never fair, but at least everyone had a chance, however small it may be. Now, we are all slowly sinking to the bottom, with no one to pull us out. And no ropes or ladders to help ourselves.
If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for life. That's all fine and dandy, but it'd be nice if you provided him with a rod, some bait, and maybe even a fish to feed him till he gets the hang of it.
If we require anything of our leaders, it should be a safety net, workplace protections, and labor-friendly policies. Because without workers out there busting butt everyday, there would not be a United States. There wouldn't be anything, except maybe the snow. Piling up, smothering us all, slowly and surely.
I'm gonna ramble, I'm gonna complain, but ultimately, I hope to make my point.
In the middle of the "Holiday Blizzard 2006", as the news channels are calling it, (they are apparently required to name every storm that produces more than a dusting of snow) I've come to realize all that snow represents. Let me begin by explaining how my awakening happened...
This morning, when my fantastic boss finally let us leave work, two hours after we should have been allowed to, I drove home at a whopping 15mph in white-out conditions, in a front wheel drive sports-car with good, but not 'snow' tires. After sliding several times and worrying about the jackasses around me, I made it to my street. Unfortunately, I live at the top of a nice little incline, and so had to park my car at the bottom of the hill and walk the last 1/2 mile. In a blizzard. Gusting wind. Snow, ankle deep. In high heels. I did quite a bit of thinking on that 10 minute walk. Mostly to keep my mind off of the fact that I couldn't feel my feet, except for the ice that was forming in my arches.
I began to think about my amazing boss, and how at 9:30 this morning, when one of our project managers, who was on the interstate, called and said we had to leave right then or it was going to be too dangerous, he just shrugged it off. Then, 20 minutes later, when one of our foremen called and said the same thing, he still shrugged it off and said we could stick it out until 2:00. Finally, he was overruled by our Op Mgr, who at 10:30 said "Shut it down". When I called back into the shop, to let my brilliant boss know that yes, I'd made it home, and thanks for nothing since I had to hike in a blizzard to get home, he actually had the gonads to ask if I thought I'd be able to make it in tomorrow, and if not, could I get a ride in with someone. I laughed and informed him that no one is going anywhere tomorrow morning. He said he'd be in, cause his big ass' gas-guzzlin', over-sized, "Bush-Cheney" bumper-stickered, SUV could get through anything. I hope he gets stuck.
I'll stop rambling and get to my point. The mere fact that anyone seems to think that the accounting office of a construction company needs to be open during a blizzard is a stunning example of how far this country has slid down hill. That bosses are actually expecting people to risk life, limb, and property to make sure that a deposit gets posted or an invoice gets mailed befuddles me. When did I give my soul to that company, or any company. All that matters is the bottom line. To hell with the snow, screw CDOT, they don't know what they're doing when the shut down the interstate. How dare they say we peons can't go into work in 26" of snow.
The fact is, everything is being reduced to the bottom line. No matter how a company gets there, how dangerous their methods, how warped their motives, nor how psycho their demands, they are just racing to the bottom. All ends justify their means, according to them. I already work longer hours than I used to, with more (many more) duties, and come next week, I'll get a nice little pat on the back, an "atta-girl" and a raise that will equal about 1/2 of a cost of living increase. And I will act gracious. For this, I was expected to risk my well-being to go into work? I don't think so.
Maybe you'll say I have a bad attitude, but I'm sick and tired of being treated as a mere pawn in some screwed up Titans-of-Industry game. I'm sick and tired of knowing that I am making less now than I was in 2000. I'm tired of seeing my middle-class status slip from my fingers helplessly. Yeah, sure I could get a second job, but the point is, I shouldn't have to. No one should have to. My husband is already working his ass off traveling 75% of the time just so we can make enough money to live a decent life. But, when he is bouncing around the country at the whim of a boss with too much money and too much spare time, how are we supposed to enjoy that life.
If this is middle-class, I don't want to even think about what the less fortunate have to deal with. This country didn't use to be like this. It was never equal, it was never fair, but at least everyone had a chance, however small it may be. Now, we are all slowly sinking to the bottom, with no one to pull us out. And no ropes or ladders to help ourselves.
If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day, but if you teach him to fish, you feed him for life. That's all fine and dandy, but it'd be nice if you provided him with a rod, some bait, and maybe even a fish to feed him till he gets the hang of it.
If we require anything of our leaders, it should be a safety net, workplace protections, and labor-friendly policies. Because without workers out there busting butt everyday, there would not be a United States. There wouldn't be anything, except maybe the snow. Piling up, smothering us all, slowly and surely.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
We Did It!
Well, we did it. We actually did it. We took the House, the Senate, the Governorships, and the State Legislatures. We worked our asses off, and we did it.
We troll rated Bush and the GOP last night into oblivion. We took their Mojo, and their TU status and barely left them enough to avoid the Autoban from getting them. We rendered them irrelevant and told them where they could shove it.
We flung recipes for economic uplift, national security, and universal healthcare. We threw pie in their faces. Then we woke up this morning with smiles on our faces and forced them to eat crow.
We did it, all of us, the grassroots, the netroots, the activists, and the Dem leadership. We came together(for the most part) and we did it.
To quote Howard Dean from The Daily Show tonight…
…”Boo-Ya!!!”
We troll rated Bush and the GOP last night into oblivion. We took their Mojo, and their TU status and barely left them enough to avoid the Autoban from getting them. We rendered them irrelevant and told them where they could shove it.
We flung recipes for economic uplift, national security, and universal healthcare. We threw pie in their faces. Then we woke up this morning with smiles on our faces and forced them to eat crow.
We did it, all of us, the grassroots, the netroots, the activists, and the Dem leadership. We came together(for the most part) and we did it.
To quote Howard Dean from The Daily Show tonight…
…”Boo-Ya!!!”
Saturday, November 04, 2006
ELECTION NIGHT VICTORY PARTY
November 7, 2006 (Election Day)
7:30pm-11:00pm at the Boulder Broker.
555 30th Street
Boulder CO 80303
Map & Directions
We'll be Live-blogging the event on the Boulder County Democrats Website. We'll also be following the coverage on various liberal blogs, such as DailyKos, SquareState, and any others which have good coverage, discussions, and analysis of the elections.
Bloggers scheduled for the night include, WeatherDem, Squirrel2634, msobel, and billythegeek.
There will be a cash bar, free food, videos, election results, wi-fi access, and music.
So, come on down and celebrate (hopefully) when we take our country back.
7:30pm-11:00pm at the Boulder Broker.
555 30th Street
Boulder CO 80303
Map & Directions
We'll be Live-blogging the event on the Boulder County Democrats Website. We'll also be following the coverage on various liberal blogs, such as DailyKos, SquareState, and any others which have good coverage, discussions, and analysis of the elections.
Bloggers scheduled for the night include, WeatherDem, Squirrel2634, msobel, and billythegeek.
There will be a cash bar, free food, videos, election results, wi-fi access, and music.
So, come on down and celebrate (hopefully) when we take our country back.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
The Republicans That Must Be Defeated
An attempt by the Netroots to influence the elections with technology. The Goopers did it in 2004. Now, it's our turn.
For background and more information see here, here, and here.
--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick
--WA-08: Dave Reichert
For background and more information see here, here, and here.
--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl
--AZ-01: Rick Renzi
--AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth
--CA-04: John Doolittle
--CA-11: Richard Pombo
--CA-50: Brian Bilbray
--CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave
--CO-05: Doug Lamborn
--CO-07: Rick O'Donnell
--CT-04: Christopher Shays
--FL-13: Vernon Buchanan
--FL-16: Joe Negron
--FL-22: Clay Shaw
--ID-01: Bill Sali
--IL-06: Peter Roskam
--IL-10: Mark Kirk
--IL-14: Dennis Hastert
--IN-02: Chris Chocola
--IN-08: John Hostettler
--IA-01: Mike Whalen
--KS-02: Jim Ryun
--KY-03: Anne Northup
--KY-04: Geoff Davis
--MD-Sen: Michael Steele
--MN-01: Gil Gutknecht
--MN-06: Michele Bachmann
--MO-Sen: Jim Talent
--MT-Sen: Conrad Burns
--NV-03: Jon Porter
--NH-02: Charlie Bass
--NJ-07: Mike Ferguson
--NM-01: Heather Wilson
--NY-03: Peter King
--NY-20: John Sweeney
--NY-26: Tom Reynolds
--NY-29: Randy Kuhl
--NC-08: Robin Hayes
--NC-11: Charles Taylor
--OH-01: Steve Chabot
--OH-02: Jean Schmidt
--OH-15: Deborah Pryce
--OH-18: Joy Padgett
--PA-04: Melissa Hart
--PA-07: Curt Weldon
--PA-08: Mike Fitzpatrick
--PA-10: Don Sherwood
--RI-Sen: Lincoln Chafee
--TN-Sen: Bob Corker
--VA-Sen: George Allen
--VA-10: Frank Wolf
--WA-Sen: Mike McGavick
--WA-08: Dave Reichert
Saturday, August 26, 2006
On Work, Stress, and Writing
So, it’s been something like 6 months since I’ve posted on here. I’ve not had much time to do anything other than eat, sleep, and work.
Of course, it doesn’t help that I’m in some kind of funk, could even be called mild depression.
You see, in March my husband had to accept a job out of state for economic reasons. (It was either take the job, or dive head first into financial ruin) The job was expected to last until late June or early July. Needless to say, the job is still going, and looks like it will for at least another month or two. I’ve only seen him for a couple of days every 4-6 weeks since he’s been gone. The whole time, the question of whether or not we would be relocating has been hanging over our heads. The damned question has still not been answered.
To pile things on even further, I’ve been swamped at work with no relief in sight. There are other stress factors involved in that, including, but not limited to, the fact that I’ve determined through market research that I am approximately 50% underpaid for what I do. I love my job though, and love most of the people I work with, with about 3 exceptions. I’m also learning that a boob-job can get you paid more and advance you further than good old-fashioned brains. I have to wonder how large of implants I’d have to get in order to get the raise I deserve. Of course, none of this matters if we have to relocate. If we don’t have to relocate, then I may have some leverage to get the money I deserve. I’ve found out over the last few weeks that I have a couple of very strong advocates for my gripes.
I hope you can understand why I’ve not been updating this like I should. I’ve got several long posts started that I have yet to finish. And I’ve got a ‘manifesto’ that deals with my beliefs that is in progress, and I’m quite proud of what is done so far.
Please bear with me, I hope to get up-to-date in the next week or so.
Thanks,
Squirrel
Of course, it doesn’t help that I’m in some kind of funk, could even be called mild depression.
You see, in March my husband had to accept a job out of state for economic reasons. (It was either take the job, or dive head first into financial ruin) The job was expected to last until late June or early July. Needless to say, the job is still going, and looks like it will for at least another month or two. I’ve only seen him for a couple of days every 4-6 weeks since he’s been gone. The whole time, the question of whether or not we would be relocating has been hanging over our heads. The damned question has still not been answered.
To pile things on even further, I’ve been swamped at work with no relief in sight. There are other stress factors involved in that, including, but not limited to, the fact that I’ve determined through market research that I am approximately 50% underpaid for what I do. I love my job though, and love most of the people I work with, with about 3 exceptions. I’m also learning that a boob-job can get you paid more and advance you further than good old-fashioned brains. I have to wonder how large of implants I’d have to get in order to get the raise I deserve. Of course, none of this matters if we have to relocate. If we don’t have to relocate, then I may have some leverage to get the money I deserve. I’ve found out over the last few weeks that I have a couple of very strong advocates for my gripes.
I hope you can understand why I’ve not been updating this like I should. I’ve got several long posts started that I have yet to finish. And I’ve got a ‘manifesto’ that deals with my beliefs that is in progress, and I’m quite proud of what is done so far.
Please bear with me, I hope to get up-to-date in the next week or so.
Thanks,
Squirrel
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