-t, can you explain the tiara exchange (like how it works and any other "rules"). I've obviously heard of it before, but I think I was too new to feel comfortable particpating last time.

Congrats Betsy!

Go Betsy!

Also, yay for Betsy!

I just gave my two weeks' notice; I'll take a week off after that, so the new job won't start until June.

Many congratulations, Betsy! I hope they deserve you.

Tiara! Tiara! I need a new tiara!

Okay, that's about all the excitement of which I'm capable today. I'm still feeling like crap from the bug Nick gave me some 4 weeks ago; I didn't get a check in the mail; my PT was a snafu that ended up with me not getting it, and I didn't want to go, so was all righteous feeling for overcoming the inner sloth and going, and I tried to stitch witch some sheers that are too sheer.

But! I did get a load of laundry in the washing machine. Now that Kara's all completely potty trained, she thinks of panties as a fashion accessory and has been changing them 3 or more times a day. I told her to stop it, so now when she wants to change she "loses" the previous pair. I gathered teeny panties from all over the house.

I gathered teeny panties from all over the house.

Price. Less.

For the record, I enjoy fresh panties whenever possible.

Yay, Betsy! Already yayed in Natter, but since Betsy has actually shown up over here since then...yay!

Stephanie, there aren't a lot of rules as such. Anyone who wants to play should e-mail me by, let's say, June 15th. I will match each giver to a receiver and let each Bitch know who she (or, I suppose, he) is shopping for. Everyone is encouraged to link to pretty pictures of tiaras they especially like, or that they think someone else would like. We'll all try to get tiaras shipped off to their recipients by, oh, the end of July. Everyone who gets one takes a picture of their foamy selves in their new tiaras, send the picture to me, and I post it in a dedicated Bitch Tiara Exchange III (or whatever number is correct) Gallery/Album/thingy.

Sound good?

Congratulations, Betsy!

Go Betsy! Go Betsy! Go Betsy!

shakes pompoms of FuckYou at job

Ahem.

t /boss issues

...actually, no, that tag doesn't seem to close. Huh.

So, payday is just over a week away. I've not spoken to my boss since he gave me the Memo informing me that he has no contract with me - I'm just waiting to see if they pay me, and if they do then I'm maybe going to stay. Only more and more I find that what I want to do is tell him to stick his job up his ass, since I don't have any confidence that he'll pay me.

I mean, hey, maybe he will pay me, but I really don't expect it. And I hate him hate him hate him SO MUCH now that I'd rather humilite him even a little than scrabble after the possibility of getting crumbs of the money I'm owed.

I still haven't given him my letter, obviously enough, since I'm waiting to get this month's salary in hand before burning any bridges. Still, I was wondering whether you folks think this is too much, and/or whether you can see any way that I may get into hot water legally:

Dear Mr Evil Boss,

Thank you for your memo of 16th May.

I understand that you have decided against ratifying the contract that I signed last year, and that thus there is presently no contract of employment between The Evil School of Evil Town and myself. I was very surprised and sorry to hear that you preferred to disregard the contract, but I accept your decision that there is presently no legal relationship between us.

Thank you for your offer of a new ‘standard’ contract to cover the remainder of this year, and the offer of a renewal of said contract to cover next year. I appreciate this vote of confidence in my teaching, but unfortunately I find myself unable to sign any new contract with The Evil School. As I indicated to you prior to the memo, I have had a better offer. Following your memo I visited the British Embassy, consulted a lawyer and signed a legally binding contract with the new [insert name] School.

I have worked for The Evil School for two years now, in the mistaken belief that I had a legally binding contract. The contract that I signed, as you know, contained no clause preventing me from seeking employment at any other school in Cairo. I now discover that you never signed the contract yourself, and do not intend to.

During the past two years I have observed how other members of staff, both foreign and Egyptian, are treated, both in terms of finances and in terms of emotional and professional support.

I have seen absolutely nothing to make me believe that you will pay me, now that you have rejected the contract that would oblige you to do so. Your decision to make me verbal promises “off the record” via second parties, rather than approaching me directly, does little to instil me with any trust. It appears to me that you are simply trying to ensure that I put in all the work until the end of the year, whilst you retain plausible deniability and can get away without paying me in full for my efforts.

Believing that I had a signed contract with The Evil School, I have been faithfully performing all the teaching duties asked of me, both in school time and in my own time. The Evil School has been paying me my salary and rent money as promised, and I have received one of the two return tickets that were promised in the contract. This appeared to be a satisfactory arrangement for all concerned.

Subsequent to receiving your memo, it appears that you no longer consider that you have any legal obligation to continue paying my salary. Nor do you have any legal obligation to pay the money for the initial two months of my work for The Evil School, which was held back on the understanding that it would be paid at the end of the contract. Nor do you have any legal obligation to pay for the return ticket.

By the same token, I have no legal obligation to continue to teach the class I have been working with for the past year. I have no legal obligation to continue carrying out assessments of their ability, no legal obligation to level their work, no legal obligation to work for hours after school planning lessons, writing the reports or attending parents’ meetings.

It was my full intention (continued...)