FAY!! {{}} For the best~ma, love.

Yay, vw's mom!!!

In additional good news front, I got a raise today. Decent, not great. And a bonus. Well, I'll get the bonus with my Jan. 13 paycheck, but it's nice. Verra nice.

Aimee...how incredibly, what everyone else has said. Just awful. Much healing ~ma to your friend. Jeez.

Fay...just as awful, on a different level. The one time I got fired, it was seriously one of the best things to ever happen to me. I hope the same will be true for you. And if they are doing it for reasons other than YOU, which it seems like, I recommend milking the guilt angle for every great rec. letter, bonus, assistance you can get. Worked for me!

Yay vw's mom. On one's own terms is always a great leaving point.

Which brings me to being bitter, bitter, bitter today. Bitter. That's the word.

I'm about to whine major...can't help myself...poor impulse control. Move along, nuthin' to see here...

You know what really crawls up my crack? Being the honest one with the great communication skills and clear enough self-awareness to admit and make restitution for my own mistakes. Being honorable simply does not pay in our society...at least not as regularly as I goddam like it to.

Want to know why I'm bitter about being that person? Cuz it makes me an easy target for the myopic, notabletoseetheirownshite, asshats among us whose fingerpointing trigger only has one direction. Anywhere but in!

I've been bending over backwards to assist a certain someone in growing their business, covering their mistakes along the way, being supportive and respectful even when this person's friends(as described by the asshat in question) rag about their behaviors and, in general, talk shit about the person.

I've been all...'let's be respectful...let's talk TO the person not ABOUT the person...I see problems, I fix them, blah, blah, blah.

Turns out, the joke has been on me. Can't seem to catch a break with this person, no matter how good I am. And my holiday bonus? After putting in 50% more time than requested, for crap wages (self-employed crap wages, so basically, crap - 50% = REALLY crap), and taking endless personality related guff...my holiday bonus? Roughly the same as the postman. Now, MAD props to postal carriers, I seriously could not do that job, and it was me that recommended we take care of him in the first place, but PULEEZE.

AND, I discover, through a very weird karmic fluke, that the asshat's spouse is dumping said asshat...the asshat calls in another employee (who didn't know) and tells HER to tell me to keep my mouth shut. Wow.

I'm so ready to tell 'em to cram it where the sun don't shine...and yet? I'd feel dishonorable jumping ship on the rest of the team, who are really nice, hardworking people.

Sweet weeping Moses, I'm bitter. And really mad at myself.

t /sorry for the useless whine.

eta: Wow. Doubly sorry for killing the thread.

Aw, blergh, Beej. Been there (or at least to a reasonably similar location), done that, choked on the t-shirt. The last time I was conspicuously conscientious and responsible I nearly got fired for malingering; I've still not quite recovered from the damage the whole nasty episode did to my work ethic.

I'm so ready to tell 'em to cram it where the sun don't shine...and yet? I'd feel dishonorable jumping ship on the rest of the team, who are really nice, hardworking people.

Oh, that sucks. That's just... blah. Why can't they make it easy on you and all be asshats?

Fay, I am utterly wroth on your behalf, and also boggled. I'm really and truly not offering meaningless ass-kissery even though it'll no doubt sound that way, but -- you've always sounded like such a smashing good teacher, attentive and lively and engaged and very good at focusing small scattery minds despite language and culture issues. What kind of a moron would fire you? These were supposed to be the better, non-evil employers. What the fuck?

Why can't they make it easy on you and all be asshats?

JZ, this made me laugh out loud. Thanks so much!

and this:

I've still not quite recovered from the damage the whole nasty episode did to my work ethic.

is my greatest concern. I can't believe I'm letting this situation turn me into such a pisspot. I have holiday cookies to bake! And some of them might even be good!! And yet, all I'm focused on is bahhumbug, nobody deserves gifts when I feel so crappy! So completely not true.

This is me...snapping out of it. Or at least attempting.

Oh hell, Fay. I hope this at least leads to something new and fulfilling for you next year.

Not a useless whine, Beej. I hope it was cathartic.

Is philosophy's ultimate diet cinnamon buns scented gift set a bad idea for my SiL who is at best a functioning anorexic? Because it amuses me and she's not the brightest.

To clarify, she's not in need of an intervention really. She just fits into the Orange County a little too perfectly.

Birthday number slut!

I could also do Lush's Eat Drink And Be Merry Christmas set. But that almost feels backhanded.

Thanks Cass. It was helpful to just. get. it. out.

If the gift will give you a giggle and won't hurt her feelings? And it smells good? Why not.

I think "diet" set would be cute and not feeling hurty. I'll put something in the note about how she can indulge with these guilt-free after all of the holiday stress.

It was helpful to just. get. it. out.

Any advice on rates is appreciated too.

MG, they usually will give you rates up front. But you can always negotiate. College kids are poor and easy. You can always offer to feed them in addition to tutoring if you want to cut the cost. One kid DH tutored through high school math went from a "D" to a "B". Christopher was so proud of him--the kid was trying to retain his eligibility for sports.

Fay, that sucks all kinds of ass. Much-hope-things-work-out-for-you-ma!

My doc cleared me from bed rest today. He said I just need to take things VERY easy for the next few weeks. Am taking this sound advice. DH just put up our old, and very small Christmas treet which we will decorate later and so it's feeling more like Christmas around here.