I drink too much soda probably. But diet has a strange aftertaste that is the only thing I notice drinking it.

In my own job news, my asshat supervisor has been telling me for weeks now that i have to work on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve because a)someone has to be here, b)everyone else has asked for it off (this is not true, by the way). According to asshat, this is agency policy and there is nothing she can do about it, not her decision, blah blah blah.

Someone approached asshat's boss about the Christmas leave situation so she then approached each of us and asked what we had requested. She approved my leave request in about 10 minutes.

Asshat just likes being in control of us and thinking she has the power to deny us leave. Thankfully, someone senior with less ego issues stepped in and resolved it. I will be so glad to be out of here.

Isn't it lovely - not to mention unusual - when someone with minimal ego issues rises to the top? or at least closer to the top ....

Thanks for the advice, Stephanie.

P-C, I do think you need to go to the person who wrote this job description to figure out if she didn't know how to describe your job or if your job will be changing (unfortunately, almost every job has the catch-all "other tasks as assigned" to cover the arse of the employer should they decide to change their minds about what you'll be doing).

Stephanie, I had that asshat boss once - she assigned me to work over Thanksgiving, when I'd specified that was the holiday I wanted off and she'd agreed previously. I had it in writing, but "the situation had changed." So I checked the calendar and gave her two weeks notice -- thus I got Thanksgiving work free. I heard from someone else that she'd called a meeting so they could all pray together that I'd change my mind and stay. (It was a catholic hospital.)

(unfortunately, almost every job has the catch-all "other tasks as assigned" to cover the arse of the employer should they decide to change their minds about what you'll be doing)

Yeah, and the thing is, I've been doing some of these random safety tasks, but...it's not what I consider to be my job. Throw them in if you want, but this new description is lopsided. I just got back from a medical writers conference and ran out of business cards that said I was a medical writer. I don't want to be called a drug safety specialist now.

I'm sorry about the bank craziness, Aimee.

P-C, I think you're getting good advice.

I woke up with a nasty sore throat, coughing, and vague achy feeling this morning, so I called in sick. After taking a nap, I feel better, but I think I made the right call to stay home. It's been sort of crazy-busy at work this week, so tomorrow and Friday will be a scramble, but I needed the mental health day. Not to mention the physical health day, since I'm far from 100%, and there seems to be at least three different cold or flu type bugs bouncing around the office (ah, the joys of working in a big-city hospital).

I hope things turn out OK with my new boss in the end. I'm feeling a bit better about the situation, but it's still not quite the job it was when I took it on, you know? And I'm not sure I'm going to like the new version as much. But since quitting my day job is unlikely to be an option anytime soon, and I'm also stuck for the foreseeable future doing this kind of work, since I don't have the time/money to go back to school AND write AND fulfill my family responsibilities AND work full-time, I've got to find a way to learn to live with it with minimal bitterness. Either against myself or the world. Of course, knowing that doesn't make it any easier to DO.

You want I should call her?

That would be kickass.

Thanks for all of the advice and phone numbers, guys.

Outraged-On-My-Behalf Bitches UNITE!!

Aimee, also, the president of TCF Bank Michigan is Robert H. "Bob" Scott, also a name to invoke

president of TCF Bank Michigan is Robert H. "Bob" Scott, also a name to invoke

That would be the one whose daughter I know.