Gloomcookie is good at this stuff! I'm sorry you're being placed in this position, JZ. {{JZ}}

Also, Laga! For the use of your recliner, you get a totally awesome mix CD. Give me inspiration.

I like GC's letter. Although technically, you accepted their offer but I'm not sure of a better way to word it. My other thought is, and this might be more personal than you want to get into, would be to add something about "sole regular income for a family of four" simply as a way of saying "I'm really not just asking for more money. This is a serious problem for me".

Although technically, you accepted their offer but I'm not sure of a better way to word it.

Rescind my acceptance of your offer.

You know, I love buffistas. I was actually thinking something like what Lee said, but thought it made me sound a little too pedantic so I just left it.

Which is not to say that Lee is a pedant, but that she is just right.

Go pedant! Choose pedant!

Ha! I spent several minutes trying to fix that sentence! Go Lee!

Oh, JZ, I'm so sorry. I've got no advice but lots of sympathy. What a difficult position.

For the use of your recliner, you get a totally awesome mix CD. Give me inspiration.

Oh that's too sweet of you. Inspiration, hmm. The last three videos I watched on youtube were Christmas in Killarney, Christmas Wrapping and Fairytale of New York and the last three CDs I bought were Cake, Sarolta Zalatnay and Social Distortion.

I've been emailing frantically with Hec for the last hour...I think we're just going to let things go as they are for now.

On Monday I can confirm that there'll be an official review within the first four months and reiterate my issues (without getting personal or specific, because it just seems like a bad idea to look even remotely drama-queeny on my very first day), emphasizing that they're a good enough company and this is a position I feel strongly enough about to take despite the decrease.

Hec's current temp job lasts through February, he's getting dribs and drabs of writing money on the side, and I just did the credit-card-debt renegotiating, so we're okay for the moment. We can definitely survive if I at least stay through the initial review period.

In the meantime, EM will start actively job-hunting after the holidays, and as soon as she finds something Emmett will go back on her insurance.

And also in the meantime, I checked the uni HR site and there's exactly one open job right now that's a perfect match for me in job duties and pay scale. It's been open for a while, so it's obviously something they can afford to leave vacant until they find the right person. I think I want to bookmark it for now and, if it's still open at the end of January (by which time I'll have a bit of a feel for where things are heading with the new job) I'll submit my resume.

JZ, let me know if I can help at all.