I met him four weeks ago today

Oh my goodness! That is rather whirlwind!

And when a lesbian thinks it's fast--it's damned fast.

God, those shoes are cute, Erin. I have one really true pink pair of shoes (which I wore to prom during SF2F, actually) and I almost never wear them. But that's more the heel than the color.

I did buy a pair of awesome pink Chucks on clearance a few weeks ago, though.

I wear heels a lot -- I'm short, I wear a lot of dresses/skirts, and I LIKE heels. The heel on that shoe would, I think, make them a decently wearable going-out shoe, but not a teaching shoe.

I wear heels to teach in every GREAT once in a while -- usually when dared by my girl students when I laugh at them when their feet hurt on a dress-up day, but I have NO desire to wear them all the time.

(Caveat: I still wear what many would call "heels" to teach, but they're usually a rubber or corky 2 inch wedge. Comfortable.)

Those are cute shoes. I love the light pink color.

Sorry to not cheerful, but I am NOT cheerful at all about this. So, I feel ya, Tep. I really, really do.

I've been driving myself mad by reading legal forums about labor law. Particuarly in Ohio, the sum total of labor law that protects employees who aren't in unions consists of the following:

1. Must pay employees minimum wage.

2. Must obey OSHA.

3. Must not punch employees in face, at least when there are witnesses or other documentation.

4. Cannot discriminate based on race, sex, religion, and possibly age. (At least, not in any provable way.)

And that's pretty much it. Ohio is an at-will state, which more or less means that employers offer salary and benefits only to the extent that (1) they have a moral center, and/or (2) it makes them competitive in terms of hiring skilled labor.

Beyond that, the gist is that in Ohio, you're fucking lucky to have a job.

So there's not a whole hell of a lot I can do except keep my nose visibly to the metaphorical grindstone, because until I find another job, I need to keep my newly-truncated paycheck.

We have really good healthcare, so I am going to get new glasses, get my teeth cleaned, etc.

And I need to (1) come up with a resume [I can no longer find the one I used to get this job, lo these 13 years ago], and (2) figure out what I want to do.

And I'm serious about that last part. I don't even know any more what would make me excited to wake up in the morning and go do. The Boy asked me what it is that I love to do, and I thought for a minute and then said, "....read."

Which I guess editing sort of is. Maybe if I were just editing different material, it would be re-invigorating.

I still can't shake the feeling that I got fired, and I can't shake the demoralizing feeling of getting called on the carpet and having my hours (and pay) cut.

Plus, everyone in my department had to sign something agreeing to have NO radio, NO music, no personal calls unless they are an actual emergency, and no internet use beyond that which is necessary for work.

The disgusting part is that the 2 douchebag assheads spend a not-insignificant amount of time on the phone with family members, and incompetent!boss spends a great deal of his time on eBay, and everyone knows it.

At this point in time, *I* can't say boo about it, because I'm already on shaky ground. But it's infuriating.

I'm so unspecial I can't even have my birthday for myself.

Well, can you declare a Birthday Rain Date, and move your birthday festivities to a different date? I think that you should -- nay, you MUST, this year of all years. You NEED it, girlie.

Ugh, Need coffee and self-pity diuretic.

The Boy dragged me out of the house to accompany him on thrift-store shopping and shoe shopping, and I went along only because I knew that if he left me unattended, I'd wallow in self-pity and labor law Web sites.

I'm glad I got out of the house, but I'm dreading tomorrow. Everyone starts the 10-hour days, and it will be VERY obvious, at least to my department, that I'm *not* working 10-hour days. They'll either think I'm trying to pull a fast one on the company, or they'll want to know why I'm working shorter hours, and what the fuck can I say? I think that if I told the truth about why I was working shorter hours, either (1) they'd say "about time; you deserve it," and or (2) I'd get in trouble for talking about HR matters.

Although TPTB didn't explicitly say that I shouldn't talk about my situation with co-workers, I'm smart enough to know that doing so would probably endanger my already tenuous position.

Although TPTB didn't explicitly say that I shouldn't talk about my situation with co-workers, I'm smart enough to know that doing so would probably endanger my already tenuous position.

Yeah, when I was told me contract wasn't being renewed, I got a certified letter from the douchey lawyer that stipulated I wasn't to talk to staff or students about it because it could result in me not being paid till my contract ended. It really made me mad -- I mean, WTF, I can't tell my co-workers and my students I won't be back next year? I know it was probably something I could have fought -- douchey lawyer is not HR; in fact, HR at this place is pretty non-existent and some of their staffing practices are sketchy, if not de facto illegal. But I need my paycheck till 8/15. So I just told certain people and certain students and kept things on the DL.

Well, can you declare a Birthday Rain Date, and move your birthday festivities to a different date? I think that you should -- nay, you MUST, this year of all years. You NEED it, girlie.

Oh, my friend was supernice about it, and if it weren't for the fact that other close friends of ours who NEVER EVER give parties are having a huge 15 year anniversary/housewarming the weekend before, she wouldn't have picked that date. And what was I going to say? No, don't have your wedding reception on my birthday, that I don't have anything concrete planned for anyway? I am not that bitchy and selfish. But I do reserve the right to bitch and moan about it, a little, esp. here where no one is invested.

I was just excited to have my birthday on an actual non-work day, and to have it on someone else's special day makes me a little sad. Cause even if I do something else another time, it won't be my birthday, and one of my friends will be celebrating something I am kinda sure I'll never have on that day.

And I will stop being whiny about it, I promise, but I just found out yesterday, and I need to have a bit of moan over it, and then I will deal. But it makes me quietly sad.

Counting the rain delay, I've been listening to this game for six hours.

Everyone starts the 10-hour days, and it will be VERY obvious, at least to my department, that I'm *not* working 10-hour days.

If someone asks, smile pleasantly and say, "I don't think I'm allowed to discuss it." Which makes it obvious that there are Higher Powers involved.

Or, "I'm sorry, I can't chat, I don't have as much time as I'd like to get my work done."

I have a headache. But it isn't as torturous as listening to a game for 6 hours.

Or you could wear a discreet button that warns "If you ask me why I am not staying longer, I will fucking STAB you. Have a nice day."