just venting... okay; whining...

[lavandarlizard2]

You'll need to click; I'm not out to bore the whole world...

This comes under the heading of "RL: TMI". You have been warned.



Up until about 33 hours ago *counts on fingers; yep, that's about right* I worked for a manufacturing company as a purchasing clerk. Not really crazy about the flaky stuff we made, but I enjoyed the job itself for the most part. Three years, four-and-a-half months. Met some really nice people; learned a lot.

So, 3.14.07 we get called in to a meeting to be informed that the company has been sold, as of 4.1.07. Yeah. April Fool's Day. Wow. We are further informed that since the company is changing hands we will have to apply for our jobs with the new owners. We get two days to fill out applications and turn them in, and then we have interviews with the new owner, the new CEO and the old general manager. Lotta dumb questions, several attempts to inspire candidness *I'm not stupid; I know better than to fall into that trap*, finishing up with the usual 'we'll let you know'.

Then... nothing. Not a word. I'm going along, keeping up with my work, doing some maintenance in my part of the system, trying not to gnaw my talons down to the quick. Feeling semi-confident. Someone drops the news that the company pervert, who was fired for sexual harassment about a year ago, has been rehired, at the behest of the old GM, who is now the new GM. I begin to wonder how the hell I'm going to manage to work with a guy who openly stalks scared, uneducated, probably illegal women with the usual threats of 'put out or get out'. Not looking good. But I can try; if I can't stand it, well, at least I tried.

Then at noon yesterday, I get the Summons to the GM's office and sit there for five minutes while he yammers into his bluetooth *he's a Very Important Guy, dontchaknow*, and then he basically says that the company is losing 200K a month and they have to cut back, so I am out. Just like that. He graciously allows that I don't *have* to leave immediately; I can finish the day.

My supervisor, who has been in this business for years, goes into his office and calls him an asshole, to his face. He laughs. She tells him I'm the one who knows all the nuts and bolts of the purchasing; he shrugs and says purchasing is easy, she can do it. She tells me this. I rain on half a box of scratchy tissues. Then she tells me that what she doesn't know, she's not going to do, which means things will get really funky about the time the production and lab supplies start running out.

I pack up my desk junk, send an email to the vendor reps I know best, field a couple of phone calls from the shocked east-coasters and transfer my most important spread sheets to a drive my *good* boss can get at, then nuke the rest of my notes and just-for-me files.

The old owners are paying severance, a stay bonus and cashing out vacation leave and not opposing unemployment, so it's not like I can't make the rent. It's just... I've never been fired from a job in my life. I've never had a bad performance review. This just bites.

Two of my local vendors have offered to scout around and see if they hear of any openings; they're great people.

And the golden bird of harmony and sunshine *and a generous helping of angst* has surely worn herself out petting. *does your truck need a sweater? I have time to knit one... ^.o*

And that's why I am a cranky, boss-crunching, seething bundle of lizard-nerves right now. ^__^

Comments

[pellsfan.livejournal.com]

I honestly hope the place falls apart without you and that the new GM is the first victim of the fallout. Hang in there. I'm certain you'll find something much better.

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

Things will get ugly; I have no doubt about that, but more from having the prevert and SS (the GM) running rampant, than me being gone. >.<

I usually land on my feet, and I have some small bit of networking going on. I wasn't the only one tossed; anyone who had 'issues' in the past with the prevert were history too. =p

[merula31]

Oh sweetie. How sucky. *hugs* That sounds like they had already decided where to cut and were just going through the motions. Bleargh. What jerks.

Anything I can do for you here? Chocolate? Plushies? Tequlia? Gundam?

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah. As soon as SS (the GM) knew that he would have free rein, that was it. As long as the Japanese were running things he couldn't touch me, because they liked me. I was sorta/kinda/halfway expecting this, but I also expected him to show some balls and give me some real notice. Silly me; he's a slug. =p

Actually, I wouldn't mind the use of Deathscythe for a couple of hours... Just... you know... to play with... ^__^ *hehhehheh*

Plushy: stopped at Target after laundry, came home with plush green frog. He has an attitude. ^__~

[merula31]

Well, it sounds as if things will be running downhill from here, so it might be a good thing you're out of there.

*grin* I say we need to take him out for a spin...

Plushy? Check! Sounds cute! I bought the peeps plushies at Target cause I just couldn't resist. Chocolate? Looks like Sunny got it. Tequila? I have a new BevMo down the street from me that I was planning to go in and indulge myself in weird root beers. (don't ask) Bottle? JoAnns? Spaghetti Factory? *hugs*

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

I wonder if Deathscythe has ever done a hat dance...? ^.o

I was in Von's yesterday afternoon whilst waiting for my kid to get off work and I discovered these little bottles of ready-made margaritas. O.O They come in a four-pack. I was astonished. Clearly, it's been way too long since my drinking days. Now, if I could just get my fingers to turn loose of the twenty.... ~_~

I saw the peeps! I thought they looked like peeps, but my head kept saying 'naaaaah, can't be'. I'm glad I wasn't hallucinating... O.o

Adult conversation would be nice, with people who agree with every complaint I make about the rotten ex-bosses. ^___^

[merula31]

I'm sure we can teach him one. We get Deathscythe, a band, and a realllly big hat- or building- and we'll see how well he does! Practice makes perfect. *evil grin*

Four pack margaritas? *blinks* It's been awhile since I've been able to drink- I've missed those too! I've seen the ones in boxes... O.o

They are peeps. And my kitty keeps taking them off the table and hiding them in weird places. O.o It can be disconcerting.

We're always ready to provide that- well, as adult as we get. And we are very agreeable. *nodnod*

[kracken.livejournal.com]

*Hugs you* That's terrible. Lowe's did that very thing, didn't care how good you were or how long you worked there. They just started firing people that cost them too much. I hope everything works out, in the end, and that you find a better job.

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

I worked in retail long enough to witness several purges, but I really didn't expect a pogrom in a manufacturing company. =p Especially when the people they retained/rehired were the ones who created most of the problem to begin with. That's okay; slick usually runs downhill. ^__^

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

O.O Hooooboy! Don't offer me fic like that! I could get extremely whiny and needy with an offer like that... (maybe just a little... a tiny bit? O.O)

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

Geez... I am so braindead right now, i couldn't even grab something out of thin air. Anything at all! ^___^ *hughugHUG*

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

Oooooh... How about 'office'? O.O

[sunhawk16.livejournal.com]

I'm still holding out hope that Mr. Pervert will someday go after the wrong chick and end up getting some attitude adjustment from a couple of older brothers. ~_~ And the GM guy is eventually gonna run out of other people to blame for his lame problems.
But by then you will be firmly settled in a new job and can just sit back, point and laugh. *growls at them*
You need anything? Pizza? Yarn? The chocolate is on the way...

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

Last time, he just got so bold, because the little girls (late teens, early twenties; to me they're little girls) were scared of him and he just never let up, that he apparently picked on the wrong one and she did what the others were afraid to do - she hired a lawyer. That was it for him. ^.o

But he also would mess with production to the point that everyone was busy as hell, but nothing was ever getting produced. It seemed pretty obvious to me, but I guess not to anyone else, until NP came in. She saw through him, so I don't know what's going to happen when they get into it. She's got a glare that could melt glass, so he better walk softly around her.

Mmm... Pizza... O.o Damn, that sounds good. Maybe I'll check my cash and find the Pizza Hut number. ^__^ Yarn? Honey, you should know how much yarn I have! And if I run out of what's *in* the house, I have all those bins in the garage, *and* all the bins in storage. But... um... more yarn...? *melts into a puddle of jonesing yarn-goo* The stuff I saw at the yarn shop... Oh. Ancestral. Dragons. O.O I'm drooling just thinking about it... O.o Chocolate? ^____^

[sunhawk16.livejournal.com]

Too bad the girl who called the lawyer isn't still there! ~_~
You can never have too much yarn, though Santa must be pointed in a general direction, you know. ^___~

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

Santa would have a stroke if pointed at the gooey-dragon-making yarn... Stuff is almost $30 a hank. O.O But it is just ~gorgeous~. Firecracker, by Colinette Yarns. Pictures just do not do it justice. *wipes drool out of new keyboard* Someday... *sigh*

[sunhawk16.livejournal.com]

Holy crap! You went to the REAL yarn store! ^o^ Ever wonder what people make out of stuff like that? I mean... if you tried to make an afghan or even a good sized wrap or something, you'd have a hundered dollars worth of yarn in it!

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah; that's where I buy my gourmet needles. ^__^ You walk in the door and hanging above eyelevel on the left is the Firecracker yarn. Every colorway they make. It runs for about 12 feet. I just start salivating every time I see it. But I have no idea what I'd do with *real* gourmet yarn! To me, Lion or Bernat is gourmet! Red Heart is my comfort zone... O.o

In the course of my travels this morning, I stopped at the Hancock's in my area - it's closing! O.O Probably by next weekend.... *wibbles* I feel worse about losing a fabric store than I do about losing my job! WTF?! O.O I went ahead and bought some yarn and some fat quarters. All that's left now is Joann's and the somewhat tacky local chain... *waaaah...!* *sniff* ~o.o~

[sunhawk16.livejournal.com]

We lost our Hancock's years ago. There's nothing left but Joann's and Hobby Lobby, unless you go to one of the quilt shops... but they're all forever away. *sigh*

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

There's another Hancock's up in Redlands, but that's a day trip; about 65 miles from here. Still.... I will go out of my way for a good fabric shop. ^__^ There are about four or five quilt shops within 20 miles, but they're quilt shops and I like to graze the other kinds of fabrics too. =p Oh, well... maybe Joann's will put in the super-store I keep hearing rumors of. *sigh*

[bloodywingz.livejournal.com]

Count it a good thing that you're out before the shit hits the fan. If they're that nonchalant about people, there's not much good they can do for their customers. Not to mention, customers get really nervous when something that works, gets changed. More bugs to work out, more money wasted, and faith rocked.

NOW, you get to look for that most awesome job who appreciates you and shows it monetarily. AND! Is lacking in the pervert department. *glomps*

[lavendarlizard.livejournal.com]

It amazes me how much the customers will put up with. But Tweedledum and Tweedledummer always have excuses... and then laugh about how gullible the customers are. *shakes head* I really do want to land somewhere that I can keep an eye on them, if only for the amusement value. ^.O

And yeah, I've had enough of sociopathic sex predators. They all ought to be shot. >.