Changes on the horizon...

I've been doing a bit of thinking. You can skip to the end if you'd like to, it may take some time for my thoughts to get in order on the page.

First, remember last week when I called in sick and Sunshine was pissed off because she forgot to check the voice mail and didn't know I wouldn't be in until she arrived for the afternoon shift?
Well, she's definitely been in sort of a pissy mood since then.

Friday, she decided not to come to work. She had some vacation time that she was going to lose if she didn't use it, so took the afternoon off. That's fine with me, it's not the first time. It's not like I can't handle the job without her.

What was different this time, though, is that she didn't call me around noon on my cell phone to let me know. Ordinarily, that's exactly what she does, so that I can get there early and handle the parts of the job that she usually does when we work together.

She left me a note, ensuring that I would not know she was going to be absent until I got there.

:::eyeroll::

She did it again on Monday. No call. Just a note.

Now I understand that she needs to use up her time or lose it.

She works harder than anyone else in the company, seriously, and deserves to take every second of her vacation time. It's not a high-paying job, and it's sort of penny-pinching assholishness on the part of the company to keep that time from accruing anyway. I do not begrudge her the time off at all.

I don't mind doing her parts of the job. What bugs me is her attitude, ya know?

She was pissed because I inconvenienced her by taking time off with my illness. She knew on Monday that I wouldn't be there, but it was not a good time for me to take the time off.

She left a smart assy comment on my voice mail about how she checks voice mail ALL THE TIME from home and she didn't do it and got caught not doing it. So she's aggravated/embarrassed that I 'caught' her.

She hasn't had anything much to say to me since then. Now we don't stand around and chat much anyway because there are so many things to do, but we communicate a bit. We're not best friends, but we do talk.

Not since last week, though. The inventor of the phrase 'cold shoulder' had her in mind, I think.

Next on my list is this: Eric may or may not have a job in the next couple months. In case you did not know, the economy of the entire nation sort of sucks right now. Remember, you read it here first.

Now we won't starve. Eric would work three jobs and go without meals before he'd let us go hungry. But things could be pretty stressful for a time, too.

They're working on a home show, and hope to get some leads from that and keep things afloat, but who knows?

This started me thinking about the contribution I am making to the family. I originally took the job to help out. We were still paying for the vehicle, the kids needed braces, and we ALWAYS had too much month at the end of the money. Now I don't make a lot of money, but it does help. It was a good thing for our family, and I am glad I did it.

But this afternoon, the limitations of the job occurred to me. I have worked there four years, starting on five actually, and I have accrued NO sick leave, no vacation time, I have no medical benefits, and I will never have those things... unless I want to become a site director. Then, I will make another fifty cents an hour, be working a split shift (6:30 AM to 8:30, then 1:45 to 6 daily.) and be expected to deal with financial paperwork, other paperwork, twice weekly conference calls of at least two hours duration and nothing but crap. I do NOT want that, thanks so much.

So after all the time I've put in, I have, well, nothing much.

Now it has helped us financially. I have thoroughly enjoyed the kids and the time I've had there. It's my favorite job so far.

But I think I'm done.

I have been working on some paperwork for a possible job, more details later. Since I won't know about that one for awhile, I am also watching the ads, checking Craigslist, and I'm planning to talk to people I know who may be able to help me out with leads and ideas. I'm going to find a ::gulp:: full time job.

I don't plan to quit without notice. I've never done that even from a job I HATED.

But it's tempting to call and just leave a voice mail on the day I decide to quit... ;)