Brave New World........

WOW....A lot has changed in just a very short amount of time..... Where to begin?.....
On Aug 30th I quit my job.. I just couldn't handle the anxiety attacks I was getting every day before I had to go in. Things were just getting worse there. I had recently stepped down as Supervisor and decided that I would just go back to my original position of a coordinator.... that just pissed the head cheese off cause I put a wrinkle in his "master" plan... I stepped down because of the new schedule that he came up with. I have been working 12 hr shifts, 4 days one week, 3 days the next. That would include a 3 day weekend every other week. Well the new schedule that he came up with is 4 11hr days a week, never having a 3 day weekend, but yet still having to work 3 days in a row.... Not happening for me. I worked the overnight shift 6pm-6am. My first day off is half wasted by trying to catch up on sleep. I have 4 grade school children at home, I would never have time to spend with them.... Well ever since stepping down I have been "expected" to still perform certain duties of supervisor while the new guy was training, I understood that he was new to this position and was happy to help him out.... but I didn't think I should be expected to do his job and my job too. I actually was happy with the new Supervisor chosen, he was on my shift and is an awesome guy. Very level headed and very laid back... Reminded me of myself in a way... except a lot less hair! hahaha.

Anyway, shortly after stepping down I had an abscessed tooth, I woke up on a Wed morning and the right side of my face was swollen and sore... I started on antibiotics and called into work to let them know that I wouldn't be in. The next day the swelling had gone down but I was still running a fever and felt like shit so I called in again. I knew that when I came back in on Monday (my next scheduled day) that I would get a write up. I fully expected to get a verbal warning. I had just had surgery in June to have my gallbladder removed and had used all my sick time up then, so I knew I would get a write up. I went to work on Monday and nothing...Tuesday morning 5 mins before I get off work, the Operations Mgr stops by my desk and say "hey, stop by my office before you leave" I brought my pen to sign the "verbal warning" when to my surprise I get a written warning for abuse of sick time. I was pissed! That ruins my chance of becoming the sup for a different department. I had been told that I would get the sups job for the transfer center, but now that's out the window.... My written warning stated that I had been counseled and give a verbal warning previously..... YEAH like 2 yrs ago..... I signed it and just left pissed.... I called the Mgr when I got home and asked her to make a copy of the write up and leave it with the sup for when I came in that night. The Sup on duty is a very good friend of mine, when I came in he said MB left this for you... I told him what it was, he was instantly pissed too. Anyway a week later the transfer center is supposed to have a mandatory training meeting, I sent an email to the TC Mgr to advise her that I had family counseling that night and would not be able to attend. She sent me an email to my work address on Mon stating that I would need a note from the counselor and also that I would have to come into work on Wed early to make up for not being there on Mon. The people at work know I do not read my work email at home because I'm on dial up and it take entirely too long to load at home.... So Wed afternoon a sup calls and leaves a message wanting to know if I can come in early... I didn't get the message until about 15-20 mins before he wanted me to be there. I called him and stated the I wouldn't be able to be in early. He said no problem.... Thinking things sounded a little weird I decided that I should probably check my email before work... I started loading it and got ready for work. I come back to the computer and see a bunch of emails... I read the ones from the TC Mgr and knew that I was f*cked.. I was on a written warning for abuse of sick time, now I don't have a note from the counselor, and I didn't come in early to make up for Monday... my heart started racing, I was having a panic/anxiety attack.... I called hubby at work and asked him to come home now so that we could talk.... Since I never call him at work he knew something was wrong. He came home and I showed him the emails.... He said screw it, just quit.... They have already screwed you over, he told me not to even give my two weeks cause it would be miserable 2 weeks for me and in turn would make everyone at home on edge too... So I didn't I just sent an email to the head cheese in charge and to the sups so that they would have a clue. Not even 10 mins after I sent the email, the phone started ringing. However, the kids were on the computer and the ring in service doesn't pop up on there screen names because they have very limited access to websites. Only to kid approved things, pretty much only the sites allowable by aol kids...

Well that went over somewhat smoothly... The Sup on duty had no clue until the head cheese called him. Rick just laughed his ass off... I know he secretly wishes that he was in a position that he could tell them to lick his and walk away just like me, but unfortunately for him, he doesn't have someone else to fall back on.... He actually told me that he was happy for me. He's been calling me to see how things are going and to keep me up-to-date on the latest bullshit going on. He apparently has had a run in with the head cheese too and has a meeting in the morning to discuss why he sent out an email that he did.... long story, but I can't wait to hear the result of the meeting... The head cheese is going to get called out on the rug...... IT ABOUT TIME!!!! I wish I had your balls!!!

I have been SO MUCH HAPPIER at home.... I get to be a MOM again!!! It's all I've ever wanted to be. I get to see my kids off to school, I have alone time with my youngest. I've missed so much with the last 2. Maggie and I have a great time every morning before she has to be at school at 1pm. I have a couple of hours to myself. I'm never just sitting on the couch. I've been keeping busy with laundry, cleaning, running errands, sewing.... I LOVE IT!!! I get to put my babies to bed, I get to give them baths.... I get to IRON... LOL sounds funny, but I love to iron. It's so peaceful and you get to see your accomplishment right away.... I'm extremely weird I know... Today. I went to the fabric store and bought some fabric and made curtains for Molly's "quiet place" She has a loft bed and her desk is underneath it. She had a blanket tucked under her mattress to block that little area off from her little sister. I got tired of looking at the blanket, so I took her pillow case to the store and bought some material to match the colors and made her privacy curtains this afternoon. She came home from school and went to put her violin away and came running back out with a huge smile on her face. "That's so tight, MOM!" I think that means she likes it!!

We adopted a stray cat. Very interesting..... The girls love the cat, and the cat tries to hide from them ( actually just from Maggie, she doesn't ever leave the cat alone...Always wanting to pet the kitty, and hug (strangle) the kitty.)

I got a beautiful arrangement of flowers yesterday. They are roses, tulips, greenery and a couple of other kinds of flowers I do not know the names of, and fall leaves. All the flowers are a variation of orange (which is my favorite color). I was very shocked when the doorbell rang. My husband was getting ready to go to work and the doorbell rang. It was around 9am. I couldn't figure out who would be at the door at that time of the morning since everyone else was in school. I opened the door and what a wonderful surprise. The first thing that struck me as odd was that they were addressed to Mrs. Patrick G.......... Nobody I know would send me flowers addressed like that. I looked at my husband and he was just as perplexed as I. I opened the card attached and about started crying. They were from my husband's boss. He sent me flowers to say thank you, and to apologize for all the hours that my husband has had to work lately. Pat got a new job, he's the Banquet Chef for a very prestigious County Club here in town. He doesn't have much help in the kitchen right now and has had to do most of the work (parties) by himself... He's been working very hard and very long hours. I am very proud of him. He's really doing such great job. I'm also very impressed. None of my husband's other bosses ever did anything like that. I've never even met this gentleman. Pat's last boss I'd known for years.... Never once did any thing even remotely close to this.... Not even when the kids were born..... I was smiling for the rest of the day... still am.

Well this post should have caught up just about everything new.... I think. Today is day number 53 in our new life.... I'm so thankful that things are turning around finally.... I'm feeling it easier to breathe.... and my children have noticed that I'm always smiling now.... THANK YOU!!!!!