Stuff

Broken Girl posted, asking how to find Flogging Molly on the web. Go to www.floggingmolly.com and you'll find 'em. Sorry, couldn't find your post.

And for the rest of you, yes, I'm up to my ears in snow. Not literally. But we have probably 2 feet. Sounds like they've kept up on the roads pretty well, so the best I can hope for tomorrow is a late start. We'll see.

And the Verdict Is...

...HIRED!!! I got an email yesterday from the HR person at APL. She asked if I had a few minutes to talk about the open position. Sure, why not. Walked in, closed the door, sat down, and she said, "Well, if you're still interested, we'd like to offer you a permanent position with APL."

So, I'm once again permenantly employed. HUGE relief! Still don't have health insurance, and won't have it for another 3 months. However, I know definitely that I'll have insurance in three months, instead of worrying about when I'd have it. It's exactly the same coverage I had at ADP, with one major, and very important difference: Because it's a union job, there's no employee contributions for health insurance. Company pays it all. I just pay co-pays. That saves me quite a bit. In addition, I get a raise. Not as much as I thought, but I also know that I have pay raises every 3 months to look forward to for quite some time.

Vacation will be available in 3 months; because I haven't had my birthday yet this year, I'll even get a birthday holiday! I have all the paperwork, to fill out over the weekend, and turn in on Monday.

Yesterday, I couldn't tell anyone but my supervisors at work. It was really cool, they were all so excited for me. I told family and friends yesterday, too, because I was ready to burst with the news! I got to tell people at work today; they were all excited for me too. Very nice to be working in an office where people get excited for you.

According to Annette, it was all due to the Nuclear Demo Dawgs hat she got me from work. I'm willing to give the hat some credit. My supervisors also said they'd really been pushing HR to hire me full time. That was good to hear as well.

So, pardon my gushing. :) I'm very excited.

Dropkick Murphys

Okay, so found a new band I really dig. Called Dropkick Murphys, they're catagorized as "Oi/Punk". It's kinda like Celtic Thrash. It's awesome. More punk than Flogging Molly, they're alot of fun to listen to. I mean, with songs like "Kiss Me, I'm Sh**faced", but traditional songs like "Finnegan's Wake", how can you go wrong?

Other than that, not much going on. Work is work. Stupid people appear to reigh supreme, or at least outnumber the rest of us.

Once More Into the Breech, Dear Friends...

Once again, I sit at the bittersweet end of the weekend, facing another week of work. True, work allows me to such things as pay rent and bills, afford my book habit, and vacations. But it also takes up a great deal of my time. I usually leave the house about 7:50am, and don't get home 'til almost 7pm.

Ah, but such is the life of an adult. It's funny: When you're a child, you can't wait to be an adult, and do fun adult things. Like get mail. Somehow, I never believed my parents when they explained that the mail you get tends to be stuff you don't want, like junk mail, and the dreaded bills. The joy of getting mail is pretty much gone at this point!

Oh, and late bedtimes. Those were so cool as a kid. Now, I've come to realize as much as I still love late bedtimes, they kill me the next morning, when I have to drag myself out of bed for work.

Remember when it used to be a big deal to control the remote, and watch what you wanted on TV? Yeah, now I get to control the remote, but there's rarely anything on to watch. And that's with satellite TV, and umpteen channels to choose from.

I will admit to enjoy being able to choose the restaurant I eat at; I don't have to compromise, or give in to where someone else wants to eat. Tonight, I ate at a fabulous new steakhouse about 3 miles from my house. Called Blackhat Steak House, it's darn tasty. I had a 10 oz., very rare, prime rib, with a baked potato, and crisp, steamed brocculi, cauliflower and red peppers. Then I had peach cobbler for dessert... Mmmmm... I enjoy that part of being an adult. I even enjoy being able to pay for my own dinner.

Anyway, Happy Solstice/Palm Sunday/First Day of Spring! Hope everyone has a week that doesn't make you wish too terribly for the differently complicated life of a child. Enjoy youselves; I'll try to do the same!

Friday Never Comes Soon Enough!

Once again, I've last to the weekend. Had several days this week when I wasn't sure that would happen. Tonight ended much the way it's gone this week; I got a customer on the phone, with a longstanding issue. Issue couldn't be resolved immediately on the phone, and his head was on fire. He wouldn't listen. Blech. Nice way to fall into the weekend.

However, it is now the weekend. I'm home. In my room. Have the weekend ahead of me. I'm sure I'll squander it, like I usually do, with sleeping in, and getting not much done. But it's my weekend. I can do that, if I want. And I do.

Next week's check will be the first at the new pay rate. That'll be nice. I'll be up at $2/hr more than I was.

Trying to check on hotels for the trip to CA this summer. August, but I'd like to know where I'm staying ahead of time.

Other than that, not much going on. Miss you, those of you in far away places!

Yo-yo Week...

Okay, you ever have one of those weeks, when you're up and down so much, you start to get dizzy? I'm having one of those weeks.

Monday morning, I got into to work to find an email from one of the sales guys I work with. It was a forwarded email from a customer, giving me all kinds of kudos for helping her with an issue. Received all kinds of happiness from company high-ups about it. In addition, the company brought in "The Coffee Guy" who made lattes for everyone who wanted. I figured, great news, free sugared coffee, life was good. Should have known that it was Monday. Mid-way through the afternoon, I found out the permanent job I applied for a week ago Monday, I didn't get. Right back down.

Tuesday was, well, Tuesday.

Today, I found out from my boss that I was #2 on the list for the permenant job. Made me feel a little better, but I'm still a temp. I got a call from the HR person this afternoon, asking if I had time to meet with her quickly. They have a long-term temp position opening up, because of someone going on military leave. Read that as deployment. Anyway, they're offering the job to me. Didn't interview anyone else.

That would mean I don't have to take a week off, without pay, for every 90 days I work there as a temp. She's checking to see if there'd be a pay increase, vacation, benefits, etc. She thinks it means I'd be union, which I would think would mean I'd be a union employee, and subject to union pay rates. Also need to check with her to see if I could still apply for a permenant position if one became available.

So life is back up. I've got fingers, toes, and everything else!, crossed that it stays up.

I'll keep you posted!

So It's Been Awhile...

Yeah, I know, it's been awhile since I posted. See, with work right now, I'm the only person taking inbound only calls. We get a lot of inbound calls. I'm averaging 133+ every day. Some days more. Much more. Like the day I had 180, or the day I had 192. Blech.

Anyway, on the news front, I applied for, and didn't get, a full-time job with APL. Hoping there'll be another soon, so I can apply for that one. See, the mighty pay doesn't start 'til I'm a permenant employee (I'm a temp right now). Health benefits, rather a big deal, don't start 'til 3 months after I become a perm EE. So, fingers crossed that something will come through soon.

Anyway, nothing too terribly exciting going on. Haven't saved the world, or even destroyed it.