Hey everybody. As I'm sure most of you know by now, I got laid off on Monday. Megan and I knew it was a possibility and we prepared ourselves for it as best as we could. As you know, she has been working at the balloon store where she buys her balloons for twisting. So it's not as bad as it would be if we were both unemployed in a terrible economy brought on by years of corporate deregulation and an epidemic of predatory lending.
Anyway, let me tell this story chronologically. There are many tangents I could run off on and I want to make sure I at least hit the high points. So I came into work on Monday as usual. I knew that the layoff proposal had been accepted and that layoffs were sure to follow, but nobody knew when. I came in, logged onto my computer, and talked to Nick. He told me that skeletor was out of the library until 1:00 in the afternoon because he had a meeting. I took this as a good sign because the head librarian was also out until Wednesday because she was at a conference.
Not too long after I settled into my desk and got things up and running, we saw the Associate Dean of Libraries and one other official-looking person come into the library. They unlocked the head librarian's office and started setting things up for something, but we didn't know what. Shortly after monving a few things around, the Associate Dean came into the office and asked if I had a minute to talk with her. At that moment I knew I was gone.
I was ushered into the head librarians office where the Associate Dean proceeded to read slowly through the letter that told me exactly what I already knew: there were layoffs in the library system and one of the positions chosen for elimination was mine. After she got done with her deal, I got a talk from an HR rep who told me about rehiring rights (which may or may not be in effect because ASU just announced a hiring freeze that even affects jobs HR has approved). They both told me how sorry they were to let me go, thanked me for my service, and handed me a box.
When I came out of the office holding a box, it confirmed for Nick and Ali the very thing they feared: I was being laid off. I took the box back into the office and began going through my desk. It didn't take me too long to decide that they had picked a crappy box for me. The top didn't fit and the bottom looked like it would fall out. I decided that if I was leaving, I would leave in whatever style I might muster. So I pulled a brand new box from skeletor's stash and loaded my things into it.
At the time, I was trying hard not to think about what was happening. Nick and Ali on the other hand, were blown away. They told me how bad things would be without me and that they'd miss me. Nick told me he was envious of me in a way: I was getting out and getting paid to do it.
It took me a while to load all my stuff into the box and move all my files off the computer. There was a guy I had never seen before who was pacing back and forth, waiting for me to be done. I was afraid that, shame of shames, they would escort me off the premises. When I got all my stuff together, I said my goodbyes to Nick and Ali. I motioned to the guy that I was ready to go. He opened the door for me, told me he was sorry, and let me walk out alone. That was a sad, sad walk across campus.
Before I left, Nick and I took some time to dissect the situation. Skeletor said he was at a meeting at Hayden for half the day, but when someone from Hayden called for him, they were surprised to find that he was supposed to be over there. They didn't know anything about it. As for the head librarian's conference, we looked that up: the conference isn't until May. So basically both of the people who should've been there to give me the bad news intentionally ditched the opportunity. I thought that was classless, gutless, and completely normal thing for them to do. I've gotten used to the idea of them not wanting to deal with me in any way, shape, or form so having them shrug the responsibility of letting me go came as no surprise. I will say one thing: in a way I'm glad skeletor wasn't there. Nick tells me he was smiling when he found out I got pink slipped. I'm glad I wasn't there to provide him any opportunity for schadenfreude.
So where does this all leave me? Well, I'm on administrative leave for the next three months, which means I'm getting paid to not work for skeletor. That's the greatest thing I've ever been paid for in my life. During the next three months I'll have the opportunity to beat the streets and find a new job. It's not a bad deal as far as severance packages go.
I spent most of this week laying around the house and contemplating how lucky I am to have escaped that bad work environment. Megan asked the people at the balloon company if they're still hiring, and they are. I picked up an application yesterday and when she took it in today they decided to hire me sight unseen. They actually wanted me to start today, but the day was already half over and I was looking forward to getting some things done around the house. So tomorrow will be my first day working at the balloon company. They are allowing me to come in a little late on Mondays and Wednesdays so I can take my "Intro to Seminary Teaching" class, and they already know that I'll be looking for other jobs. They're fine with it. So yeah, things definitely aren't as bad as they seem.
All in all I was pretty happy to get laid off. I told myself after the meeting where they announced the layoff that if Megan had a job when it came time to lay people off I would be hoping and praying to be let go. So I am now free of the worst influence in my life and the greatest stressful factor in my life. This week felt like a fantastic vacation in many ways.
Anyway, I'll keep you posted on how the job hunt goes. I know this post is rambling and the grammar is atrocious, but I've just been banging it out. I needed to write this quickly and still say everything I needed to say. As always, Megan and I will be grateful for your thoughts and prayers. We aren't on 100% stable footing yet, but there's no way but up from here.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Catching Up
Sorry I haven't been writing lately. Things have been kuh-razy around here. I actually have only 15 minutes so I'm going to be pretty brief.
It's been hard to want to write in the blog when the only things in my head are paranoia and anxiety. It isn't the sort of thing I would want to read and it definitely isn't the sort of thing I want to write. But things being what they are, I have reason for concern.
The state of Arizona (greatest state in the union dontcha know) is officially in the terlet. I guess we don't have it as badly as California, who will be sending IOU's instead of tax refunds this year, but as far as this recession affects me it's pretty bad.
A couple days ago our governor was added to the Obama cabinet (I never really liked her all that much, but whaddaya do) and the lines of succession brought us a new governor, one who does not have a college education (I do not state this to imply anything about her intelligence, but I state it as a fact that may have bearing on her commitment to education). Our new state government, in an attempt to right the ship and get us out of the mess we're in, decided to let the heaviest part of the axe what cuts the state budget fall on education.
Yesterday every ASU employee received a frightening email from President Crow (you know him, he read my blog and emailed me about it once) detailing the possible ramifications of the proposed budget cut. Among the points he made, he stated that in order to cut the millions from the budget that the state would mandate, he might be forced to lay off another thousand or so employees (in addition to those who are already being laid off. We don't know yet who is getting the ol' pink slip, but the cuts would mean even more people would be going) and close a satellite campus or two. These are drastic measures and would certainly damage the stability of the university, not to mention my job.
We found out recently that the revised layoff for the library system has been approved. We don't know who's going yet, but everything has already been decided. Even if I don't get cut the first time 'round, who's to say I won't get cut the next time or how many rounds of layoffs there will be.
I don't worry about losing my job in the sense that it would be nice to not work here and get paid for 3 months. The part that worries me is the part where I would have to find a new job during the worst recession of my lifetime (thanks to years of corporate deregulation which lead to the creation of a bubble economy which has officially burst and lost every bit of air that it once held). These are not easy times. Megan was unemployed for 4 months before taking a job that wasn't as good as the jobs she is qualified for. I don't know how I would fare in this job market.
Anyway, it's a frightening time. I know that any day I walk in here I could be getting a letter from the university telling me that I am getting the ol' shaft. So forgive me for not wanting to write about this sort of stuff every day. I just try to keep my mind off it.
Thanks for remembering us in your prayers. We always need it.
It's been hard to want to write in the blog when the only things in my head are paranoia and anxiety. It isn't the sort of thing I would want to read and it definitely isn't the sort of thing I want to write. But things being what they are, I have reason for concern.
The state of Arizona (greatest state in the union dontcha know) is officially in the terlet. I guess we don't have it as badly as California, who will be sending IOU's instead of tax refunds this year, but as far as this recession affects me it's pretty bad.
A couple days ago our governor was added to the Obama cabinet (I never really liked her all that much, but whaddaya do) and the lines of succession brought us a new governor, one who does not have a college education (I do not state this to imply anything about her intelligence, but I state it as a fact that may have bearing on her commitment to education). Our new state government, in an attempt to right the ship and get us out of the mess we're in, decided to let the heaviest part of the axe what cuts the state budget fall on education.
Yesterday every ASU employee received a frightening email from President Crow (you know him, he read my blog and emailed me about it once) detailing the possible ramifications of the proposed budget cut. Among the points he made, he stated that in order to cut the millions from the budget that the state would mandate, he might be forced to lay off another thousand or so employees (in addition to those who are already being laid off. We don't know yet who is getting the ol' pink slip, but the cuts would mean even more people would be going) and close a satellite campus or two. These are drastic measures and would certainly damage the stability of the university, not to mention my job.
We found out recently that the revised layoff for the library system has been approved. We don't know who's going yet, but everything has already been decided. Even if I don't get cut the first time 'round, who's to say I won't get cut the next time or how many rounds of layoffs there will be.
I don't worry about losing my job in the sense that it would be nice to not work here and get paid for 3 months. The part that worries me is the part where I would have to find a new job during the worst recession of my lifetime (thanks to years of corporate deregulation which lead to the creation of a bubble economy which has officially burst and lost every bit of air that it once held). These are not easy times. Megan was unemployed for 4 months before taking a job that wasn't as good as the jobs she is qualified for. I don't know how I would fare in this job market.
Anyway, it's a frightening time. I know that any day I walk in here I could be getting a letter from the university telling me that I am getting the ol' shaft. So forgive me for not wanting to write about this sort of stuff every day. I just try to keep my mind off it.
Thanks for remembering us in your prayers. We always need it.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
The 30 Minute Drill
So I have exactly 30 minutes to fill you in on everything that has happened in our lives since last I wrote. Shouldn't be a big deal, right? Yeah, I thought not.
First of all, I'm sorry I haven't written. I've been sick, Megan's been sick, we've both been busy, I've been lazy, what more do you want from us? I know I should've written something about Christmas, New Years, Paul's wedding, the alien invasion that enslaved all of humanity, and Megan's new job, but I haven't. What can ya do?
So let's take the most important things first. Megan and I have a new little friend in the house. Megan's parents were nice enough to buy us the African Spurred tortoise we've always wanted. We named him Gamera after the tortoise monster from the Godzilla movies. He'll someday grow to be quite large and will eventually live in our back yard, but for now he's living in Turbo's old terrarium and seems to enjoy it. He's a lot more active and a bigger eater than Turbo ever was, which we're glad to see. We take him out of his terrarium every couple days and let him roam around. He seems to really enjoy it and he's super fast for a tortoise. It's nice to have a new pet in the house. Turbo really did leave a big void in our lives when he died and we're growing more fond of Gamera all the time.
Megan has a new job, but it isn't the job she would've wanted. She's working at the balloon store where she buys her balloons for twisting. She does a little bit of everything and so far it's been pretty hard work. They don't pay her a tonne, which is why we'll still be looking for better opportunities but in the short term it provides us with a little more financial stability and having that steady paycheck will make our monthly budget a little easier to balance. So hooray for that.
We were back in the old Gila Valley last weekend for Paul and Carrie's wedding reception. We got to stay with Uncle Gary and Aunt Betty, which was nice. They wanted to get to know Megan better so we obliged and let them feed and house us for a couple nights. Paul and Carrie's reception was nice, but it was nicer to be with the family. We had a lot of fun hanging out at Kimberly and Emmett's a couple hours before and after the reception. Kimberly's kids have definitely chosen Megan and I as the favorite uncle and aunt. It's only a matter of time before we get t-shirts and/or mugs certifying such, so we send our condolences to all those who competed and lost (Paul and Carrie, I'm talkin' to you).
Things are as uncertain here at my job. We might not find out in January whether or not our jobs are safe. The proposed layoff the dean submitted last week was denied and sent back to the drawing board. Apparently my coworker and I understand the Reduction in Force guidelines better than some of those big wigs. It doesn't surprise me. Now that Megan has at least a steady job that pays her some money every week, I'm a little less worried about losing my job. I've said it before: if I lose my job, I can pretty much guarantee it's a blessing in a not-too-clever disguise. I'll keep you posted as news comes in, but we still might not know in the month of January. Exciting, eh?
Well, my time is up. I hop you have enjoyed this rushed, semi-coherent jumble. If not, go stare at your mail box. A full and complete refund is on its way, I swear.
First of all, I'm sorry I haven't written. I've been sick, Megan's been sick, we've both been busy, I've been lazy, what more do you want from us? I know I should've written something about Christmas, New Years, Paul's wedding, the alien invasion that enslaved all of humanity, and Megan's new job, but I haven't. What can ya do?
So let's take the most important things first. Megan and I have a new little friend in the house. Megan's parents were nice enough to buy us the African Spurred tortoise we've always wanted. We named him Gamera after the tortoise monster from the Godzilla movies. He'll someday grow to be quite large and will eventually live in our back yard, but for now he's living in Turbo's old terrarium and seems to enjoy it. He's a lot more active and a bigger eater than Turbo ever was, which we're glad to see. We take him out of his terrarium every couple days and let him roam around. He seems to really enjoy it and he's super fast for a tortoise. It's nice to have a new pet in the house. Turbo really did leave a big void in our lives when he died and we're growing more fond of Gamera all the time.
Megan has a new job, but it isn't the job she would've wanted. She's working at the balloon store where she buys her balloons for twisting. She does a little bit of everything and so far it's been pretty hard work. They don't pay her a tonne, which is why we'll still be looking for better opportunities but in the short term it provides us with a little more financial stability and having that steady paycheck will make our monthly budget a little easier to balance. So hooray for that.
We were back in the old Gila Valley last weekend for Paul and Carrie's wedding reception. We got to stay with Uncle Gary and Aunt Betty, which was nice. They wanted to get to know Megan better so we obliged and let them feed and house us for a couple nights. Paul and Carrie's reception was nice, but it was nicer to be with the family. We had a lot of fun hanging out at Kimberly and Emmett's a couple hours before and after the reception. Kimberly's kids have definitely chosen Megan and I as the favorite uncle and aunt. It's only a matter of time before we get t-shirts and/or mugs certifying such, so we send our condolences to all those who competed and lost (Paul and Carrie, I'm talkin' to you).
Things are as uncertain here at my job. We might not find out in January whether or not our jobs are safe. The proposed layoff the dean submitted last week was denied and sent back to the drawing board. Apparently my coworker and I understand the Reduction in Force guidelines better than some of those big wigs. It doesn't surprise me. Now that Megan has at least a steady job that pays her some money every week, I'm a little less worried about losing my job. I've said it before: if I lose my job, I can pretty much guarantee it's a blessing in a not-too-clever disguise. I'll keep you posted as news comes in, but we still might not know in the month of January. Exciting, eh?
Well, my time is up. I hop you have enjoyed this rushed, semi-coherent jumble. If not, go stare at your mail box. A full and complete refund is on its way, I swear.
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