The last seven days have really challenged me in a lot of different parts of my life. I don't really want to dwell on it for too long, it's a week I really just want to put behind me. But I feel it's at least necessary to record what happened.
1) So on Sunday, I cancelled my Discover credit card. For the second time in ten days, a fraudulent transaction was done on my card, this one for $255. So I ordered a new card and it just arrived yesterday. I know it's important for me to establish good credit, but I really wish I could live without a credit card.
2) As of Monday, my Ohio trip has been postponed indefinitely. She just thinks I need to be in a different place in my life before we meet. At least we're still talking though. I really want to meet her still.
3) On Tuesday, my boss' boss' boss apparently saw me with a video up for a seconds and I got a verbal lashing over it. I admit when I'm bored, I am prone to pulling up a video. And I had You tube up for a few seconds, and maybe I shouldn't have done that, I have no problem owning up. But he had the nerve to accuse me of not taking pride in my work and actually to call me unprofessional. This guy has never worked closely with me ever. He doesn't know me, he doesn't know how hard I work, and he only focuses on the few negatives. I walked slowly out of his office feeling humiliated, belittled, and about two feet tall. I just wanted to go home right there.
4) Election Night. We re-elected Barack Obama, as I expected. But I didn't expect him to win by such a definitive margin. And Tammy freaking Duckworth beat Joe Walsh for Congress. I'm really worried this country is getting way way too liberal as people my age are growing up and raising kids to think just like them.
5) I watched the election coverage at my friend Matt Williams' apartment in downtown Wheaton. A few people from group showed up like Natalie, Andrea, Alison, and Clarissa. And after what happened back on Memorial Day weekend, anytime Clarissa and I are in the same place, there's going to be tension, even if we never say it. Andrea is just so pretty and cool. I'm amazed she's still single. But I just have a feeling she's not the one for me.
5) On Wednesday morning, I couldn't even bring myself to go to the gym. I felt that down and depressed. I'm not even sure how I managed to fall asleep the night before.
7) So after a very busy day at work, where it seemed I had to answer an extraordinary amount of e-mails, I arrive home at 6:30, where I'm safe. I opened the garage and my Mom's car was not there. I thought that was strange, but maybe she was working some OT. And when I saw her laying on the couch watching TV, I froze. I knew something had to be horribly wrong. I asked her where the car was. she said she didn't want to talk. I walked into the kitchen and on the table, found a voucher for a cab from O'Hare to St. Charles. Then I went downstairs and saw a webpage for a suspension from American Airlines and an attorney's homepage.
After a few minutes, she called me upstairs and I ran up the stairs immediately. I sat on the opposite side of the couch and I listened as she explained the situation. Basically, she was working a flight and had a bottle of water out and was sending a quick text message. Her supervisor saw her and got on her case. My mom, heaven forbid, stood up for herself. She explained how there seem to be different expectations at different times for things like uniforms, etiquette, etc. Before long, she got called into an office. This bitch of a supervisor accused Mom of being high and/or drunk. She said someone had called to complain about Mom, which wasn't true. She was just making this shit up as she went. Well, Mom got tested and she swiftly passed the booze test. The drug test will clear her when it comes back in by Monday.
But because there was a report, it is locked into the American Airlines system computer and people from all over the country now know about it, including her friends and people she goes to church with. And because there was a report, they took her work keys, ID, and would not let her drive home. That's where the cab came in. She was suspended for three days with pay. Nothing wrong with that, especially since Mom wasn't going to be at the airport for any of the next three days anyway. And if that's not enough, her flight privileges have been suspended. Which means I can't fly. Which then means I may not be able to visit New York in early December or travel for Christmas. So this
There will be an investigation into all of this, make no mistake. And when Mom's name gets cleared, we just may sue the company. Defamation of character, slander, false accusations, trauma. So this can be a pretty impressive payoff. If all goes well, maybe, just maybe, Mom can retire from American Airlines, which she wants to do, and pay for her insurance without American Airlines. And I personally hope this woman, at the very least, gets demoted. Because how can Mom go back and work for this same woman who tried to destroy her reputation, which she has spent 47 years building at that company?
8) Onto Thursday. That day. I knew I had at least one meeting ahead of me. I arrived to the office at 9 am and one hour later, I had a past due cash meeting with my boss and his. It was supposed to last 30 minutes and it turned into an hour and 15. Even though I think I had changed my approach to how I work, they didn't seem to think so. After that, I wound up having a 15 minute meeting with my boss on how to work standard term grants, since I want to pick that up.
Then around 1 pm, the two of them called me in again where they gave me my bullshit Corrective Action Plan, regarding my video watching. It's to the point where if I just open a radio station just to mute it, I feel like I need to look over my shoulder. I just wanted out of that office so much.
And around 3 pm, the final indignity of all. The CEO sends the entire company an e-mail that due to low enrollments and not meeting expenses, we're laying off 7 percent of the staff and teaching out 23 campuses. I have no idea if I'll be affected or not...
9) Mom left for her tour on Friday morning to the southeast, so I woke up at 4:30 to drive her to Rosemont. I also stopped at Mariano's to pick up some groceries, including a cinnamon creme cake for work. At least Friday wasn't too painful a day in the office. In other words, I had no meetings to attend. Of course, when I got home and opened the paper from that morning, the Daily Herald business section featured its lead story...CEC laying off 900 employees. That's a cold, mean slap of reality right in the face.
Right now, my perspective is this. I've been with that company six years now. Never been promoted , I probably never will be. Maybe it is time to move on and I really don't have a huge problem with that. I just pray to God that I can find something quickly. Because the thought of not making any money scares me.
10) Last night, I updated my resume and filled out a LinkedIn profile. I have no real idea what kind of jobs I will find, but we'll see. Tomorrow morning, I may take a much closer look at the Classified section of the Daily Herald. Now I have a whole Saturday in front of me and no real idea what I'll do with it, besides writing this apparently! Some quiet time might be smart...
P.S. I want to end with some positives.
1) At least the Knicks are 4-0!
2) In all seriousness, I'm glad I have a faithful, everlasting God and people I love and love me in my corner.
3) Psalm 55:22 "Cast your cares on the
Lord and he will sustain
you; he will never let
the righteous be shaken."
