What's new Thursday?
I see no one has started the thread, and while I wouldn't usually try to start it two days in a row (where's George? ... just kiddin' ... I see he's up), I'm about to go to bed after checking my payroll deposit and finding it's not there. Perfect ending to my not-so-perfect day. I need to blow off some steam anyway. I've already done some emotional eating ... I know, bad, but at least I got some protein in.
I told you I needed to talk to my boss about something on the schedule. He had me scheduled to work sports full-time for the next four weeks. When I talked to him last week, he said he was going to have me work more sports ... I thought that meant two or three days a week maybe, not full-time sports desk. I am not happy, needless to say. I feel like I've been sent to Siberia. He says he's not punishing me for anything, just that sports is shorthanded (yeah, I've heard that song and dance before ... everybody gets one page to do) and they aren't getting much help once the other two papers come over. He assured me that it may not be forever; but he said he couldn't tell how long it will be. Still, it feels like forever. I liked my job; I liked doing news pages and business pages and occasionally a review or a features page or the religion section ... it's the variety I liked. And there was some responsibility there. I got to do some covers (the front page of a section). In sports, I'll be stuck doing inside pages all the time ... probably the auto racing and golf pages, like I was last spring. I hated it. They didn't trust me to do any local pages (because I didn't know the names, I was told) ... well, when I first moved here, I didn't know the names either, but I got local pages to do. How stupid a reason is that!
I was sharing the new schedule information with some coworkers, and basically said it's a job, and I have to live with it, because I know too many people who are out of work. And there are no jobs in journalism for people my age with my experience. They're not hiring. And my coworker said, "Yeah, it's a job, and now it's a job with health benefits that are getting increasingly more expensive." (That's from our insurance meeting yesterday.)
I am so depressed about this ... I cried all the way home from work. Silly, I know. I'm still employed. I just started crying again, and Nettie came in and stood behind me and looked at me with those big green eyes and started purring at me. My cats have been super affectionate tonight. They know how upset I am.
When I first came here, there was a copy editor named Hank. Nice guy, but had a couple of teenaged kids who were a handful, and his wife had died a year or two before. He started after most of us, and my boss gave him the worst assignments. After awhile, Hank started to resent this and eventually moved back to reporting. Not long after that, Hank's house was in a fire, and Hank was badly injured. He died a couple of years ago. We all kind of felt Hank was pushed out ... it's kind of what I'm feeling like not. Maybe I don't have the right to feel that, because my boss says he really needs me to do this. But there are other folks who like sports (not working there, just like sports) who might like the chance to work over there, but they're not asked ... just me, because I was once a sports writer, worked on a sports desk, I have the experience.
Anyway, I should go to bed. I'm tired, I have a lot to do later and now I have to start it off by checking my bank account again later this morning.
Have a good day. I'll check back later.
look at this another way-your bos feels that you have the capabilities to move to the sports job with ease and no extra training and he also feels that you are a flexible enough person given all of the experiences you have.......???????????? maybe that's a strecth but trying to turn it around to a more positive....
your story of hank is scary because i do believe that things like that are happening these days of low employment rolls...be careful what you say and to whom --don't be whining at work (that can be how your "innocent" comments can be perceived-)-cuz it might bite ya in the butt---do you remember the problems at work i had last year with the one girl? and how i almost got fired for saying something innocent and caring taht got turned around????well- we are finding work that was done incorrectly and i think it was hers but can't say anything so as not to start another problem--my own job is too fragile right now-budgets etc...
anyhow- sending you big hugs cuz i do feel that you need them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White
Hope your day gets better as it goes along.
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!!
I answered the other what's new so I won't go back into detail here. Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thursday and stay well.
Eileen, you can handle it. I have faith in you. You must be very good to have your boss put his trust in you. Keep up the good work.
Mary G
I am on my way. What a ride it has been.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Sharing
I know that you can do it and just remember that you will be stronger for it. Think about my mantra..."That that doesn't kill me makes me stronger"....it has gotten me through a lot of stuff...especially lately. ha ha
You will be alright....I know you and really you will be...just prove that to them all. And another thing...go in there feeling you are a part of them and show them that you are not in Siberia and that you fit there just fine.
It's not what you gather, but what you scatter
that tells what kind of life you have lived.
Good Morning Eileen, OFFr's!
Oh Eileen, I truly feel your pain, as the job I have is not one I would chose, but I truly know that I am blessed to have found a job as quickly as I did in this economy and in the field I work in, as many have lost their jobs and are still collecting unemployment benefits.
Perhaps, the reason your boss is moving you to the sports page is because he is trying to keep your job and it's his way of doing it. Being a boss is not all it's cracked up to be these days, as unless he owns the paper, he has his orders to follow and these days alot of bosses are ordered to cut, cut, cut. . . I felt sorry for the people who had to lay us off last March when I got laid off, you could see on their faces that this was not a pleasant thing for them, but they had their orders and they seemed to have done what they needed in a way as to protect those who had families and older workers who in all likelihood would have had a hard time finding a new job before this economy bounces back. . . so pull up your big girl britches and go to it. Perhaps, you will find yourself enjoying it once you get back into the swing of it all. . . and our furry friends sure do seem to know when we are in need of extra loving. . .
Which brings me to my dear sweet Dillinger, not last night was I feeling he was sweetness though. . . I fell asleep watching the Phillies game, it was the last inning and don't think I missed much, as it was apparent to me they were going to be the winners and I am not a Phillie fan for those not already in the know here, but I will say they have a team that deserves to be in it and I will root for them against the Yankees, which would not make my brother proud (lol). . . anyway, back to Dillinger. . . I fell asleep somewhere around 11:25 and at 12:55 was awaken by dear Dil, so I crawl out of the nice warm covers to let him outside to do what he needs to and get back under the covers to await his return, 
and wait and then I hear him barking, now mind you it is now 1:10 in the morning, so I get out of bed put on my slippers and go out back to get his butt back in the house before he wakes up the entire neighborhood, seems he went out to hunt the dog next door, who has a doggy door to go out at will. . . now I am wide awake and it is 1:15, Dil hops in bed and I try to get back to the land of dreams, somewhere in time I finally succeed only to be awaken at 3:50 in the morning 
, not going to fall for the same routine, so I tell Dillinger, be quiet and lay down, well he lays on the floor, knowing that the sound in my voice is not one of being pleased with him and while I feel bad, I now have less than 2 hours to the sound of my radio announcing that it is time to wake and get motivated, so I again have to find a comfortable way to fall asleep, eventually doing so when I am awakened by the alarm clock and none too ready to jump out of the covers and Dillinger who usually gets a whole lot of hugging and massage time is not in his place on the bed, nor is he on the floor and I am like, oh well, guess he is mad at me. . . I get up and go in search of the furbrat that he has become and where do you think I find him. . . on the couch. I'm telling you this dog is a man reincarnated and he did not get his way, so he slunk off to punish me. . . 
Needless to say I am short on sleep and very tired this morning. . .
Well my today is about trying to be productive while I'd rather be in bed sleeping. . .
Have a great day and may you have the strength to get through whatever life challenges come your way.
Prayers, hugs and positive thoughts, Laureen
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
Well, those two traitors were on the couch, snuggled up next to each other. Yeah, Scooter HATES Nettie ... they hiss and fight with each other all the time. But then there are those times ... they snuggle down and groom each other and give each other kisses, or play with each other ... sweet! And that's what they were doing this morning when I caught them.
I'm better this morning ... not happy, but resigned to the fact of what I'm going to do, because I have no other choice. There are no jobs out there in my field. If I don't do this, I'm unemployed. My brother is already out of a job, so I don't want to go down that road. But if all I get are inside wire pages and no responsibility, I'm going to let my boss know about it. I will not be misused in that manner ... last summer, they gave the intern more responsibility than they gave me ... and he was just starting!
And I will not be treated like Hank. My dad went through this on his job at about the same age as I am now. They were trying to push him out ... he wouldn't budge until they gave him a big severance package. He worked at a printing plant, and eventually they put him on graveyard shift and made him put the blanket on the presses (hard work for a guy with bad hips in his 50s). They thought he'd quit, but he didn't. So they bought him out. I won't be mistreated in that fashion.
Annette 
They did something similar to my DH and finally he retired with a small buyout. Things are much better with us now.
Hope all works out for you and it is just your boss trying to save a job for you even if it is not the one you prefer.
Sheri
Nov 5, 2008
16 pounds lost pre surgery
