Motherfuckingsonaofbitch...

Less than 60%.  No change in schedule, although the want me to be an hourly worker so I might be able to get overtime but that is so painfully unlikely that's not worth considering.  They've told me anything over additional .50/hr isn't doable.  So of course I asked for that and an additional week of vacation.  So far I've been told that it's not doable because of employee handbook (which has been defunct for years).
Anyway, the part that really gets to me is that they don't think I'll leave.  I was actually told that, and it is sooo crazy that they don't think a 20 something IT worker/super secretary might have other opportunities for employment elsewhere.  Ugh.  Just that they think a 20 something would have any loyalty to job that has obviously been taken just to pay the bills is insane.  Hell, to think that anybody who's doing a job that they don't love will stay on indefinitely is crazy.  I'm sure that they're using the logic that the market is down therefore employees don't have any other choices.

Furthermore, if this the peak of what I can earn here why would I have any interest in continue to work here for more than the coming year?  If I've reached that top here I can use reach a new goal.

I know that I'm reading far to much into this, but this is my blog so I'm going to continue on down the crazy path.  It bugs me, the assumption that I won't go elsewhere, because it makes me feel that my lack of self-esteem, or confidence, is something they can see.  And maybe it is to a certain degree, but I feel so exposed.  This is my first real job and grew up in a household where conflict of any sort was to be avoided at any cost.  I was also taught that I should take what I can get and I that I can always do with less.  The prize was a badge of misery that could be worn with a sick pride.  So all this negation and making demands stuff is new to me.

Anyway, hopefully I'll get that extra time off to help me in the job search.

Random career genarator

I think I've found my programing project for the final.

If all goes well I will be moving on from my current job by mid 2010.  The horrible catch is that this next job needs be a step down the dark and spooky career path.

Of course I can spend all day fantasying about all the things I'd rather be doing, but actually putting my money where my mind is... ugh.   So, right now I've got roughly six months to finally do what I've been putting off for the past 27 years, decide what the fuck it is what I want to for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, until I drop dead.

Unless M is planing on dropping out of grad school to pursue med school then housewife is out of the question.  Besides, she would probably become neurosurgeon only to work for free in some godforsaken part of the 3rd world.  Anyway, I'll take housewife off the list, that'll narrow things down a bit.

Lez look at the possible career choice for young women... oh wait maybe this will help!

Image via Contexts

Image via Boing Boing

if only I had this game when I was little, I wouldn't be in such a pickle.

Office bag lady

Now that I've been at my job for over two years and now that I'm closer to 30 than I am to 20 I'm finally reviewing my work clothes. The majority of my work clothes were bought in a panicked state a day before I started my job. Needless to say I did not buy them for comfort or quality. The pants that fit well are beginning to fray on the seams. All the seams. It's looks like I'm wearing fringed pants. The other pants were inappropriately tight and some tops so loose the collars would slip down over my shoulder giving me a fabulous eighties look. My black capris (eeewwwww) are now a medium gray and my gray capris are hip huggers which I no longer find acceptable.
Even my shoes are starting to fall apart. Granted, I didn't buy the shoes because I didn't have any I could wear to the office, but until now I never understood that shoes wear out I just thought you outgrew them, physically or style-wise. I don't think I've brought shoes out of necessity since my feet stopped growing at size 10.
Anyway, my beloved (multiple) pairs of sky high black heels are being worn down to nubs, the soles are developing holes and the leather (the pre-veg purchases) is beginning to peel. I thought I was going to wear them forever, but not that I would wear them everyday. My poor babies!
Where was I going with this? The point is that if you caught me on the right day I would look like a bag lady. Especially if I'm wearing one of the purses the rabbit has chewed on.

Spanish to English and back again

ockera. I have no idea if that's spelled right, but I will find out. Anyway- M was asked by client if she was a rockera. Which, I guess is the Spanish language equivalent of an alt-chick. Actually she's been asked this more than once now.
I have been asked by several people at my job if I'm goth.
I wouldn't bring this up, but its just something that neither of us sees in each other or our respective selves. Nor are these looks that we're particularly enamored with (unlike mod or teddy girl, which we would be flattered to be mistaken for. Especially since neither of us have the clothes for either look).
We can't figure out how it is that we keep getting these questions seeing as how we both wear conservative office clothes (mine have quite a few floral prints) and we both wear office lady jewelry. Maybe its the heels? But then again we both wear flats quite a bit of the time. I thought that maybe its the hair, but when I was asked the goth question my hair was actually close to it's natural medium brown, not the black I have right now. M's hair is black-brown naturally and it's (kind of) a mod cut.

Work tool

The mighty paper clip.  Now that I'm network admin, it's the most useful tool in the world, beating out the alan wrench that has helped me put four homes together and dismantle three.  I spend most my time reseting phones, iPods, routers, WAPs, my computer, other computers, and forcing CDs to eject.  Couldn't do it without my trusty bent paper clip.  This job is so high tech.

When I grow up

I hope that I make actual IT money. Right now I make "you're a girl with no qualifications for this job, but somehow you everything work so we can afford to pay you a little bit more than you got as a secretary" money.
Anyway I look forward to the day when I am actually recognized, with money of course, for what I do. Because then I won't be drinking a can of Coke in the morning, I'll be doing a line of coke.