Of Things to Come

Sorry for the blogging hiatus. As my "9-5" ended there were several loose ends that needed tied up, sorted and gathered in. But things are settling in now and I'm getting used to a schedule that I haven't been on since, well college. I spent last week not only sorting thru personal matters but also finding joy in the little things again like cooking, hanging laundry out, picking copious amounts of cherry tomatoes and photography.
I'd kind of forgotten how fast everything had been going when I was working constantly. I know working from home won't always be easy, but I'm hoping it'll give me the chance to enjoy the things I'd put aside and neglected for so long.

Happy Guinness Cat

Done and Done

Today was my last official day of working at my "9-5".

I am SO relieved and beyond excited to be leaving finally. It felt like it would take forever to get here, but it did and now it's OVER! WHOO HOOO!!!

Only happy stuff for me today! The local Celtic Festival gets underway in 2 hours and you can bet I'll be there dancing and drinking the night away in celebration!!

Here's to new freedom, new possibilities and a new start!

Lemons

It's rough right now in Tumus-land. Not to keep posting the inner workings of my personal life but doing so kind of sheds alot of light on what's going on.

I got a memo on Monday at the "9-5" stating we'd be working 6-7 days a week now with close to 10 hours shifts. This statement struck me dumb, literally. I felt like I'd been slapped square across my cheek and then punched in the gut. After my stupor passed I got up and left my desk for a while to cool off. To say I was livid or "pissed off" would be an understatment. I swear to you I would've packed up my desk right then if I knew I could still somehow support myself and Chris sans unemployment.
The way our budget will work once I'm laid off will rely on that unemployment check until either Etsy or I find a steady source of income.
So I'm kind of stuck in a private hell of sorts. I mean there SHOULD be laws against this very thing. You can't just lay off 150 people and then tell them, oh by the way you'll now be working every single day from here until the time you leave. It's just...baffling.
I have words for it but they are not appropriate in ANY form.

This post took me all week to sort out because I'm still angry about it. There's no law stating company's are doing something illegal when they twist your arm to work 7 days a week at an insane pace. Even with all the OT pay I'll be pulling in I won't see much of that because of how it will be taxed. In other words I might not see that actual OT money until I file my taxes NEXT year. Alot of good that does me now.

Maybe all this chaos is preparing me for working hard on Tumus and Pinpinn once I have time again but that's about all the positive I can find in it. Frankly the most I've been able to do is clean back in my craft room. There is something somewhat therapeutic about organizing fabric and felt. I think it's the colors and the fact that it's quiet and peaceful. And probably the beer nearby.

Because I've been near dead, mentally and sometimes physically, when I arrive home each night the most I can do is read, sit blankly in front of the TV or clean for short periods. Even Chris says I'm too quiet most nights now.

It's funny how work can just sap your will to live. I truly and sincerely hate this company with all my heart.
How the hell am I supposed to make lemonade out of this?

Laid Off

July 30th, 2010 will be my last official day at the "9-5". I secretly wish it was sooner than later because motivating myself to do any kind of work in the next 6 months is going to be terrible.

But freedom at last.

Well Ain't That a Blow?

The "9-5" just announced that they will be laying off 150 people tomorrow. What's really "great" about this piece of news is the fact that while most of us saw it coming the way it was announced was terrible. They sent us a generic email last week stating there would be some changes, but no one saw it as they would be laying off over half the company.

The place I work for has already suffered thru massive layoffs in the last 2 years they could have at least told us they were announcing it today, but nope they sent it to the press first. So the entire company found out about the layoffs at the same time from a source OTHER than my place of soon to be "non-employment".

Now I jest at quitting my job, but the relief that comes with actually loosing it is that I can still get unemployment which means food on my table and bills paid. If I quit, well I get nada.
But I don't think I'll be that "lucky". I think instead the rest of my teammates may get the axe while I stay put simply because I'm part of a super project that's only going to keep me around till the end of the year. And THEN I'll get cut.

So yeah.

Pray for my sanity

I've been busy, but unfortunately it hasn't been with my Etsy shops Tumus and Pinpinn. It's been with my "9-5". I've been moved to another position within my company that involves converting and testing copious amounts of data. I haven't decided if I really like it or not. It's a bigger workload, more stress and with the same pay. It's not a good trade off but if I want a job then I have to take where they move me with as much gratitude as I can muster.

Despite this I am plowing away at making sure my personalized ornaments are up and listed and that I have some new breeds up. Can you believe I've made a Boxer and Coon Hound too but didn't have time to take pictures of them before I mailed them out LOL! Here's the jack russell.




I've been wrestling with that and making sure Pinpinn is getting restocked with it's best sellers.
It's incredibly hard right now. I don't mean to whine, but I am forcing myself to work harder at Etsy NOW than I was before even at the expensive of sleep. I can't help it. I might break down at some point and have to stop with shop updates or new items just to move thru the Holidays with my fingers in tact, but I plan to make it work.

Our company has forced us to take 2 mandatory furloughs, one the week of Thanksgiving and one the week after Christmas. You can guess what I'll be doing :lol:(well aside from baking 8 doz dinner rolls). It's remarkable any of us who have outside jobs from our crafting businesses have any time at all to eat and breathe.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..........

Cracked?

Getting there.
Geez this wedding stuff is hard business....and I think I had some not so fresh salad over at my future mother-in-law's house tonight...*urp*....blech.

I wish I could catch a break, but it's not going to happen. The "9-5" just cracked down a horrific schedule for the next two weeks. They want us to work between 13-15 hours of OT each week for the next 2 weeks.
Nevermind the fact they could save loads by hiring new employees and training them, never mind they're busting the budget by willing paying 45 employees time and a half for a total of 30 hours of OT per person. Nevermind any of it. It makes so much sense they've chosen to ignore it and push head long into the abyss of zombie employees.

I've already decided in my head that I will only be doing 30 min. each day extra. My tiny body can not withstand any more stress at that place. That OT total includes two mandatory Saturdays at 8 hrs each which I can't evade no matter what. It makes my stomach gurgle just thinking about it.

Bad salad + stress + wedding overdosing = one very uncomfortable girl.

I think if I can weasel out of an hour each day to only doing 30 min. not many will notice.

It's for my own good and if they are too selfish to realize that, I fear I may have to seriously quit my job before the wedding which would not be a good at all. I'm sorry but my health and mental well-being are WAY more important.

This has prompted me to take down all custom work listings in both Pinpinn and Tumus till AFTER the wedding.

I need to start practicing meditation, if anything for the simple act of remembering to breathe.