Unemployment

I love irony, I really do. But it's almost too much irony to handle, that the day I make this post, the day after I really commit myself to "HTA Education", I get laid off.

I should love it! I mean, the reason I went into my boss' office was to ask him if he could spend some time with me teaching me a few things, there were a few topics I had pertinent questions on. Instead: "I don't think that's going to work out. Have a seat."

Oh.

I'm not sad, really, but I might still be in shock. I was not loving my job there, and the lay-off part wasn't exactly a shock to me; I knew that the work was not coming in like it had been (due mostly to the salesperson for our team leaving the company earlier this year) and I was concerned about working enough to keep my health insurance.

I am angry, I think, because there was this discussion of communication. Or the lack of communication, from my end. This boggled my mind in my firing-meeting and I'm still upset about it, to teh extent that I let myself be. Because I was meeting with my team members at least once per week and emailing them of every pertinent update to projects. And THEY weren't informing ME of pertinent things. On my third-to-last day of work I had a really frustrating exchange with a coworker:

Her: Lauren, did you do the research for X and Y accounts?
Me: I didn't know that there was anything new on those accounts. So, no, I haven't.
Her: [dramatic sigh] I emailed you about it last week.
Me: [searching through Outlook] I don't remember any emails about that. Do you remember what day you sent it?
Her: Not really... Wednesday, maybe?
Me: I can't find anything about that in my email. Are you sure you sent it to me?
Her: Oh, well, I guess I didn't send it.
Me: Okay, send it to me now and I'll get going on it.

So, my senior coworkers can't remember what work they have and have NOT communicated to me and I get shitcanned? I'm the one who was not communicative? That seems fair.

When I really think about it, I'm glad to be out of that environment. I appreciate all of the opportunities HTA gave me, I do, but the organization is crumbling from within. I had a verbally abusive coworker, an absentee boss (who also, in a stunning example of organizational inefficiency, also functioned as HR) and a host of coworkers who seemed to think that I was either lazy or stupid, and some of them probably thought both.

I'm still sort of shell-shocked that I have to go through the whole job searching process again--it's exhausting! But I think it will be for the best. I just have to keep my spirits up.

unemployed life, in one picture

Clockwise from top:
Bowl and cup from bran cereal and grapefruit juice, 9 am.
Arrested Development, Season 2.
Fat Tire Amber Ale.
Purple wool scarf, in progress.
Cell phone that desperately needs replacing.
Purple wool hat, in progress.
Economist magazine.
DVD and TV remotes.
Monster.com.

chicago hates me

go cubs go

wrigley = awesome

yosh kawano day

my kitchen will always be in bright colors

(technical details: Lily Sugar 'n Cream in Key Lime, 2 strands together on #10 needles)

a vision of lavender

(technical details: frogged 100% cotton in lavender, size US #7 and #10 bamboo needles)

pt 2 of a bridal shower gift, 7 months late

(technical details: Lion Brand 100% cotton in Poppy Red, 2 strands together on #10 needles)

Adventures in Telecom

From one of the books I'm reading for work. Too funny not to share!

"The microprocessor is the processing component of the small, but powerful microcomputer. The fact that microcomputers are relatively inexpensive has made it possible for individuals and small businesses to own them. Microcomputers, also called personal computers (PCs) or micros, may be used as standalone computers or linked to a network via telecommunications lines.

"The smallest of all computers, microcomputers are now more numerous than all other computers. They are being used for every kind of task imaginable--from keeping records to preparing mathematical models of automobiles, from playing games to plotting the geographic levels of the earth for oil exploration. Their future applications are probably beyond our wildest imaginiations."

- Telecommunications: Concepts, Development and Management. 2nd ed, 1990

good god, i am stunningly attractive

why, why, why?

for some reason, i really liked this lion

behaving badly

not a budweiser to be found

free baseball

out of control

DFA! DFA! DFA!

My favorite punching bag has been designated for assignment to a minor league team. I am not sad to see him go!

He's said publicly that he would refuse the assignment (as major leaguers who have more than 5 years of service time can) and become a free agent.

Hmm. Lew Ford tried that last year. He's playing for a minor league team in Japan. Jason Tyner also refused a Twins minor league assignment and is playing for one of Cleveland's farm teams.

Seriously! Where is this idea coming from that being a free agent would be better than going down to a farm team, working on fundamentals, gaining confidence? I can only assume that Mr Rincon wishes to pitch again, but who but the most self-destructive of MLB clubs would pick up an RHP with this 2008 line?

J RINCON: 2-2/28.0 IP/33 H/21 R/19 ER/5 HR/16 BB/20 SO/2 HBP/3 WP/1.750 WHIP
His 2008 ERA in those 28 little innings pitched? 6.11!

Of course, we can't forget little-used but interesting statistic of Inherited Runners Scoring: 7/7. 100%!

It doesn't matter, though, because he's not the Twins' problem anymore! I feel as if a great weight has been lifted from Twins Territory.

omg little baby hand

grandpa's lap

Contemplating going car-less

As most people who are acquainted with me are aware, I'm in the market for a newer car. My dear workhorse, 1996 Ford Probe, is rapidly nearing its demise and I am very determined to trade it in or sell it before it completely dies.

Our recent-ish move to a block off of Nicollet (bus route heaven) and skyrocketing gasoline costs revives the ghost of an idea that I daydream about frequently: going car-less.

Financially, it's almost a no-brainer. At this point, filling up my gas tank runs just over $60. The Probe gets fairly poor gas mileage for its size (just over 20mpg). The bare-bones insurance costs about $100 per month. And then there's maintenance...

The cars I'm shopping are your average Civics and Camrys. They'll get better gas mileage than the Probe, but insurance will cost a lot more and I'll be making payments of around $200 per month for an indeterminate number of years. Getting a newer car will likely cost me just under $500 per month.

So assuming a bus pass would cost me about $100 per month, why don't I just go car-less?

FEAR.

I've never really not had a car in Minnesota. There were plenty of times that I shared a car, and I didn't have my own car for the first five months after I moved back from Canada. But at that point, I wasn't really working full time.

It should be so easy! If I didn't have my own car, I would surely walk, bike, and rollerblade more, leading to a healthier and more svelte Lauren. I would save a pile of money. I would, to use that vomit-inducing phrase, "reduce my carbon footprint". Running errands would be more challenging, though, and I'd spend more money on taxis and would probably irritate my car-having friends with ride requests.

Maybe this isn't the time to go car-less. I'd like to, though--isn't it funny? Whenever I don't have a car I wish I did. When I do, I wish I could get rid of it. I probably could do it, if I was committed, but Ryan would have to be on board with sharing his car some of the time, and I'm not sure I'm yet comfortable asking him to make that sacrifice.

My dream really is that a few years down the line, we'll have our cute little house near a light rail station, at least one of us will work downtown and we'll have one car that sits in the garage most of the time.

pet the cows

goofing around

canned goods

sober enough for south dakota

i was never allowed to jump on the bed

baby clothing is easy

You can see it in action here.

i've been spending a lot of time with babies lately

we finally mowed!

pretty sweaty

whilst driving