I Still Hate My Job

I wanted to follow up on a few comments that were left on Friday's post.

Mike commented: Family owned business = very low opportunity for advancement. I thought you were a natural born accountant. What's your degree field? Are you a math major?

And this family owned business is really top heavy on family. I have worked for one other, large, family owned business. Although some of the issues there were similar to what I am dealing with in my current position, they did one thing right - they required any family member who wanted to work in the family business to work elsewhere for 5 years before becoming part of the family business. This gave potential family member employees invaluable perspective on how "real" companies work. 

My degree field is paralegal studies. I was a late bloomer - getting my degree at 42 - and was able to work in the legal field for a little over a year (commuting to downtown Chicago) before it was decided that finding something closer to home was best for the family.

I'm With Stupid (Jay) commented: It probably won't make you feel any better when I tell you that your description of your work environment also accurately describes about 90% of corporate America. I think the two big things that would make any job better would be for it to be doing something interesting and for a decent amount of paid time off. Two things that are very hard to find in this country.

I have worked in corporate America for many years, 7 of those with 3M. Maybe I just got lucky with 3M, but it was nothing like my current employer. Employees were valued. Benefits (including paid time off, excellent and affordable healthcare, and the opportunity to work on independent, innovative projects) were readily available. I know there are much better positions out there, but I also know that I need to take my time finding one of those so that I don't find myself exactly where I am now.

I've been working for 32 years, and I've had some really bad jobs. Nurses Aid in a long-term care facility. Parts Masker in a steel fabrication plant paint shop. U.S. Army Soldier (great experience, crappy job). I've also had some jobs that I really enjoyed.

There was a time when I was just happy to pay the bills, but at my age? I just have no desire to spend my remaining 15 working years dreading each week day. I'd rather work 2, lower paying jobs that I actually enjoy, than 1 job that pays the bills but gives me too much insight into the "going postal" mentality.

Know what I mean??

The WeLoveSchmoop Fund is Now Open!

Many of you know Schmoop ... in the internet defined "know".

She is the BFF/OSP of the one and only Matt-Man, and has recently been stuggling with some significant health issues.

Like turning yellow.


I first “met” Matt and Schmoop over 5 years ago when blogging was the only social  media platform … unless you were 12 and on MySpace. A few years later, I drove to “Bagwine” Ohio and spent a long (based on some of the shenanigans that took place, some would say too long) weekend with the two of them. They are real people. Real people who work hard and live a simple life.

In October, Schmoop did - indeed - turn yellow. Since that was not her normal color, she decided a trip to the ER might be in order.

That trip led to a battery of tests and then a transfer to another hospital where they drilled a hole through what they discovered was a blocked bile duct, and put a tube in to allow the bile to drain (a tube she wore proudly for 2 months). Last week, she went in for surgery to permanently remove the mass that was blocking the bile duct ... and anything else (pancreas, liver, stomach) that might have been impacted.

There was significant concern that cancer might be the culprit.

The good ... wait ... make that FABULOUS news is that her surgery went well and she was cancer free.

She is still in the hospital recovering.

Unfortunately, Schmoop has been unable to work during this time, and her unemployment benefits have been delayed by at least 8 weeks. She will not be able to start collecting unemployment until she is released from the hospital, and eventually cleared as "able to work" by her doctor.

Quite frankly, Matt and Schmoop are looking at the very real possibility of eviction.

Jay and I decided we needed to do something to help out these two great people, and the WeLoveSchmoop Fund was born.

We are asking for donations.

The idea is to try to help Schmoop recover the income she lost during this time that she has been denied unemployment benefits. So, with the help of Jay, here is a handy dandy little button that you can click on and make a donation to the WeLoveSchmoop Fund!

You don’t even need to have a PayPal acct. You can donate using your debit and credit cards. Just click the button and then put in the amount you want to donate (it’s up to you, no fixed amounts or minimums are set). Or, if you do have PayPal you can donate by sending the money to the official email of the WeLoveSchmoop Fund which is ….

WeLoveSchmoop@yahoo.com

It's a chance to help a great human being whom we all love so very much. The donate button will also be on the right sidebar here for the next few weeks. This isn’t an open-ended thing and we won’t badger you (much) to donate.

But, as Jay has so eloquently said, GIVE TIL IT HURTS PEOPLE!

Nothing To Say And Saying It!

Photo Credit

My mind has been going in a million directions lately, resulting in a "full" (6 hours) night sleep about once every 4 days, and far too many great-idea-just-started-half-finished blog posts.

It appears I'm not the only one. Today, in my reader, I found THIS POST written by The Psycho Babbles… and THIS NON-WRITTEN POST spoken by Jay (I'm With Stupid).

I thought about vlogging the contents of my wallet like Jay did, but that will just have to wait. For now, I'll just share a few of the great-idea-just-started-half-finished blog posts you won't see (like The Psycho Babbles did).

_____

I had an idea to write a post about my irritation with "big deal" bloggers who are quick to jump on the Thou Shalt Not Plagiarize band wagon (for example the Kristin Ruiz plagiarizing Amy Storch's posts and the subsequent blogger outcry), but will use googled images in their blog posts without giving any photo credit, then claim it isn't plagiarizing.

Yes it is!

Knock it off!

Need help finding the source of an image? There is a site called TinEye that does a great job of giving source data when you upload or paste an image URL into their search field (Yes, I know google images does this too, but I'm all about the underdog).

_____

I started a post about Jennifer Livingston - the fat (SHUDDUP! I am fat, I can certainly call her fat) news anchor/reporter who went viral when she called out her "bully" on air after receiving the following email:

Hi Jennifer,

It's unusual that I see your morning show, but I did so for a very short time today. I was surprised indeed to witness that your physical condition hasn't improved for many years. Surely you don't consider yourself a suitable example for this community's young people, girls in particular. Obesity is one of the worst choices a person can make and one of the most dangerous habits to maintain. I leave you this note hoping that you'll reconsider your responsibility as a local public personality to present and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Everyone was all WOOHOO! She's a HERO for standing up to her bully!

Look people, quit using the word "bully" every time someone says something about you that you don't like . We all know that words are powerful, but guess what happens when you use them too often and under the wrong pretense??

Remember Chicken Little??

THE SKY IS FALLING!! THE SKY IS FALLING!!

She received a SINGLE email. Although it may have been judgmental (Personally? I don't believe it was.), it wasn't threatening, and her use of the word BULLY did little more than encourage the rest of you idiots to keep using the word when someone says something you don't like.

STOP IT!!!

_____

I all but finished a post about the continuing saga of My kid was diagnosed on the autism spectrum before it was the diagnosis du jour so get off my back after several BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) meetings and a rather irritating IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting within the first month or so of the school year.

It was a bit of a verbal rampage regarding the significant special education staff change I've seen every year since Cam has been in high school (his Case Manager, the Education Service Specialist for the high school, and the School Psychologist this year) and how it means I have to start from scratch in trying to get my son the education he is guaranteed.

Then I decided that y'all wouldn't read it, or you'd read parts of it and leave nasty comments because it wound up sounding like I was making a bunch of excuses for Cam when, in reality, I'm just a shitty parent who hasn't done a good job raising my kid (just ask most of the staff at the high school).

This isn't my first rodeo.

_____

I think I'll copy Jay and do a What's In Your Wallet vlog sometime in the next day or two.

That should buy me some time to quiet the voices in my head so that I can write a decent blog post.

Birthday's Are NOT Stupid

~*~

I had a birthday last month.

Of course, I felt like I couldn't celebrate it here on the blog after Matt-Man wrote his scathing Birthdays Are Stupid post (the day before my birthday - CONSPIRACY) where he vowed to never celebrate another birthday of an adult ... anywhere ...

But now that my special day is over, and we're in a completely different month, I decided it was safe to blog about it. 

No! Really! That's why I haven't blogged in forever ... maybe ...

*smirk*

It's been a while since I've had anyone around who felt it was important to acknowledge that warm, July day in MCMLXIV. This year was a bit different.

Understand, I am not one who wants a grandiose celebration on my day. In fact, I don't even want to find myself in a restaurant where people might sing Happy Birthday to me.

But it does warm that cockle place in my heart when those who are close to me do a little something to remind me that I am important to them (because I easily forget).

That happened in a very special way this year.

When I awoke on the day of my birth (doesn't that sound impressive??), I did the same thing I do every morning - sat in my recliner and opened my laptop.

And I found this ...

A handwritten letter from Mike that jumped out at me as I opened the cover. 

It was PERFECT, and really, all that I wanted.

What made the day even better were the cards I got from Mike and Cam later in the day.

See? Mike did something for me that no one has ever done before - not only did he pick out a card for me, he picked out a card for Cam to give to me too.

And Cam?

He didn't just sign the card, he wrote a nice little note inside - thanking me for all of the things I do for him that he sometimes takes for granted.

It was the best birthday ever ... if adults were allowed to celebrate birthdays ...

~*~

What's Your Cause?

~*~

Y'all know I spend a great deal of time over at Band Back Together, right? See that icon over there? The one to your left?? That's my proof that I'm with the band!

In addition to the editing I've been doing for quite some time, I've taken on Team Lead/Team Co-Lead duties for the BB2G tumblr Team and our new flickr Imaging Team, where we put together those barfy inspirational quotes that everyone seems to love, like this one (I can call this barfy because I put it together):

Each month we do this World Tour thing where we come up with a topic (usually aimed at self-improvement) and encourage people to submit posts on that topic. 

We were trying to come up with one for June and I decided I might find some inspiration if I googled "June National Months"

The list About.com provides included forty-four National celebrations for June. 

FORTY-FOUR!!

I'm leaving the links for a few of my favorites right here so y'all can explore what you should be celebrating in June. Now go get yourself a Papaya, a good magazine, and sit on the toilet to read!

• Celibacy Awareness Month (I think we need to celebrate this one in our house)
• Dairy Alternative Month (or, give your boys liquid estrogen month)
• Effective Communications Month (no wonder communication is so difficult - we only set aside one month to do it effectively)
• Entrepreneurs Do It Yourself Marketing Month
• International Men's Month (I wonder if the IWS Boys will be celebrating this?)
• Lane Courtesy Month (I'm pretty sure Chicago is excluded from observing this one)
• National Accordion Awareness Month (Mama's got a squeezebox)
• National Bathroom Reading Month
• National Papaya Month (also, again in September)
• Rebuild Your Life Month
• Turkey Lover's Month (I'd have guessed November, not June, for this one!)

~*~

(10/365) 

I found them! I found them!

~*~

The blogs, that is!

There are more of you out there than I thought, and it appears I need to stalk some of your blogrolls.

Odd ... I used to do just that back in the early days, but for some reason haven't done it much at all lately.

I'm going to do a little "shout-out" to those of you who commented on my last post in a minute, but thought I'd comment a bit on a blog post I recently read titled Seven Reasons Why Blogs Fail (not from a blog I would regularly read, but I did find this post interesting) since I have run into so many of those as of late.

*NOTE* Numbered items are Paul T. McCain's - comments following the numbered items are mine.

(1) They offer little more than constant axe-grinding and carping on a particular subject.

I've been known to get stuck in this pattern, usually as a result of being stuck in life. I think it happens to all of us occasionally, but I agree - a blog that consistently bitches, whines, and moans? Gets removed from my reader.

(2) They lack focus and purpose.

There was an influx of these a few years back. Everyone decided they could be (and were) a writer. A bit of advice? Not everyone is. tumblr absorbed a lot of those.

(3) They indulge too much in playing to the crowd.

I lovingly call these troll bloggers. They are the people who write to intentionally create controversy. Personally? Depending on the subject matter? I like these blogs. No comments needed regarding my alleged participation in this type of blogging.

(4) They do not serve the niche they are trying to reach. 

I would change this to "They do not serve a niche". The successful blogs I read have a niche - the are aware of who their readers are and they continue to deliver what their readers want.

(5) They are not comfortable in “their own skin.” 

I see this most often with the stereotypical mommy-blogger. If you are going to write a personal blog, it's difficult to connect with your readers if you portray your life as one filled with glitter, kittens and perfect snowflake children ALL OF THE TIME. People know better, and they want you to acknowledge that you are human.

(6) They are insincere or desperate cries for attention.

I used to stumble on these a lot during the HNT days. "LOOK! I HAVE BOOBS (or a PENIS)! HERE THEY ARE (it is)!!" was the theme of many of "sex blogger" blogs. I'm pretty sure all of those people moved to tumblr too ...

 (7) They don’t have a plan for regular posting.

*snort* This is ... yeah ... this is HARD! Most of us who blog will never make a living at it (no matter how much we might want to) and this is the primary reason.

 What would you add to Paul T. McCain's list?

***

A special shout-out to the REAL bloggers who commented on my post last week (in order of when they commented):

Losing, Loving and Living in Tx (Kristi)

Bilbo's Random Thought Collection (Bilbo)

Billions of Versions of Normal (Mike)

Nick's Bytes (Nick)

Namaste By Day (Gina)

Blue Eyed Bader (adult content)

Project 365 | A picture a day...and maybe more (don't let the name fool you - there is always a quote and a blog post attached to each of her photos - Sujomi)

I'm With Stupid (This might be one of those "troll blogs" I mentioned above - Jay and Matt)

DuckButt

Another Suburban Mom (Veronica)

~*~

Friday Wrap Up

~*~

I haven't been so happy to see a Friday in a L-O-N-G time. Why? Because this week was spring break, and a 16-year old man-child with nothing constructive to do for 9 consecutive days is a disaster waiting to happen.

Just ask the mother of "tuck-n-roll Matt". You remember, don't you? The kid I had to take to the ER a few weeks ago after he decided it would be a good idea to jump out of my car - while it was moving - because he didn't want to go home? Yeah ... this week he decided going to a party and drinking excessively (as in he was a babbling idiot) was a good idea because even though I told him he couldn't spend the night during spring break, I would certainly change my mind because calling his mother to pick up his drunk ass would be akin to throwing him under a bus!

I called his mother to pick up his drunk ass.

And if you are curious? Cam did not drink, but that doesn't imply he was an angel.

~*~

I had my first (and second) designer cupcake last night. What? You think we have a designer cupcake bakery in Podunk?

Mike brought these down from a shop in Milwaukee.

My first foodgasm was induced by one of those pink jobbers on the center left - Strawberry Champagne. My second (I'm so glad foodgasms come in multiples) was the result of my palate being fondled by a Vanilla Bean cupcake (top right).

~*~

Last week, I was reminded once again, of my propensity to cause a ruckus when working with a team of women. See, I don't do the touchy-feely thing well, and generally? Women prefer opinions to be presented in a roundabout, less direct manner.

With a little dash of passive-aggressive.

And a heaping cup of understanding and praise.

Hell! Cam doesn't even get that!

Oops!

~*~

Hey! If you're not doing anything Sunday (and it's not Easter, so don't pretend you are going to church), Mike and I will be hanging out with Jay and Matt on I'm With Stupid at noon eastern time on their show - appropriately titled - Rock the Cradle of Love:

What's it like to be in a relationship with someone many years older or younger? Well, this week Jayman and Matt-Man are going to discuss these May-December loves with our good friends Dana and Mike. They can tell us what it's like to be the Cougar and the Cub and all the ups and downs of being involved with someone from a different generation. So join us as we analyze this phenomenon and even call in with your questions and comments.

This should be fun ...

~*~

Friday Wrap-Up

~*~*~

Hell of a week this week. I seem to be having a difficult time getting back into the swing of Cam's schedule and its impact on my drinking schedule. It's not like I don't have enough time to do things, I just don't feel like doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done. I'm craving flexibility and spontaneity.

Yeah, I said that! Something is terribly perverted in the universe ...

~*~

Cam had a "Come to Jeebus" moment at school this week. When confronted with overwhelming emotions he did what he does best - attempted to bail. Unfortunately, school policy doesn't allow for escape so he went with his secondary coping mechanism - full on football mode.

When staff attempted to block him from leaving the building, he decided to see if his linebacker skills were in proper working order. Lacking a nose guard or tackle to help him out, 5 staff members took him down ... to the floor.

He was banged up pretty bad. I was devastated when I got the call from the school. And then I was reminded of why I pushed so hard for this placement.

Yes, there were consequences, but the biggest concern was why did his happen. What skills can we teach Cam that will help him cope with the sensory overload. It was a defining moment.

~*~

I'm putting in an application for a new (to me) apartment today. It's a 2-bedroom, similar in size to what Cam and I are in now, but is in a triplex (fewer neighbors), has a garage (I don't) and has a washer dryer hookup in the basement (no more Sunday morning trips to the laundromat)! Best part about it? It's $25 a month less than what I'm paying now.

Cam is not happy. Change is bad. Moving is really bad.

Did I mention this apartment is 4 blocks away from where we are now?

~*~

Are you feeling guilty for a year of sin? Have a craving for a bagel with cream cheese and lox? Tune in to I'm With Stupid Sunday morning, 11:00 AM EDT on Blog Talk Radio. Jay and Matt will be dishing up a little atonement with a side order of ridicule.

You might even hear a live Sunday Secret ... maybe.

~*~*~

Friday Wrap-Up (Saturday Edition)

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It is always a busy time in accounting land at the end/beginning of the month, but this week felt like year end.

In addition to my "normal" chaos, there was a significant issue with my cash book account balancing to my cash general ledger account (for you non-accounting folks, this is similar to when your checkbook doesn't match what the bank says you have in your account) ... to the tune of about $1M.

Wednesday morning, the CFO and controller called me into a meeting to address the situation. With a computer linked to a big screen, and a white board the size of a semi truck, we dove in.

Now understand, I thought this was my fault, and I had let it go far too long (since the beginning of the year). I kept thinking I was fixing it and yet the discrepancy kept getting bigger and bigger. I prepared myself for the ass-chewing I knew I deserved. It was bad enough that I clearly had no idea what I was doing, but to neglect the issue for EIGHT MONTHS was quite irresponsible.

Come to find out, I was doing the right things. The controller - in an attempt to circumnavigate an ongoing problem with my AZ bookkeeper - made a change to the way the general ledger accounts were mapped ... and neglected to tell anyone.

Seven hours (and no lunch or bathroom breaks) later, it became clear that each time I made an entry through cash book, the money was going into the wrong general ledger account.

Ummmm ... yeah ...

~*~

Cam hates his new school ... I don't ...

I am confident that Cam is getting fair and equal treatment this year - that his perception of everyone picking on him is skewed. I continue to reinforce that he is responsible for his actions and his length of stay at the therapeutic day school. He can either cooperate, do what is needed, and move on, or he can dig in his heels and make his life extremely difficult (his current M.O.).

What is different this year is that the school and I are on the same page. They are trying to get him out of his therapeutic day school placement, but in this case, that action means Cam is being successful - not that he is failing - and that is a good thing.

I have no doubt we are in for a rough ride, but I have vowed to give myself credit for doing the right things (offering a place to study, help with homework, etc.) and allowing Cam the choice (and consequences) to succeed or fail.

I've got four years to help him make a positive difference in his life.

~*~

If you're not too hung-over, repenting your sins at church too busy on Sunday morning (11:00 AM EDT), tune in to Show #2 of "I'm With Stupid" - Jayman and Matt-Man's escapade into the world of Blog Talk Radio.

You never know what you might get ... sometimes there is even a live stream. Noooo ... not via webcam, but via Matt-Man's bathroom visits!

~*~*~