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March 21 Catching UpOkay, so I bet you are wondering what is going on with me. How much time do you have? I could fill pages!
JEEZ!
I'll make this brief but informative. On the 24th of February, Protege worked his last day with me. He had given me 4 days notice...and I barely had an ad in the paper to replace him when he left. I missed him more than I anticipated. Probably partially because with him gone, I took every phone call that came into the store and ever internet inquiry. Sometimes upwards of 30 a day. Plus keeping up on his current (and my) customer database. I worked 8-8 Monday through Saturday and still have the hour commute. Needless to say, by mid-week two, I was already pooped.
The GM was particularly harsh on all of us...I think mostly b/c he hired a new guy named Bob. Bob is one of those characters sending "progress reports" to the GM and busily putting together Excel spreadsheets based on current perfomance in each department but never really DID ANYTHING. Except smoke and talk on his cell phone. When it came close to closing time, he left. It didn't matter if we still had customers we were working with or not. "I'm outta here!" he would say. WTF? Speedy and I would look at each other in general amazement because the GM was heavily favoring Bob and thought he was the greatest. (?) I suppose mostly b/c Bob had his head up the GM's butt. Speedy and I prefer to work, not ass kiss but I digress. Word got around that Bob was trying to get the GM to give Speedy's position to him. Apparently (in speaking with Speedy later I learned), the GM and Speedy had one final disagreement and Speedy walked out. Now this shocked me initially for several reasons.
A. Speedy worked at that store 12 years and until this GM arrived, would have worked to retirement there!
B. Speedy isn't the type to just walk out. He is a professional and I couldn't understand why he didn't give notice. (I figured it out later, see below.)
C. Speedy was very loyal to the previous owner (and still) a major stockholder of this company. I guess Speedy called him and said he felt it was time to move on.
Well. You want to talk about life getting rough when Speedy left. I was having quite a time anyway, what with no breaks, eating lunch between salespeople in and out of my office and phone calls and the long hours. Add in no Happy Speedy and life became really unbearable for me. I broke down in tears most every day, several times a day sometimes. I actually hung up on a customer who was being ugly to me. I just don't do that sort of thing. Bob decided he was my boss and called me to tell me I made a mistake on a quote I sent out in October of 2006. That went over like a fart in church. I didn't even argue with him, just hung up. The GM was not one bit sensative to me working in the department all by myself and insisted the Used Car Manager was covered for his Dr's visits but repeatedly ignored my requests for 45 minutes to go get my allergy shots. The other managers would cover each other's desk so that they could get an hours' lunch. Not me. I was completely ignored. I started to feel like a daily flogged horse by the end of the day.
I put in notice March 9th and asked for my final week to be my vacation b/c I had earned a weeks' pay and obviously had no other way to take it. I asked the GM about it (in writing and in person) and he said I would have to speak w/ the comptroller about it. So I asked her and she kept putting me off, day after day after day! I did some research and learned in this state, an employer doesn't have to pay accrued vacation time. Obviously, he wasn't going to give me an answer b/c he knew I would just go and so I finally called his bluff. I had to end up sending an email b/c he had people in his office the entire day. I told him he could stop with the Slow-Play, I had figured out the game and I was done playing. I also mentioned I didn't appreciate the complete lack of respect.
He had the nerve to call me at home that night. He said he "kinda was" slow-playing me but only because he wanted to get an answer from the head of HR at Corporate to find out "how much flexibility" he had in regards to my vacation pay. He was planning on calling me that afternoon in fact! (I left about 4:40 and he leaves at 5PM) He said he wanted me to stay and train someone in so there would be a smooth transition-and then he would give me PART of the pay. Train my replacement? Stay for an undertermined amount of time for PARTIAL pay of my already earned vacation? I don't think so. He also mention being appauled that I would insinuate his lack of respect for me. So I guess he thought playing those types of games and working your employees into the ground is respect. Whatever. I didn't say much but I did say this, "Billy, you have been around the block. If you are losing an employee of my caliper, there is a damn good reason for it. You would be wise to figure out that problem and fix it!" Meanwhile, Hubby and I had finally accepted that the house up north was pulling us under financially and called a credit counselor. All of my attempts to refinance have been turned down for various reasons. Amazingly, though we had no problem getting a low interest loan on the house we live in. These mortgage companies are running a real racket. I am in an interest first ARM and they know damn good and well the longer they hold off financing into a different mortgage, the more they make. The credit counselor told me that they will force a late payment before they will work with us on perhaps a short sale or other alternative.
Now isn't that just peachy? I have to ruin my own credit just to get the mortgage company to work with us.
Obviously, I take full responsibilty for the mess we are in...but who knew the market would drop, we wouldn't be able to sell or even rent the house? Even rented, we had to settle for $500 less a month than the mortgage. It was our credit counselor who told us to buy this house before our credit was ruined. So now, I am looking for work and hoping for the best with the mortgage company. I am sure you think I am foolish for quitting a job when I don't have another, especially when I am already under financial strain. Well, maybe you are right...although it is pretty tough to go to an interview when you are chained to a desk for 12 hours a day. I look at it like this: What do we have to lose? If I am every going to find a career I love, I am going to have to take a chance. If I am really going to be happy, I am going to have to believe in myself and know we can make it. And believe in God. I am willing to do that because even after a full week off, I am literally exhausted. I slept 12 hours last night and I am not kidding. I still have black circles under my eyes and my feet still hurt from all of the walking on the lot. However, my husband has smiled more this week and I have laughed more than I can remember in over a year. I have been able to make dinner for my husband and enjoy our beautiful backyard with him at 5 when he gets home instead of seeing him for an hour and a half a day. Mendy is thrilled to have me home as are the cats. I swear she follows me everywhere and wears a perm-agrin. I have had one very promising interview. It would be a fantastic job. Cross your fingers for me. I need every positive thought I can get...life is sure overwhelming right now. Oh; did I mention - That my mother choose this time to tell us they have decided to move 3 hours north of here, and have already bought a house? They close mid-May. No, I am not amused. More on that later.
Pop's Mom (Grandma V) passed away. I wasn't able to attend the funeral because I had no one to cover me. She had Alzheimers...but it's still sad. I felt just awful not being there for Pop(my Mom's Husband), whom really has been there the last 26 years for me more than my own Dad. And Dad sent a letter back. No, it wasn't at all what I expected....but wasn't necessarily positive either. More on that later. And finally, Hubbys' birthday came and went. His mother sent a card, late..and didn't bother to call this year. She didn't even send money as usual. I guess she doesn't do that for Hubby anymore, just the other kids. Oh-we hear she is headed for Ireland with Cathy. Maybe saving money on our Christmas gifts, birthday presents and not paying for us to go on the family vacation is how she saved up! (If you follow the blog you know that she had told Hubby she was short on funds and could only afford to pay for the other siblings rooms for vacation so if we wanted to go, we had to stay with her.) What a real piece of work. That's all I have to say about that.
This life is my life...and right now it sucks. Sophia |
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