8:55 A.M. Central Time
Last night at work I was going to write up a little something about Velvet Revolver. They were on Late Night With Conan O'Brien last Wednesday and it was pretty good (as usual) so I thought it deserved a mention. Then I got to work and had the email. You've read the newsflashes. You know that I am a temp and my job is finally ending. I know that I am a temp and my job is finally ending. Then I got to work last night and had a very special email.
Oh, that's right. They want me to stay another month. Keep in mind, this job was supposed to end January 10, 2004. It is now November 30, 2004. They only ever extend the contract a month or two at a time so I think this is actually my fifth or sixth false alarm. I really thought I was done this time. They bumped the end date from December fifth to the first and they had never bumped it back before. Thinking I was about to be out of a job, I made plans for December.
I spent this past weekend cleaning my house more thoroughly than usual (read: I actually cleaned) because I was going to spend December occasionally working the old part time job and spending my time improving the site. By improving I mean getting back to the M-W-F posting schedule because it's been a little off lately. I was going to look for a new temp assignment at my leisure because I took care to save living expenses since I never quite knew when this job would end. If you ask my friends they will pleasantly inform you that my job is never going to end. They were taking bets on how long it would be before I got called back. As it turns out, no time. They win! Kind of.
I told my employer I would stay but only for a Monday through Thursday schedule. Friday nights I take zero phone calls and have zero new write-ups to deal with and it is the longest eight hours ever. It's like a Twilight Zone episode where time visibly stretches. Of course, I can't work Thursday or Friday this week either. Heh. Well, jeepers, I thought I was going to have time off! I made an appointment to take my kitty cat to the vet! I'm thinking about visiting the eye doctor!
These are afternoon activities and I am sure as shooting not getting off work at eight in the morning on Friday so I can take a nap and get to the vet by one, then take a nap and get up and go to work. No sirree. There is always the possibility that my kitty will be irate because of her journey and decide to take it out on me by meowing in my ear all afternoon. That isn't so restful.
After I post this I've got to call and see if they care for my suggestion of a four day week. Then I've got to call the temp place and be all, "Oh, cancel yesterday's message about finding a new job because this job isn't ending after all." I guess I'll also amend this once I get word from all parties that are not me. Up until last week I thought that only CEB was interested in this saga, but I've gotten lots of super emails from concerned citizens about my employment situation. My readers rule like Morrissey.
9:50 A.M. Central Time
Heh. My new end date is December 31 but let's not hold our breath. My employer was cool with my four day schedule and my temp place, well, I left a message. They just call the employer once a week to make sure I'm still doing my job and that is really the extent of their involvement so a message is fine. These are the people who constantly ask what hours I'm working because they never did adjust to the fact that I'm on third shift now, even though it's been six months.
I'm very pleased because I now have another month to find a new pair of five dollar just-in-case Business Casual pants. I might need them if I ever actually have to get a different job.