A new era (continued...)

Yesterday I mentioned that 2009 is a new era. I talked about the new leadership we have in the government, and to be honest, what I heard on the news this morning makes me want to write about it, but I will refrain - for now.

I thought today I would share a little bit of the new era in my life personally. The last post I made about my life was on September 10th, of last year. Interestingly on "Sweetie's" last birthday. Just a reminder, Sweetie, isn't my sweetie any longer... but I will admit my heart still yearns for her.

Sweetie decided last May that she didn't want to be a couple with me any longer. I moped around a little, and then tried to convince her to come back. Needless to say, I wasn't successful. Being a middle aged (when did that happen?) man, and being, as my kids say, "a geek", I don't really hang out in places where I am likely to meet someone new. So, I have signed up to places like Match.com and eHarmony.com.

I met some very wonderful women, and had some dates, many only first dates. Maybe my standards were too high, but I had hoped that I would find someone that would get me so excited about her that I would forget about Sweetie. Here it is the end of January, 8 months later, and I am still thinking about her every day. That part of me hasn't let go yet.

I have digressed completely from my topic... I want to talk about the NEW things, not dwell on the past, but I guess you have to talk a little about the past to understand the future right?

In my last post in September, I mentioned I didn't want to talk about work because I was afraid I would get fired. Those words must have been prophetic, because 8 days after I posted it, I got fired. Yeah, fired... not laid off, not downsized, not cutback... outright FIRED! Why? Well, as with all stories there are two sides. But i will only regale you with my side.

The morning of the 18th of September, I got called into my boss's office and asked to shut the door. When I sat down in the chair opposite his desk, his first words were: "What's your problem?" Not being prompted ahead of time, nor with more information than that, I had no idea what he was talking about, and stated that a few times. After he realized that I truly didn't know what he was talking about he, told me what HIS PROBLEM was. He wanted to know why I hadn't turned in my time sheet for over 4 weeks.

The truth was that I didn't think the time sheets were really important. He didn't make them important either, because he didn't say anything to me for over four weeks. I guess, I thought if he truly needed them, he would have asked for them, or at least sent out a reminder.

Anyways, I didn't think I should say that, so instead I said, "I don't have a good reason, I just didn't do them, I am sorry, I will do them now." That answer was apparently not good enough, he said he needed a reason. I explained that I didn't have any really good excuse other than I made a mistake and I will correct it. He got red faced, and started yelling at me about what a terrible employee I was and how that I must be intentionally not doing these important time sheets, and since I was doing it intentionally, that I am being disrespectful and insubordinate, etc...

I reminded him that I was all current on all my projects and he knew that without the time sheets, and that there were other employees who are turning in their time sheets but were behind on their work. I tried to return the focus to what should have been most important: the project. I was wrong, apparently the time sheets were what was the most important.

The scene got worse with him yelling at me, and putting me down, and I wanted to leave the room, but he wouldn't let me. He continued to yell, and I tried to defend myself, but to be honest, I didn't have a good defense, since I was wrong and I should have done the time sheets. Even though my work was still being done, was all current, the quality of my work was still high, and my last review in February was a 4.5 out of 5, were all irrelevant facts. I finally couldn't take the yelling any more, so I left the room, and he chased me down the hall into the main lobby and continued yelling. Told me if I didn't stop he would fire me right then and there.

I stopped, and I let loose. I started yelling back. I told him that I thought he was a terrible boss, and was out of touch of his employees. I told him that he spends too much time worrying about the small unimportant paperwork and red tape and not enough about the people working for him. (I even used the movie reference of the "TPR reports" from "Office Space", which I knew he liked.) I told him that he has held our product back and was personally responsible for the downward trend of sales because he failed to allow the product to be improved because he felt it was "too risky". All of that went in one ear and out the other. The point that finally got and got a reaction was the line when I told him that he spent too much time with one particular girl in the testing department, and that because he was too focused on her "butt" that he was out of touch with the product and his employees. BTW: Everyone in the office knows he's having an affair with her, but no one will speak about it. At that point, he pointed to the door, and told me to "Get out."

Well I was upset, so I did "get out", and I went to my cube, grabbed my jacket and I left. As I drove home, and cooling off, I started to think that I didn't really know what "Get out" meant. Was it a get out now because we are both too angry to talk, or was it get out and don't come back. So, when I got home, I called the HR department and asked them to tell me what I should do. They didn't call me back until the next day, and they proceeded to tell me that "your employment with the company has been severed." I was absolutely flabbergasted. I couldn't believe that my boss could pick a fight with me over these stupid time sheets, and I could be fired, when he's the one having a office relationship with an subordinate. When I asked why, I was told because I yelled and cursed at my boss, which is unacceptable behavior. Of course, the boss can yell and curse at me, but I can't do it back.

All of my friends in the company that heard the yelling match between us told me that I was right in everything I said, and that I didn't deserve to be fired. But, that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

They told me that I couldn't go back to the same office, and there were no openings for me in other offices, so they were dismissing me. To their credit, they paid me me for my unused vacation time, and the last bonus check they had apparently been holding on to. That gave me a month's worth of income to tide me over until I found a new job.

I am now working as a software contractor (temp job) for a different company in the same area where I was working for before. I have been doing everything I can to get hired on as a permanent employee here. My manager has told me a few times he likes me, and the work I do, and he is doing everything he can to keep me.

I really like the company I am working for now. The environment is positive, the people seem to like their job, and the manager is great. Looking back, I am glad I am no longer working at the old company, and I am much happier now, even though I am making less money. Hopefully the less money thing is a temporary thing!

I described this as a new era, and the new job, and the loss of my sweetie isn't the only significant parts of the change. There is more, but that's for another time, so stay tuned!

Later Lou