Good Morning Starshine!

I woke up in a great mood. This never happens. I had a full and enjoyable weekend with the boy. We went to the Renaissance Festival and put in the garden. (I went a little overboard with the half price tomato plants, so any one who follows this blog and can find me will get free tomato's.)
But it was a great weekend.
People have always said "Oh Children are amazing! They are sooo honest and good." Well that is bullshit. A first grader in Athens Ga was arrested not long ago for battery against her teacher. It wasn't a simple she slapped me battery, it was a monster wailing away with a stick.... but I digress.
The cool thing about kids is seeing what they pick up from you and change around. Like gardening. The boy doesn't know much about what we were doing. Sure we do it every year and all but kids forget.
I showed him how to use the shovel head to measure between plants. After a few holes he was a pro. When I was his age I spent the summer in a Texas Trailer Park putting in a new water line. We dug all day in the heat and then went swimming at the park pool. The boy and I went to a friends farm and swam in a pond.
I was even in a good mood at lunch when 'Good Morning Star shine' came on the oldies station. What the hell is all the 'gloopy doopy doopy' crap in the middle? Were we that stoned back then?

Some days will not die.

So I fired my people today. If you have never fired someone you should. You get to see the five stages of grief in a few minutes. Only it's all out of order and usually ends with anger. They never leave on acceptance.
It doesn't help that they are one person out of fifty being laid off today. It does not help that you tried to get them in on another department. It does not help that you are probably in the same boat in a few months. What really does not help is the Unemployment form that's been filled out in advance.
"What the fuck is this shit! How long have you planned this Motherfucker! Unemployment don't pay shit!" This is from the person who will be called back last. The Secretary thought it would be a nice gesture to have the forms ready in advance. She feeds on misery and came in early this morning to be finished by break time.
I got to work early too. I planned to head off the panic and rumors but it was too late. Our night shift got their bad news at 6:30am and the underground telegraph was fired up at 6:33 am. So I was an hour late before I started. So I waited until the forms were done and started the long drawn out emotional meetings.
By 5 I was exhausted and ready to go home. But the boss had other plans. The other Supervisors and I had to sit and debrief him on how the lay offs went. What we told who and for how they took the news. "And for Christ's sake I hope none of you sorry bastards gave anyone a solid time frame." Uh well I told them it would be at least a month and maybe two or three before we would..."Oh for the love of fuck, who said anything about calling people back!" and on and on.
The last hope of the day was Jimmy Buffet. He's in town tonight and the girl I've been seeing for the last few weeks got tickets.
No. I'm not sitting under the stars with a honey and a cold one listening to songs of Margaritaville. She was very upset that I worked late and so gave me the I'll be ready in a minute for a solid hour and the show had started.
Finally I said "It's been fun. I'll see you around. I'm locking this door for you." and headed for the liquor store.
So I'm listening to the Live in Anguilla CD and drinking a premixed Mojito.
To show my growth as an Adult Man, I'm staying mostly sober and riding my bike to work in the morning.

Hello, Goodbye!

I like my job most of the time. Let me tell you I do not believe in careers. A job is what you do so you can do what you want to (or have to). Some people have great jobs like chocolate tasters or SCUBA guides in Cozumel. But it's still a job and eventually it will wear on you. "Well Boss I'd love to take the boat with the Tropicana Tanning Team out but my ear hurts." "Gee, the new Godiva Bars sound fantastic bu the Doctor says I have work related Diabetes".
I've been with this company for 10 years July and we've never had a slow down. I've worked my way from machine operator to night shift supervisor to Shipping/Receiving/Packaging Manager. Since the packers are the last people to see our stuff before the customers, I've been allowed to handpick my people. No one who works for me has less than 3 years at the company and most have 5 or 6. I've been to most of their houses and helped 4 of them move. I've had cook outs for all 16 at my house. Every year they make me a giant goat stew and take me out for drinks on my birthday. They make me look really good with the people up the ladder.
Tomorrow is going to be a bad day at work. The economy has hit our little factory, later than most, but we have to lay off 40% of our people in the morning. As a Manager, I got to pick the 40% of my department to fire.
So tonight I am staying sober. For my friends who get the late night insane emails. Friday morning is going to be on fire!