Blog blahs

A bit of the blog blahs, tis true.

For New Year’s Eve, Michelle had a nice little gathering.  Even the Glenda and Ian came out for it!  To East  Van!  There were about 10 people all together and we played a very long but fun game of Cranium.

By 12:30 pm., I was practically asleep on the futon.  Michelle thought it was a rebellion nap but no, I was tired.  We left about 15 minutes later.  I’ve never been one to be able to stay up past 10:35 pm or say 10:36 pm, even in my twenties.  Don’t know why.  I’m sure I’m missing out on the fun half of life.

So Happy New Years Day to the blog people.  Here’s hoping it doesn’t suck. 

Hmmm, job related.  Okay, well, 2011.  First though, what happens if a company doesn’t issue you a T4?  Such is the state of the company I got laid off from.  They have trouble it seems even issuing pay cheques at times (and apparently still haven’t gotten around to getting direct deposit) and once their phone was cut off for an afternoon because they had failed to pay the bill.  Ooops.  The thing is too that in the 8.5 months I was there in 2011, the company was owned by three – count them three – different groups of people.  Will I be getting three T4s?  I’m obsessing because I really really need my income tax return which might be fairly substantial since I only worked a bit more than 8 months last year.  (Last year!  2011 is now last year!)  Anyway, guess I’ll have to wait and see.

When I eventually have a job interview and the inevitable how do you handle stress question arises, I think I can say – ‘well, in my last 15 months of work at the company, there was always a threat that it would shut down.  Then there were two wage cuts, removable of benefits, layoffs, three different owners, gnashing of teeth, crosswords at lunchtime and a partridge in a pear tree.  But we went into the classrooms with happy happy joy joy smiles on our faces.  Oh and I once had a young and sweet Japanese student sobbing in the washroom because my class was too hard.  Bent in half sobbing.  In the actual class, another student was very annoyed that another student was bent in half sobbing in the washroom.  I had to run back and forth.  This was in the basement.  The little black mice ran much faster than I did.  But there was a vending machine with those awesome chocolate chip cookies.  A bit pricey though.  Oh and one teacher gave everyone else little chocolate eggs at Easter but not me.  And sometimes I would ride my bike to work and getting of the Burrard Bridge drivers would often see fit to swear at me.  And finally, I got a bit sick of the bean and rice salad I kept making but did you know that that is a perfect protein?  When the teacher with the chocolate eggs was still speaking to me, she told me that and it stuck with me.”

C. thinks the T4 situation it will be fine.  “It’s the law!” she said.  True but let’s look at the track record there.

Or not.

Now last year at this time I was rather thrilled to learn that I’d still be working at the company in January.  I didn’t know how long that would last so I only took a week off during those eight months.  Uh yeah.

So after Monday, the holidays are over and the year revs up.  I have something vaguely and potentially interesting on Tuesday but won’t discuss it until after all is said and done.  Nothing major, just something.

I haven’t heard back from “this Magaazine” yet although the editor has had my piece for more than a week.  Me thinks she is holidaying although my paranoia is wondering if she doesn’t like my article.  Time will tell on that too.  And I need to get something out to the Courier newspaper this week. 

But that’s about it really.  I’ll get back to applying for jobs again.  Yup, back on that horse.  My EI case manager sent out an e-mail to all of her clients, informing us that she will be away until January 9th.  Thank you, case manager.  Nice to get an e-mail once in awhile as it confirms for me that SHE IS STILL ALIVE.

Oh, oh and I’m reading when our writers’ group starts up again on January 9th, so I need to, I don’t know, write something.

Oh and let us not forget the 12 hours I will be working – Jan. 11 and 12th at my church as the substitute secretary.  I’ll bring a lunch!  I’ll make a rice and bean salad! 

C. e-mailed the other day – “Things are looking up, no?”  I do enjoy C. and her optimism.  She speaks fluent Russian if anyone needs her to say translate.