The Rogue Technologist.
I haven't written in a while. I think I'm just losing interest in LJ. I know, BLASPHEMY!! However, I've made some awesome friends on here, and I still keep in touch with most of them. But I've lost my edge and drive for writing so much on here. Life kinda takes over, and there's always something to do. Some updates may explain a little bit.
The bar is still closed. It's been closed since May, I think. It's been painted, remodeled inside, had the roof fixed, had the bathrooms redone, and even gotten permits to build a patio. However, I still have no idea when it will reopen. That kinda got me down. It was a good social outlet for me, even if it involved throwing quarters at cheap customers or berating pervs in the corner. The joy of having a job that is not with a corporation and is also not your livelihood. The freedom and power is quite unbelievable. I could play the music I wanted and if someone was a dick, I didn't have to smile and follow some McDonald's handbook. I could be a total ass and direct them to one of the other two bartenders. :)
Along with the bar closing, I lost touch with friends. Manager Tony and I barely see one another or chat. Maybe once a month we'll talk on the phone. I sent him a birthday card, though. He appreciated that. Michael our doorman up and packed himself off to New Orleans with his new boyfriend a week after the bar shut its doors. Not goodbye. Just up and left. Little Tony (who is just awesome and one of the main reasons I worked at the bar) met someone online and moved to Atlanta to be with him. Never really got to say goodbye. Now I hear that Ken (who I used to tend bar with on Wednesdays) is moving to either Las Vegas or California in February. Being 2000 miles away from home...the bar was sort of a makeshift family for me. Seeing it dissipate is sad. I rarely go out anymore. When I do, I get bombarded with questions about the bar. And the bar FRIENDS which I used to work at...the owners separated and sold the bar. It is now called Cherry or something. My buddy, Tom, still works there, but I've yet to go in. I haven't seen Tom in months. :( I really should go say hi to him. I really miss him.
So that is the update on the bar. At my regular job at the lab, there was an exodus. When I started with the company 2 years ago, Allie was our supervisor, and I worked with: Mike, Karl, Carrick, Liz, Lisa, Julie, Kari and Sheryn. The team was awesome. Great people who I enjoyed working with. We had a nice little office. Then our parent company moved us in to this little cubby hole of their main building. It smelled bad and there were some crazy people there. I then recruited my friend Amy to work with us. We were a happy family...living in a place we didn't much care for.
Then Allie announced she was leaving for a rival company. She was the matriarch of the team. Mike was promoted to supervisor. A lot of the girls clashed with him. And thus began the exits. Lisa and Kari both left to go back to my old company. Then Carrick left to go to the same company Allie went to. Then Liz went there. Then Julie went there. With every person who left, the company tried to pacify us with more money. And it worked. I didn't DISLIKE my job, and I was making good money. The benefits sucked, but it was stress free compared to my old job. Then Amy left. It was down to Mike (supervisor), Karl and I (the only full-time techs), Sheryn (M-Th tech), and Ash (a trainee...who totally rocks). It was bare bones. All the while, I was being notified of openings at the rival company. Allie left the company to finally start her own business, and she let me know they had an opening. I passed it up, and Amy took it. Amy got a pretty sweet deal. She and I both thought no one would match our salaries or beat them, but they did.
So after Amy left, I asked about a money pacifier. Mike said no. I asked about better benefits for 2009. They came out, and they were just as bad as 2008's. I asked about getting an extra week of vacation. They said no. Now I wasn't UNHAPPY. But I figured they could try to comfort me a bit. This super cool team that I loved had crumbled down to just a few survivors. They didn't comfort me. I got a 3% raise for my annual review, which is good. I can't complain. The economy sucks. I'm fortunate!! But...when I got notified that the rival company was hiring, and my company wasn't doing anything to keep me, I tossed a resume to the other company. They called. I interviewed. I'm sure it didn't hurt that the coordinator at the rival company worked with me at my old job and said hi to me in the hallway. And their safety officer worked me at my old company as well and came up and shook my hand. And then while sitting in the supervisor's office, a former co-worker comes racing in to give me a tackle hug while I was still seated. All this sorta made me think I had an offer coming my way. But I didn't know if they could match my pay. When the supervisor asked what I was currently making, I added on the 3% raise I had just gotten, and then rounded up. I tried not to cringe or give the "too much, huh?" look. Without hesitation, the supervisor said, "I can offer you 6% more than that." I tried not to blind her with my smile.
2 weeks later I got a call. They offered me:
-6% more than my new salary.
-A $3,500 sign on bonus.
-Benefits that include medical that costs me NOTHING/$0 simply because I'm a nonsmoker.
-A 401k plan I can start immediately, which they will match dollar for dollar up to 4% after my first year of employment...and I will be vested immediately.
-A bonuses program that pays out an average of $900-$2,100 per person a year.
-Flex spending for medical.
-Free flu shot.
-Vision that would enable me to get Lasic at a cost of $500 an eye.
-Flexible hours that would allow me to come in whenever I want and even do 4 10-hour days if I want.
Along with this, I would be working with a total of 8 former co-workers. 4 of which are from the "dream team" at the old place. Also, they don't do individual productivity, which every company I have worked for before has done. Individual productivity is a bit of a stressor. "You only got this many cases out last month. We need to see you doing more." See, not every case is the same, and it's CANCER. You don't rush through cases where someone's health is at stake. The new place is all about TEAM productivity. We're a team, and we work together. It's nice. I had 3 days of orientation. Today was my first full day with the team and clocking in. I've been working on cases already. It's cramped and under construction still, but hopefully by the end of January, I will have my own space.
It's still fresh and new, but I'm excited. I've been "blah" for a bit. I needed something to kinda jumpstart me again. I hope this helps. And perhaps the bar will get back up and running in the near future.
So there you have it! An update! And for all those "WOW! You got a bonus! CHRISTMAS!!" Well, I bought my Christmas present already. And I won't get my bonus for a few months still. $3,500 bonus...subtract taxes...and then subtract a new $3,800 air conditioner. Ugh. :) Yeah, of all the time for it to crap out on me. And I know, it's cold. But I still needed to get it fixed eventually, so I got it done as soon as it died, which was 3 weeks ago.
OK, I'm outta here. I'm still alive. I hope everyone is doing wonderful! Sorry for the silence.
The bar is still closed. It's been closed since May, I think. It's been painted, remodeled inside, had the roof fixed, had the bathrooms redone, and even gotten permits to build a patio. However, I still have no idea when it will reopen. That kinda got me down. It was a good social outlet for me, even if it involved throwing quarters at cheap customers or berating pervs in the corner. The joy of having a job that is not with a corporation and is also not your livelihood. The freedom and power is quite unbelievable. I could play the music I wanted and if someone was a dick, I didn't have to smile and follow some McDonald's handbook. I could be a total ass and direct them to one of the other two bartenders. :)
Along with the bar closing, I lost touch with friends. Manager Tony and I barely see one another or chat. Maybe once a month we'll talk on the phone. I sent him a birthday card, though. He appreciated that. Michael our doorman up and packed himself off to New Orleans with his new boyfriend a week after the bar shut its doors. Not goodbye. Just up and left. Little Tony (who is just awesome and one of the main reasons I worked at the bar) met someone online and moved to Atlanta to be with him. Never really got to say goodbye. Now I hear that Ken (who I used to tend bar with on Wednesdays) is moving to either Las Vegas or California in February. Being 2000 miles away from home...the bar was sort of a makeshift family for me. Seeing it dissipate is sad. I rarely go out anymore. When I do, I get bombarded with questions about the bar. And the bar FRIENDS which I used to work at...the owners separated and sold the bar. It is now called Cherry or something. My buddy, Tom, still works there, but I've yet to go in. I haven't seen Tom in months. :( I really should go say hi to him. I really miss him.
So that is the update on the bar. At my regular job at the lab, there was an exodus. When I started with the company 2 years ago, Allie was our supervisor, and I worked with: Mike, Karl, Carrick, Liz, Lisa, Julie, Kari and Sheryn. The team was awesome. Great people who I enjoyed working with. We had a nice little office. Then our parent company moved us in to this little cubby hole of their main building. It smelled bad and there were some crazy people there. I then recruited my friend Amy to work with us. We were a happy family...living in a place we didn't much care for.
Then Allie announced she was leaving for a rival company. She was the matriarch of the team. Mike was promoted to supervisor. A lot of the girls clashed with him. And thus began the exits. Lisa and Kari both left to go back to my old company. Then Carrick left to go to the same company Allie went to. Then Liz went there. Then Julie went there. With every person who left, the company tried to pacify us with more money. And it worked. I didn't DISLIKE my job, and I was making good money. The benefits sucked, but it was stress free compared to my old job. Then Amy left. It was down to Mike (supervisor), Karl and I (the only full-time techs), Sheryn (M-Th tech), and Ash (a trainee...who totally rocks). It was bare bones. All the while, I was being notified of openings at the rival company. Allie left the company to finally start her own business, and she let me know they had an opening. I passed it up, and Amy took it. Amy got a pretty sweet deal. She and I both thought no one would match our salaries or beat them, but they did.
So after Amy left, I asked about a money pacifier. Mike said no. I asked about better benefits for 2009. They came out, and they were just as bad as 2008's. I asked about getting an extra week of vacation. They said no. Now I wasn't UNHAPPY. But I figured they could try to comfort me a bit. This super cool team that I loved had crumbled down to just a few survivors. They didn't comfort me. I got a 3% raise for my annual review, which is good. I can't complain. The economy sucks. I'm fortunate!! But...when I got notified that the rival company was hiring, and my company wasn't doing anything to keep me, I tossed a resume to the other company. They called. I interviewed. I'm sure it didn't hurt that the coordinator at the rival company worked with me at my old job and said hi to me in the hallway. And their safety officer worked me at my old company as well and came up and shook my hand. And then while sitting in the supervisor's office, a former co-worker comes racing in to give me a tackle hug while I was still seated. All this sorta made me think I had an offer coming my way. But I didn't know if they could match my pay. When the supervisor asked what I was currently making, I added on the 3% raise I had just gotten, and then rounded up. I tried not to cringe or give the "too much, huh?" look. Without hesitation, the supervisor said, "I can offer you 6% more than that." I tried not to blind her with my smile.
2 weeks later I got a call. They offered me:
-6% more than my new salary.
-A $3,500 sign on bonus.
-Benefits that include medical that costs me NOTHING/$0 simply because I'm a nonsmoker.
-A 401k plan I can start immediately, which they will match dollar for dollar up to 4% after my first year of employment...and I will be vested immediately.
-A bonuses program that pays out an average of $900-$2,100 per person a year.
-Flex spending for medical.
-Free flu shot.
-Vision that would enable me to get Lasic at a cost of $500 an eye.
-Flexible hours that would allow me to come in whenever I want and even do 4 10-hour days if I want.
Along with this, I would be working with a total of 8 former co-workers. 4 of which are from the "dream team" at the old place. Also, they don't do individual productivity, which every company I have worked for before has done. Individual productivity is a bit of a stressor. "You only got this many cases out last month. We need to see you doing more." See, not every case is the same, and it's CANCER. You don't rush through cases where someone's health is at stake. The new place is all about TEAM productivity. We're a team, and we work together. It's nice. I had 3 days of orientation. Today was my first full day with the team and clocking in. I've been working on cases already. It's cramped and under construction still, but hopefully by the end of January, I will have my own space.
It's still fresh and new, but I'm excited. I've been "blah" for a bit. I needed something to kinda jumpstart me again. I hope this helps. And perhaps the bar will get back up and running in the near future.
So there you have it! An update! And for all those "WOW! You got a bonus! CHRISTMAS!!" Well, I bought my Christmas present already. And I won't get my bonus for a few months still. $3,500 bonus...subtract taxes...and then subtract a new $3,800 air conditioner. Ugh. :) Yeah, of all the time for it to crap out on me. And I know, it's cold. But I still needed to get it fixed eventually, so I got it done as soon as it died, which was 3 weeks ago.
OK, I'm outta here. I'm still alive. I hope everyone is doing wonderful! Sorry for the silence.