Breaking Wind Part Three

If the assignments I'm doing aren't that interesting, my co-workers continue to be so.

My supervisor runs hot and cold. One day she can be friendly and chummy, the next day she's agitated and annoyed. My manager is a little better, although she tends to assign me the more mind-numbing tasks. But then, who am I to argue if you want to give me accounting clerk work for a staff accountant's salary?

I had a nice talk with Ho Chi Minh while walking to the train one afternoon. He's been at the job site since December. He was originally supposed to take over White Chocolate's duties but that transfer never happened for some unknown reason. He's still keeping busy though. And since he continues to be invited to all the employee meetings - including today's all-staff meeting - it still appears that his formal job offer is imminent.

Robocop has actually started greeting me hello in a friendly way. He's also loosened up a bit with the people he normally works with. Today he asked me how long I was told my assignment would be. Apparently he was told he would be working through this month at first but that now he's been extended to May, which I told him was my end date as well. That would make sense as the company's trade show is the first week of May. Based on my own convention experience, not to mention the company's small staff, I figure that the bulk of their staff will be headed out of town. So there won't be any work for Robocop and me. RC says if he finds another temp opportunity before theis assignment ends, he'll leave, figuring that he may have a long gap between work. I understand what he's saying but I would like to put a couple positive references in my pocket.

Meanwhile, the library has not yet applied a pick-axe to its hiring freeze. *sigh*

BREAKING NEWS: Obama "officially" rejected by Socialist Party.

It's all right here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/13/AR2009031301899.html

As I said in a previous blog, we're no closer to being a socialist nation now than we were at being a deregulated theocracy under Bush... although I'm sure that there are some at both ends of the spectrum that would have welcome one of those extreme scenarios.

Breaking Wind Part Two

As I sit here waiting for 8:00am to arrive so I can find out if/when my client is opening today in light of the continuing snowstorm - BTW did I ever mention how much I hate winter...? - I thought this would be a good time to give an update on how things are going there.

I'm actually hanging in there pretty well. My immediate supervisor, a thirtysomething African-American lady, is friendly enough but also means business. I think her attitude could be summed up best as: "I'm glad you're here, my brother, but we got work to do and if you can't do it, I'll cut you as soon as I did the two people that came before you."

I've also come to realize again something I learned the easy way in high school and the hard way in college. The less responsibilities I'm given, the better I tend to do at them. I have given perhaps a half dozen types of tasks to do and while some may be moderately complex and/or time-consuming, I've been able to accomplish them all. While I understood the necessity of taking on other tasks following the downsizing at my last job, I was never able to maintain my efficiency, to say the least.

It's still too early to say where I might fit in the company's future plans, if it all. But the future seems to be looking bright for my fellow consultant Ho Chi Minh. When a department meeting was called, he was included while Robocop and I were not. That's fine with me as I've always needed a Mountain Dew (Code Red, of course) in each hand in order to stay awake in meetings. Nonetheless, it would seem that the only thing keeping Ho from officially joining the staff is the signature of whomever approves the salary budget.

Meanwhile, Robocop continues to stay focused. But he does say Good morning more often. And I actually saw him smile!

All in all, I'd still rather be getting my foot in the door at the library... but given the economic reality of things, there are certainly worse places I could be than at this joint.