Kiss of Death

Today I found out about more lay offs. So in total, all THREE of the last companies I worked for have had layoffs. Quite the track record I have. What a weird pattern. Hire me and watch me plow your company into the ground!



I watched my dad struggle with lay offs on and off while I was growing up. He was an auto worker and worked his butt off to send me to college so I could be a white collar worker and never have to be escorted out the door with a pink slip. O well.



My job history is in tatters. But at least I start a new job TODAY! I am off to OH for training and pretty much plan to plunge in as much as I can (i.e. no social life) to ensure that somehow, someway I have job security going forward. Its not enough to let it go to the higher ups anymore. The best you can do is make yourself valuable to a good company and hope.



In other news, I have still been working at cutting my cost of living. So from Feb 1 to Feb 28th I am going to document every penny I spend every day and see how much I can save this month with sales and coupons and not going out to dinner every night. I want to see what the heck it is I spend my $ on cause I just paid out the first set of bills post layoff and I can't believe how much funding I require to live a single, simple life in DC in a 750 square foot condo with a 5 year old paid off Chevy...



The traditional conservative dork in me is looking on the positive side of this disaster - maybe it was time to clean house - and I am not just talking about my last 3 companies but the overall economy in general...I know that the majority of people who have been "affected" by all the lay offs work hard but there is a subset of workers who are lazy and its time for an attitude adjustment about work and earning a living. It's the right to the "pursuit of happiness" not a guarantee of happiness. Obama et all need to make sure to a certain extent we can all pursue happiness but its up to each person to guarantee it for themselves by working harder, smarter and more responsibly.



I was in Target last week and sat in the customer service line listening to the two clerks complain about their jobs and one even said "Its not my job to do this but I will process your refunds anyway". I wanted to pummel her with my bag until she cried "Uncle" (or "Security")...Why was I even IN the line to begin with? I noticed I was charged 50 cents too much for something I bought 3 of and wanted my $1.50 back....something I would have never done pre-paycut and layoff!



Time to go back to the basics, work hard, be smart and make your own "luck".



Ooops I said I wouldn't make this a soapbox or a sex in the city esque blog about my dating life and the last two entries broke both rules!



I am sure I will stumble onto something more entertaining again this week. Off to the airport!