¿Qué tal?

So, who wants to know what's been happening?

I know, I know, it's been quite a while! Anyone who knows me knows that I'm always doing something. And I've just been doing a lot of somethings!

The thing I wish most to tell you: Remember how on New Years Day, I saw several forest creatures along the road? Last Friday morning, 27 Jan, my father and I were driving to work down one of the regular little 2 lane unlit backroads that gets us to the Interstate. Just in the shoulder of the roadway (if you can call it a shoulder, more like a foot or so of extra pavement before the ditch) there was an owl. The squat, feathery, letter-carrying creature was standing on the road looking at us as we drove by. I've never seen an owl in the wild before, and the side of the road (maybe eating something) was the last place I would have expected to see one! However, it was dark, so I'm not sure what kind of owl it was. But it was there, sitting on the road, an owl. I've been noticing lots of owl-ish things lately, come to think of it. I wonder if they have a message for me....

Adolf has been off all week, and will continue to be off until 7 Feb. Can we say WooHOO! On the office front, however, it has been made clear to me that the department managers will say something to the group (like policy or something) but it does not apply to me. For example, they will say what kind of job performance criteria merits a promotion. Other tasks outside of regular stuff will be factored in. Guess what? I rarely do 'regular stuff' at all! The guidelines and quota numbers don't apply to me, because I don't do that work unless there are special circumstances.

They recently got on my case about coming in on time. If I time in at 0703 instead of 0700, I'm late (technically, I can't argue there). However, they told the group that they do take into account traffic and weather that may slow our path to work. However, once again, that doesn't apply to me, who lives 50 miles from the office. I wrote down the days I arrived late and why, and was told "regardless, we believe you can get here on time." If they give me a written warning for being late for traffic, I will quit on the spot. When we first moved to this location, the higher-ups had a meeting with every department and said they would work with those of us who live far away. My managers must have missed that memo.

As far as the overtime projects, I had reason to believe the Boss² never told Adolf about how behind I was, because Adolf called me that Friday and asked what could be deleted from the inbox. If Boss² had told them about the catch-up project, they would have known they could delete them all. For that, I am greatful. Yes, working overtime is very hard on me. I'm exhausted, I got sick, and more and more I want to do other things than work (you know, like updating my blog). I've turning on my home computer all of twice since we started this, I'm just too tired when I get home to do anything else. Needless to say, we are finally in compliance, so I guess I won't have to work overtime for a while.

And another thing! Last week, after a meeting with Adolf and Boss² about my inability to time in before 0705, Adolf decided that I would like to hear how happy they were that their stepson's gerbal had just died. (Happy because Adolf is on a cruse and doesn't have to worry about finding someone to watch the creature.) Have I ever given anyone the impression that I find it amusing or happy when a life dies? I am still beside myself on what could have possibly been going through Adolf's head to make them share that information with me. Also remember we're not really on a social level, so the fact that I got told anything of the sorts is still beyond me. There is something just not right about that person....

Snowboarding and brunch this weekend! Wee!