spoiled chinese girl

This was some of the most elusive and most harrowing experiences that I’d ever had. I haven’t had to quit a job in quite some time. But I finally did it. On my birthday. I gave my notice that I was leaving the company I’d slaved over for the past year and a bit. There was honestly nothing so freeing and such a weight was off my chest after handing over a simple piece of paper.

Basically I’d been gunning for a new job for a while now, I’d gone on interviews here and there and nothing really came of it. I really super duper wanted to get back into the printing industry as that’s what I went to school for. It’s not my absoloute dream job but it’s something I would look towards because I spent so much time learning the industry, that I felt not being in it was having my education go to waste, especially since I was doing a job that needed no “higher education” its not like I was able to apply my degree in any sense at my current job at the tile company.

Plus as I’m sure my many (*sniggers*) readers have deducted, I wasn’t 100% happy at my job at the tile company. I am/was barely 50% happy with the job. And that was to begin with. Then the rules started, and the regulations started, and I could see it going downhill from there.

And there was my dismal 3 month review that came while I was 9 months into my job. Then my dismal annual review, and even more dismal annual raise. And the rules, and regulations, and the power trips…
But yes, I got a new old job. I’m back to working for the envelope company that let me go two years ago, then called me back 3 months later, then I declined their offer to be rehired, and now will be working for them again. They needed me to start immediately, which is going to be a problem.

I digress. My main point was it was more than exciting, I was so nervous, so excited, so EVERYTHING going into this. I didn’t have a printer but I needed a formal resignation letter. I e-mailed it to myself at work so I could print the hard copies. I figured, who cares if I’m using e-mail for personal purposes, what would they do, fire me?

My letter was the shortest and most to the point letter I’d ever written. I copied and pasted from the internet. I filled in the relevant info, and changed one line, just to spite them.

Here was my resignation letter:

To Whom It May Concern:

Please accept this letter as formal resignation of my position as Customer Service Representative with (TILE COMPANY).
December 14, 2007 will be my last day of employment with the company.
I want to thank you for the opportunity to work with this organization.

Sincerely
(MY NAME)

The line that I changed? The online version’s last line was “I want to thank you for the opportunity to work with such a wonderful organization.” I just…….. didn’t feel right leaving that in there.

Being that my birthday was on December 5th, and my last day is December 14th, I wasn’t giving them two weeks notice. I am also leaving knowing full well they are short staffed in the customer service department. A point I had mentioned multiple times. And I have only taken 3 vacation days this year, meaning I still had another 7 to go. And realized AFTERWARDS that I should have taken my full week of vacation for 17th to the 20th, then the two days on the 27th and 28th and could have made my official last day January 2nd and received all the stat. holiday pay. I doubt they would have let me, but I should have tried.

And the HR lady was going on about how I signed a contract saying I would give two weeks notice. Yet she encourages potential and new employees to leave well before two weeks at their current jobs to come to this one. And she said how I was putting them into a difficult spot, which I reminded her that the company really put themselves into this spot because they keep having people leave and not rehiring.

Then the kicker. She told me “Well perhaps it’s better for everyone involved.” (that I was quitting.) So… in her mind, the company is better off without me. I don’t 100% doubt that, but I really thought it was something very rude and not something that a human resources manager should be saying to employees. I just smiled and nodded knowing full well I won’t have to put up with this bullshit anymore. But really. Seeing as how I’m the most senior CSR at the company (only being there 13 months) all of the other CSR’s have been there 3 months or less. And they’re still going to refuse to hire someone new until well after the holidays, knowing another from my department is going on a 2 week long vacation.

I don’t care anymore, and I don’t want to care anymore.

The staff mostly found out the day I did it, some just found out today.

There was a flurry of e-mails being flown across the office for lunch on my last day at work, and we may be ordering in a giant Swiss Chalet meal for me (when the company pot-luck is on the Monday) so it will be something completely done by the staff and not by the company.

For me… I’m just counting it down.

Two. More. Days.

So Friday’s potluck was not as a raving success as I’m sure everyone was expecting.  Considering the fact that many people were purposely not putting what they were bringing into the meal because of all the rules that were being imposed on us, the whole thing went slightly astray.

So the rules were:

• only 2 dishes of each “type” allowed (i.e. pasta, meat, fish/shrimp, veggies)
• no chips & dip allowed
• no “snacks” allowed
• only two desserts allowed
• no pork (because the owners are Muslim)
• no chicken (because the HR lady was bringing a turkey)

Plus others I’m probably forgetting.

Well, one of the two people who signed up for dessert didn’t make it because she felt ill the night before and had no time.  Half the people either surprised us with what they were bringing, or lord knows they probably didn’t bring anything and were quiet about it.

People surprised us by bringing chicken anyways.

The HR Lady’s turkey was not throughly cooked, and the inside parts were still pink and raw.

Not a whole lot of people ate my pasta salad that I had food-coloured to be pink and blue.

I can’t wait for next time.  That was just stupidity at it’s finest.

We’re having a pot luck this Friday for Thanksgiving.  We haven’t had a pot luck in a while and I’d completely forgotten just how insane it is around pot-luck time.  Every pot luck we get, there are more rules and regulations and makes it more and more unfriendly towards those who just want to have a fun go at it.

The company has had a number of pot lucks since I joined back last November.

The first two pot lucks I made a pasta salad. Generally going over very well with the public at large.  The third I made cucumber sandwiches, not realizing that cucumber sandwiches were much more than just white bread and cucumbers.  The most recent pot luck I made chocolate chip cookies out of a cookie dough mix and added blue food colouring for fun.

Well the first pot luck also brought my coworker who literally moved house the week prior and had been eating out all week due to not having a functioning kitchen, to bring a standard fare of chips and dip.  But an extravagant one at that.  After the first pot luck we were getting memos of “No bringing chips and dip.  Meal-like dishes and dessert only.”

The first pot luck I believe also had a second co-worker buy pizza for the group.  The pizza went amazingly quick and was very popular.  Somehow when this person mentioned they might do pizza again, it was mentioned in a private manor (but shared to the rest of the group) that pizza is discouraged.  Why, I’m not certain to say the least.

The memo’s also got longer.  Bringing napkins, plates and cutlery was no longer an option, unless you were willing to throw drinks into the mix.  But now all of that together is not an option.

The rules used to be 3-4 appetizers like salads, 6-8 main course dishes, and 3-4 desserts were on the menu.  This has changed to two dishes maximum for each type of food, i.e. salad, meat, pasta, fish/shrimp, vegetables.  Still no chips and dip.

The pot luck for this coming weekend?  “Only two cakes allowed for dessert.  Snacks are to be excluded to bring in more lunch-time dishes.”

Because the difference between 10 lunch dishes and 12 lunch dishes is so bloody much.

Seriously.  There is about, if not over, 20 people in the office.  2 cakes is not going to… well… cut it.  And what’s with the “no snacks” thing.  Obviously this means the cookies I planned on baking.  Because cookies would be horrendous to have during a pot-luck.  Because heaven forbid that people might want some during their afternoon break.

The rules.  THE RULES!

Seriously, there is some SERIOUS talk of mutiny during the pot-luck and having everyone just bring their lunch like normal on the day.  My other form of mutiny was to buy a bag of frozen peas, or two cans of mushrooms and just open that pour into a bowl and call it a meal.

Alright so I’m backdating a bunch of entries that I will be discussing the NAUCC (North American Unicycling Convention & Championships… or it means something like that) because I want to break my diary up into some nice managable chunks. Anyone who knows me knows I’m long-winded enough without the necessity of needing to cram 6 days worth of events into one blog entry.

So here I begin.

Friday night I was planning on seeing the Simpson movie on opening night, then spending some time with my best friend before crashing at his place then heading off early in the morning. Well the movie didn’t happen because I felt grumpy and we wouldn’t have made it to the showing I wanted to go to, so instead we hit up the bike shop where we settled up some bike repairs (yes I realize this is supposed to be a unicycle entry, shush up) and then to the bar, then to another bar.

So I somewhat stumbled home due to being tired and just ever so slightly tipsy. Not even. I just argue that I was tired. And me and Phil stayed up a good portion of the night and I think we finally crashed around 2am or thereabouts.

In the morning I had to go shift my car before 8am and somehow ended up doing it at 6am to a spot where I could park all weekend without getting ticketed or towed. And after that I couldn’t really go back to sleep so I decided to take a meandering walk down Roncies. Walked from Dundas & Bloor down to Queen & Ronccies before turning around, crossing the street and heading back. All the little shops that started opening at 7am were amazing because they were open. I was kind of hoping the hot yoga studio would have had a 6am or 7am class because I would have taken it just for the sake of being awake.

Phil ended up getting up and he headed off on his day of tubing at the Elora Gorge. I showered, grabbed a bagel and a muffin, some fruit and a giant thing of water, and hopped in my car at around 10:15am.

Start driving.

Continue driving.

I stopped once to make sure I had the right set of directions. (Realized I should have STUDIED my directions before just driving!) Border crossing wasn’t too much trouble. I didn’t have a signed passport which gave me just enough trouble to find a pen. I had to roll down my back window to prove I had unicycling equipment in the back. And it’s always amusing to see the attempt at non-reaction when they say “What’s going on in Saline Michigan?” “An 8 day unicycling convention, sir.”

And I basically drove from Toronto ON to Saline MI in 4 and a half hours, as predicted by my maps, and without any stops or breaks. I had eaten my bagel, and drank a can of Redbull, and that was about my intake until I arrived at the school most of the events were held at, where I then ate my muffin.

Basically passed out on the floor of the Bedford booth soon after arriving, tried to figure out who my roommate was on my own without any luck because I never bother researching who I’m staying with when I’ve only met them online. Got someone to drive me to the hotel so I could check in but left all my gear in my car meaning no swimming nor anything exciting or early registration.

Got myself back to the event. Found my roommate & introduced myself. Headed off to… lord knows if I can remember. The Bedford Experience was the only thing that got me there that day and it was cut down by more than two thirds of it’s original showing. Headed to the hotel for some unicycling after-party fun which included a lot of board games.

Hung out with my roommate over some beer, rum & coke & discussions over extraneous unicycling skill levels, tattoos and driving cross country. Passed out at probably 4am.

Tomorrow’s the company office putluck for Valentines day.  Honestly I don’t see why we need a potluck for Valentines but the HR person suggested it and so why not.  They’re trying to get the company more friendly with one another, while harping on us if we talk too much.  I just don’t get it.  Either ease up on us and let us chit-chat just a wee bit when we’re working, or don’t.  Don’t tease us by having these things where we can hang out and talk, but only every 6 weeks or so.

Anyways, the potlucks are getting funnier and funnier.  The first my friend Lizzie brought chips and dip.  Keep in mind she *JUST* moved into a new house with her hubby and we’re speculating she didn’t have a kitchen. And she brought in a lot of stuff.  Some really great varieties of chips, tortias and lots of dip and salsa.  Well Amanda is all about fairness and complained about chips and dip not being “real food” (whatever) and ever since our last potluck and this coming potluck the rule has been “No bringing chips and dip” which Liz takes offense to since she did that the first time around.  And it wasn’t like it was bad.

The comment on that is “we need to make sure there’s enough food for the 20 or so office people” and if I recall correctly, it’s not like we ever ran out of food.  We’ve always had leftovers and extras and food we end up sending to the warehouse lunch room for them to all munch on. (I hope they’re not offended by us giving them our leftovers!)

But this most recent one is hilarious.  The e-mail told us that there must be like one green salad, one fruit salad, three meat dishes, two fish/shrimp dishes, one casserole, two vegitarian dishes, one rice dish, one pasta dish, three desserts…  We in the lunch room have been laughing our heads off as we sign up for stuff, and talk about who’s going to duke it out with who if two of the sign-up things were “too close” to each other.

Even better is my other coworker & friend Donna said in passing how she might bring pizza again (Last time she ordered two pretty big pizzas, one veggie one meat and they were awesome) and if I heard this story properly, the HR lady said “No pizza, it’s not on the list”

Revenge of the Human Resources I do think I hear!

Anyways, no one said I couldn’t bring cucumber sanwiches, and I figured it would be easy, cute and silly.  I just realized I only have a few hours to make all of them now too!  Away I go!