Employment is overrated anyways, right?

I've been wondering for a while how my work situation could last through the month that my contract indicated it should. So on Friday, those wonders were definitively addressed as a huge gaggle of us received notice that our jobs would be gone, finished, removed from the charts of existence right before that popular holiday in December (the Friday before). Ahhhhhhhh what kind and generous timing for all of those folks who actually like to be employed around Christmas time. But the part that is so insane to me is something that doesn't effect me at all, since I would not have been on the job long enough to be eligible. With this notification that the job would be slipping away also came word that all of those people promised bonuses for being on the project x amount of time by the time it finished, (and we're talking FAT BONUSES for some of these people - HUGE percentages of their salary for the people who had been on the project for a while), well - guess what - they conveniently decided those retention bonuses would no longer be fiscally responsible. "Sorry, we just didn't think it was right considering we were having to cut positions =-)....we know you understand!". So all of these people who were expecting to receive several thousand dollars for sticking it through, are now kicked to the curb. And guess what, the "Retention Bonus" carrot worked because so many of these people didn't even consider other job offers because they knew they were getting a fat payout really soon. It seriously blows my mind that they can just take that away at the last minute! Mission accomplished - those people were retained. I was talking to someone who has worked for this company for a long time and she told me that it didn't surprise her at all that they would pull something like this. Unbelievable.

Now the good news is that they did give us two months warning, and they froze some positions within the project that the 78 of us will have priority consideration for as long as we follow the quick steps to apply. Mind you, we still have to be qualified for the jobs, and I don't think I've been on this boat long enough to be qualified for several of these things. So job search mode has to be kicked into total high gear, and that age old question of, "What the hell do I want to do with my life?" needs to be addressed again. Ho hum - I guess I don't get to be too picky. It's been nice having benefits for a minute! Knowing that if I got stabbed on the street I could go to a hospital and not worry that I would be in debt for the rest of my life to pay off my medical bills! (Mind you, I got the college debt thing locked down - BAH!). So we will see what the next course of employment will be for the Shababbler....hopefully it won't be back to what I was doing before and hopefully I won't have to take a huge pay cut =-/.

Okay - now a bit of happy, lovely news. A super cool career moment for someone who went to the same college as I did. The one and only Weird Al Yankovic (who is so fun to see in concert =-)), has finally made the Billboard Top 10 after all these years!! Way to go Weird Al!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!