Hook Size Doesn't Matter When You Use Dynamite

***Because life is the away it is, I will, as always, speak obtusely and of course fictionally about the 'hotel' I work in. Wouldn't want to Dooce myself, so this is all a made up story. Yeah. ****

It feels like walking through a mine field at work lately. I have delusions that I'm in a war, and other solders are being blown to bits all around me, while I know I can just as easily step on the next mine. It reminds me of kids throwing dynamite into a river to see the unlucky fish float to the top.

Two part timers were laid off this week. No one or two weeks notice - just "buh-bye". It's disconcerting, and it's just really frustrating when you look at the bigger picture. He/She was brought into a room with several 'managers' to be let go. These managers make insane money. In-sane. I often wonder how some people can feel comfortable justifying earning the amounts they do when you equate it to the work they do. Seriously not an even trade. It's be like handing the guy who squeegees your car window on a NYC street about $10K each time, and I think they do more work. When you combine their salaries (and the fact that they did not get benefits) these two part time people made less than a quarter of just one of these managers' salaries, yet the lay offs were based on the economic stress and budgeting cuts in various departments of the hotel. What kind of hotel can function when the manager and the owner make all the money, and they refuse to hire/pay/keep any employees to run the hotel? I just don't know how some people sleep comfortably knowing the disparity. I'm not one to whine about injustice or things not being "fair", but watching someone lose their home while others are wondering if they can work a little overtime to get a newer Lexus, because the 2008 just wasn't new enough.

It is now impossible for any 2 people to be off on the same day, and have our department area of the hotel function. They also slashed budgeted monies so that it's not possible to pay for all regular hotel employees to be present at all required functions. It's as though there's a wedding in our hotel this weekend, but we can't pay the chefs, cooks, servers or bartenders to serve the guests. We still expect you to show up though!

Honestly - I'm all for tightening the belt, slimming the budget, and working together to keep costs down, but part of the idea of cutting budgets and such was to ensure we'd not lose employees - at least save the jobs even if we have to function a little less comfortably during this time.

What I am seeing instead are giddy and self-concerned uppers wielding a butcher's knife and hacking away at the little sinewy strands of tissue and skin that were meekly holding together the skeleton of the emaciated anorexic of a company.

/rant

Foooooo Goooooo

Lately I've had the feeling that I missed something. You know that nagging feeling that you've been climbing flights of stairs and you should have arrived at a particular landing by now, but all you see are more stairs above and below. I've been feeling this for so long that I've been checking each floor for an emergency exit.

In theory, things are tip top. L graduated from her School, known as the University of Ultimate Learning and Money Sucking. She started her job the very next week and is thrilled to bits with how challenging it is. She comes home daily all excited and wanting to share the jokes and experiences of the day. I feel sad that the geek humor is wasted on me a bit. Nothing kills a joke for me like a punchline of "blah blah blah... SQL!" Ha ha ha ha ha... I don't get it.

So I can't shake the feeling. I think it started years ago when we said "we just have to make it through {insert random major issue of life here} and then we'll be fine and life will be all flowers, puppies and rainbows!" Well, we've conquered all the random major issues as they came at us, and I'm here thinking "Now it's supposed to be calm, easier, better. Not living as though L could be expelled from the country any moment. Not having to work extra jobs to stay afloat. One step closer to a Green Card. Not being up all night worrying over all this stuff for L.

Granted, the economy is a wreck, and the people being given the means to assist in rectifying it are blowing goats and monkeys by giving millions in bonuses to top excecs instead of repairing damage and saving jobs and the entire economy. That is not pleasing me, but I don't think it's the root of my inability to pop out of the funk.

Any ideas? I'm willing to consider them.

Day 6 of Christmas, Bitches!

So, I made it to day six. This in itself is a miracle, and I might have to start believing in Jesus Claus.

I'm working the long and late shift again, then running (or dashing?) through the snow to get home to take my Intercultural Communication final exam before midnight. Yes Virginia, there is a Jesus Claus, and he knows exactly what you want under the tree... a final exam! Oh Joy!

Something caught my attention last night before I lapsed into the unconscious abyss, so I'll share with you. It's actually about the economic situation in this country as it directly relates to my jobs and the people around me.

Special K brought it to my attention that the gas prices here in NJ are really damn good right now. I think they might even be a speck lower than when all the hoopla around the rising gas prices and gouging and the "Drill baby, drill" crap. So, the election happened, and our focus shifted to the car makers, and suddenly and without explanation, my gas prices went from about $5.00 a gallon to about $1.56 a gallon. I'm sorry - can I repeat that?

Months of anxiety and horrible $80.00 tank fill ups with no end in sight, struggling to make the second job worth the gas money, let alone extra income and with no fan fare, the prices just drop? Did the oil fairy come and leave it under my pillow? Did the government find a secret oil deposit on my land and they are siphoning it out while I sleep and selling it back to me? Seriously - it begs for an answer to "WHY did the prices fly high, and then why did they drop and no one says a word?" Something there to think about while cozying up to the fire.

Next subject. Coffeeland is anticipating trouble. They believe that after the new year, the percentage of people coming into the store will drop, and reduce profits enough to cause layoffs and store closings. To combat that, they've reduced the amount of labor they permit at a store per hour. My manager said it's about the amount of store traffic/people who will continue to come into the store daily. I think it's more about how much the people coming in are spending. Special K made the comment that the vast majority of people coming in are very young/high school/college/younger that have their own Prada shoes, Gucci sunglasses, A&F sweaters and platinum cards, driving in their Beemers. These are our bread and butter. We all agreed and felt a little more secure for our future until Fairy GodBoss mentioned that these young people are paying with and living in credit. Credit is running out in this country, and there is no more to be had. So these white-bread and butterballs are going to be shut down soon as well. Nothing could be more depressing than one of them in an outfit from Kohl's, driving a Hyundai. They'll all be crying while shooting up in the bathrooms in the malls.

I'm left thinking only that they were born too late to appreciate the irony of "My Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)" by Timbuk 3.