Probationary Periods - Contractual Agreements - Expiration Dates

This blog has been quiet. This does not necessarily reflect inactivity in my life, more like my inability to express the current situations and my reactions IN WORDS. Due to the fact that one of my favorite responses is “whatever” (usually prefaced with a sigh) and my tendency to condense stories with “yadda yadda yadda” or, of course "blah blah blah" – this does not reflect good self expression or promote prolific blogging. Consider my hand slapped.

59 days ago I was called into my then-supervisor’s office at 4pm and told that:
1) I was doing a good job
2) I was a pleasure to work with
3) As of 8am the next morning I would be placed into a different position, in a different area, working with brand new people and that would be that
4) Oh, and I wouldn’t get much training for this new position due to the fact that I would be switching positions with an individual who had official grievances and a restraining order filed against one of my future co-workers (!!!)
5) Plus, my probationary period would be extended another 60 days

At this point, I was two weeks shy of my six-month probationary period ending and had zero say in the matter. I was staying in the same classified position (I love me some University bureaucracy) and at the same pay grade, so I couldn’t complain on that topic. Turns out, I couldn’t complain on any topic to the powers that be. Work life, sucked. Fortunately, my personal life did not. My friends were especially supportive at this point; listening to me vent, whine and generally feel sorry for myself as I felt my life was kinda-sorta turned upside down just as I was getting settled after the quick, cross-country, everything-seemingly-brand-new-and-out-of-sorts move. {sigh}

Incredibly long story short, I have adapted well in my new position. On the plus side, I have my own office with big windows and a view. The hours are somewhat flexible. The people I work with are reasonable, moderately interesting and most importantly, I have yet to feel physically threatened – so yay for me. I am still not sure what the future holds for me, employment-wise but for now things are, you know yadda yadda yadda….whatever.

Foolishly, I signed an 18 month agreement with the DISH Network last November, during the MLB offseason, when I moved in my rustic cottage. What does this mean? It means I cannot watch San Diego Padres games at home. The games are televised only through the local cable provider, Cox. I signed up for a sports package addition but quickly got rid of it when I realized 90% of the games are blocked for my “area” via the satellite transmission. Grrrrr. So, it is May 16th and I have yet to watch one Padres game (not counting the last few innings I blurrily viewed at the British pub down the street post bar-crawl one night). Needless to say, this lack of access is quite frustrating. What kind of local baseball fan am I?

I am the kind of fan who goes to baseball games in person! Which I will be doing tonight and next week. I am very excited! Reds v Padres tonight. Cubs next week. I am also looking forward to the evening, due to the fact that I will be attending said game with a date: a handsome, funny, recently-met male. He’s this, he’s that. Yadda yadda yadda. Blah blah blah. I could ramble on but won’t. Why? He has an in-San Diego expiration date of July 2007 before he moves to….wait for it….The Middle East. {sigh} Whatever…

-P
*

"Oh, yeah, what are you gonna do? Release the dogs? Or the bees? Or the dogs with bees in their mouth and when they bark, they shoot bees at you?" - Homer from the Simpsons