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GrahamCracker
07-31-2003, 05:13 PM
Hi ya Fabieez!

I have some good news and some bad news:

The Bad News: The strike is scheduled to begin this Sunday!

The Good News: I finagled, dictated, pleaded, shouted, begged, jumped up and down, negotiated, screamed, hollered and finally got a strike duty assignment in this area. I’ll be working in a town called Temple Terrace and in a real pretty complex called Telecom Park. graemlins/thumbup.gif

The Bad News: It’s a 68 mile round trip through some horrendous traffic jam areas that may keep me on the road up to 3 hours a day. graemlins/ugh.gif

The Good News: They are going to pay me $100 a week for mileage. graemlins/crazy.gif

The Bad News: I will be working 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. for a total of 13 hours a day. I will be working 14 days straight without a day off, and then only if service permits, I may be working up to 21 days – 13 hours a day. Since I have sleep apnea, the 13 hours of work coupled with 3 hours travel time, coupled with 7 days a week, will probably make me a walking zombie. I can only hope the work is not challenging enough to have to use my actual brain (but if it’s boring that could be bad too because I definitely won’t be able to stay awake). graemlins/sleep.gif

The Good News: There ain’t any good news here!! Except that I will be getting time and a half for all my overtime. :D Instead of the $48 a day for food, I’ll only be getting $12. However, breakfast and lunch will be catered in since we will be in a lockdown situation and not allowed to leave the premise during working hours.

The Bad News: I am not going to be able to lounge around after work in a luxury hotel with Jacuzzi, chatting with my BCB buds, reading or cross-stitching with breakfast and dinners being delivered to the room. I will have to work, commute, and still take care of everything at home, including the pool, yard, and house. :mad:

The Good News: I’ll be able to sleep in my own bed at night, I’ll get to play with my puppies, and I’ll be close if something happens to my dad. I won’t have to deal with a foreign area, hostile strangers, and hostile picketers. Not to mention being in an extremely crime-ridden place. And I won't be travelling on a plane to home and back every three weeks.

The Bad News: The strike is estimated to last at a minimum of 3 months (especially if President Bush has anything to say about it). However, it could last up to 11 months, according to Wall Street. :(

The Good News: Is that I should be able to pay off my new laptop I just bought (my Toshiba Satellite A15 S157). And I have a couple minor bills that I would like to pay off, and I would like to pay down my husband’s truck. I have heard rumors that right after the strike there is going to be a big management reduction in force (RIF). If that happens, I will be the first in line to put my name on the list. Since I am already eligible to retire with 31 years service, I will just go out on a RIF with a $75K severance pay and flow right into my retirement. :D

The Bad News: I will have a difficult time staying on program. The breakfast and lunch will be catered in and at this moment I don’t know if it’ll be fast food or sandwiches, etc. I assume the breakfast will probably be bagels, donuts, muffins. And I’m afraid I am going to get so tired with my hours I’ll be working that there is going to be a time when I’m going to be too tired to care what I'm eating!

The Good News: I’m going to eat as well as I can to keep up my stamina, I am going to take vitamins everyday, I am going to drink a protein drink in the morning for energy, I am taking my laptop to work and try to keep up with the buds, however I need some info on that wireless thing you’re hooked up to Linda. And I will try to come home at night and take a swim to relieve the stress. I am going to journal as best I can being as I may not be able to figure the points on stuff catered in. And I will try to keep a positive attitude. However, if I start working with customers (a job I have not done since 1974), I may become extremely stressed. I have been known in my younger days to tell an irate customer where they could slide their complaint! I must not go off the deep end! I will not be able to attend any WW meetings because we don’t have WW meetings on Sunday in this area and that will be my only day off (if I GET a day off, that is). So I’m not sure how the metal monster accountability will work here! Wish me luck everyone. I will try to get back to posting daily. Sorry this is so long – I’ve been holding it all in and it’s time to let go!

Later gators!

promise2grace
07-31-2003, 05:41 PM
Oh, Gram! :eek: Goodness, that's a lot to deal with. I will keep you in my prayers, and hope for the best. I hope you can concentrate on the "good news" portions of your post... :rolleyes:

lindalou9
07-31-2003, 05:46 PM
Gram - I'm so glad you get to stay closer to home. Note to self: must re-think contract with Verizon as the company doesn't seem to be well managed, especially in its strike planning! tongue.gif Any way you can pack your lunch and breakfast? Bring fruit and veggies, avoid the doughnuts and bagels? I have a neat lunch bag-type thingy that holds ice packs and has a container for stuff like cottage cheese, etc.

My wireless thingy is a router that communicates with my modem (DSL) and beams the signal to the wireless card in my notebook. You'll need a wireless PCI card in your notebook and then a router or wireless broadcaster at the site you'll be working. There are several access points on the UO campus (my building being one of them) so I can use my wireless there too. My battery doesn't last as long as I would like, but if I take my adapter with me, all I need is an electrical outlet -- don't have to worry about an ethernet connection too!

Hang in there gal! It will be stressful, but I'll bet you can work it out. Sounds like you're already formulating a plan!

Linda graemlins/bcbsalute.gif

cpeterson
08-01-2003, 12:55 AM
Kathy,
I'm so glad you will be closer to home during this ordeal. It sounds like you have thought the situation through and will make the best of it. I pack my breakfast, lunch and two snacks every day. I use a collapseable cooler and those blue ice packs or a bottle of frozen water. Also, could you tell them you are on a special diet with a doctors note, and request certain things?
I hope it is all over soon and wish you the best of luck.

Cinna

chocolasaurus
08-01-2003, 06:38 AM
Hey Kathy,
I have every confidence that if they serve bad/junk food you will start writing letters again (or threaten to anyway) and they should shape up! They wouldn't tell someone who is diabetic to suck it up and eat it-so why should you have to? graemlins/crazy.gif
I am happy that you get to stay closer to home, but it is going to cost you.
Mary :cool:

lindalou9
08-01-2003, 07:21 AM
There you go! Mary's on to the fact that you have a nationwide network that will pick up on your emails if they serve bad food! tongue.gif

Linda graemlins/bcbsalute.gif

jmjgtodd
08-01-2003, 01:11 PM
wow! Good luck . . sounds like it is going to be pretty crazy for you. We will miss your lengthy posts temporarily! Hopefully, you will get a little break occasionally that you can catch us all up on the going ons! One good thing is the nice paycheck you will get! Just try to think of that when you get tired!

TAlk to ya later!

nancyny
08-01-2003, 01:28 PM
Hey Gram

And the bad news is: you won't be visiting me after all graemlins/sobbing.gif

But the good news is: you will be much closer to home. Which is OK, really. :D

It sounds like you are going to make the best of a bad situation.

Take your books in to work with you, you can look up the points for lots of generic items and stay pretty close to on track. Then watch your portions, and carry in whatever you think you can get away with. Maybe you can influence the caterer. Or your brother.

Good luck Gram! You can do this! graemlins/bcbsalute.gif

bizz
08-02-2003, 02:12 AM
Gram graemlins/wave.gif

goodnews: you'll be closer to home

badnews: we will all miss your story telling, just love your posts graemlins/thumbup.gif

goodnews: love your attitude

badnews: that's life!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and at times it can stink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

take care, we'll all be thinking of you graemlins/kiss.gif

slave2cats
08-02-2003, 08:09 AM
Kathy,

I saw they've got a mediator in here at the last possible second - any idea if that's going anywhere?

Girl, you have the best attitude of anyone I ever met graemlins/bcbsalute.gif I so admire that in you!

Sorry you don't get to languish in the lap of luxury in NY, but I'm glad you don't have to completely uproot your whole life....any chance of carpooling for the grueling commute?