Crossroads
Jan. 8th, 2004 12:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lbd_nytetraynA new year.
A new snow.
A new day.
2004 seems to be a bit of a transitional period for me now. For starters, my new LJ icon, which seems like a fitting cross between my first and second ones.
Yesterday, I lost my job. Something I had suspected might happen from the beginning; from all I'd heard, and despite what others had said regarding when I'd started, as well as the circumstances which brought me to TRU, I had a feeling that I would be a casualty once the chaotic atmosphere that Christmas had brought calmed. Fortunately, my suspicion was able to lessen the blow. Part of it is ironic, in a way. After some five months of employment, I received an envelope letting me know I was finally eligible for health benefits(beyond what the arguably superior Canadian health care allows for).
In asking my manager for the application package that the documents in the envelope had referred to, he kept putting it off... it didn't take me long to put two and two together. The fact that our schedule's days following Thursday were torn off, with others saying that this was it, helped reinforce my suspicion. Funny thing is, I have Thursday, today, off. I get the feeling I was the first to get the news, as I hear that the store is doing poorly enough now that not only would seasonal staff be cut, but so too would some of the veterans, and those who remained would have to deal with reduced hours.
To put it another way, they could keep me, but I wouldn't have any hours. I understand that one day in February, they're supposed to be running with three people for the store.
It is sad, because I did enjoy working there, for the most part. It was a job where I got to be enthusiastic about what I was working with, and got to share that enthusiasm with the customers. That's one thing I'll definitely miss about the job, even though some people had mashed potatoes for brains as well.
Another thing that disappoints me is that I didn't get to say good-bye to a lot of people there. Frankly, one thing I really hate about jobs is making friends. This is precisely why. Going to try and go back this weekend to maybe take a look around, and if anyone remains, to say it then.
What pisses me off is how they more or less lead us along with this. Rather than telling us our days are numbered so that we can try and start making preparations, it was held off until the last minute. As I was told, they didn't really know until after inventory what the situation would be. But I didn't expect "after" to be a matter of minutes... inventory took most of the day yesterday.
Additionally, the two head honchos in management there, one of which who hired me... neither one was the one to tell me. Maybe I'm reading into it too much, it was a long day(7am-6pm for me, probably earlier/later for them) after all, but it just seems kind of balls-less, regardless.
On a related note, the maintenance guy there is retiring this month. And apparently, after I'd asked, if the position remains after that(tho it'd be bitterly ironic if he was canned before he could retire), I'm a potential candidate.
Another downside, amusing in its irony. The night before, I had to work til 9:30. One of my coworkers and I were discussing the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, and the merits of getting it at TRU over somewhere else(everything I've heard says TRU gets it first, then other stores. He said it was TRU exclusive. But being who and what I am, I believe my sources first). One was that I could guarantee myself one by placing it on hold in the computer room until I could pay for it. Guess that's out now :\
Oh yeah, just so you know, my two final days ran something like this: 2-9:30 or so on Tuesday night, with a half-hour drive home, plus the need to get gas and dinner, then waking up at six to get ready for a half-hour drive to be to work at 7am the next morn, to work almost 12 hours. Getting screwed around with like that is one thing I always ask not to be done when I start a job, but damn if they didn't get me on the way out. I don't mind the times or the lengths, I just mind having to close followed by opening... actually, being there BEFORE opening under such circumstances.
On the bright side, I do have the one thing I had mainly sought out when I went to work there(besides a paycheck): a Canadian work reference. With any luck, that will help me out down the line.
And so 2004 begets change. TransFormers Armada becomes TransFormers Energon, and maybe I'll be lucky and the improvements that seem to be coming from that change will mirror themselves in my own life: last year was alright, but could have been better, but the future looks bright. Hopefully, that will hold true here.
Right now, I'm taking a week off. I could use it; I haven't had more than a single day off at a time since September or so, that I can recall, and usually my days off are spent resting. Hopefully, I can rest, rejuvenate myself, and get some work done, including some work on that MegaMan comic script for Dreamwave. Maybe this year, something good will happen there.
Oh, one other downside to my departure: I never got to finish my MegaMan bobble-head collection :(
LBD "Nytetrayn"
A new snow.
A new day.
2004 seems to be a bit of a transitional period for me now. For starters, my new LJ icon, which seems like a fitting cross between my first and second ones.
Yesterday, I lost my job. Something I had suspected might happen from the beginning; from all I'd heard, and despite what others had said regarding when I'd started, as well as the circumstances which brought me to TRU, I had a feeling that I would be a casualty once the chaotic atmosphere that Christmas had brought calmed. Fortunately, my suspicion was able to lessen the blow. Part of it is ironic, in a way. After some five months of employment, I received an envelope letting me know I was finally eligible for health benefits(beyond what the arguably superior Canadian health care allows for).
In asking my manager for the application package that the documents in the envelope had referred to, he kept putting it off... it didn't take me long to put two and two together. The fact that our schedule's days following Thursday were torn off, with others saying that this was it, helped reinforce my suspicion. Funny thing is, I have Thursday, today, off. I get the feeling I was the first to get the news, as I hear that the store is doing poorly enough now that not only would seasonal staff be cut, but so too would some of the veterans, and those who remained would have to deal with reduced hours.
To put it another way, they could keep me, but I wouldn't have any hours. I understand that one day in February, they're supposed to be running with three people for the store.
It is sad, because I did enjoy working there, for the most part. It was a job where I got to be enthusiastic about what I was working with, and got to share that enthusiasm with the customers. That's one thing I'll definitely miss about the job, even though some people had mashed potatoes for brains as well.
Another thing that disappoints me is that I didn't get to say good-bye to a lot of people there. Frankly, one thing I really hate about jobs is making friends. This is precisely why. Going to try and go back this weekend to maybe take a look around, and if anyone remains, to say it then.
What pisses me off is how they more or less lead us along with this. Rather than telling us our days are numbered so that we can try and start making preparations, it was held off until the last minute. As I was told, they didn't really know until after inventory what the situation would be. But I didn't expect "after" to be a matter of minutes... inventory took most of the day yesterday.
Additionally, the two head honchos in management there, one of which who hired me... neither one was the one to tell me. Maybe I'm reading into it too much, it was a long day(7am-6pm for me, probably earlier/later for them) after all, but it just seems kind of balls-less, regardless.
On a related note, the maintenance guy there is retiring this month. And apparently, after I'd asked, if the position remains after that(tho it'd be bitterly ironic if he was canned before he could retire), I'm a potential candidate.
Another downside, amusing in its irony. The night before, I had to work til 9:30. One of my coworkers and I were discussing the 20th Anniversary Optimus Prime, and the merits of getting it at TRU over somewhere else(everything I've heard says TRU gets it first, then other stores. He said it was TRU exclusive. But being who and what I am, I believe my sources first). One was that I could guarantee myself one by placing it on hold in the computer room until I could pay for it. Guess that's out now :\
Oh yeah, just so you know, my two final days ran something like this: 2-9:30 or so on Tuesday night, with a half-hour drive home, plus the need to get gas and dinner, then waking up at six to get ready for a half-hour drive to be to work at 7am the next morn, to work almost 12 hours. Getting screwed around with like that is one thing I always ask not to be done when I start a job, but damn if they didn't get me on the way out. I don't mind the times or the lengths, I just mind having to close followed by opening... actually, being there BEFORE opening under such circumstances.
On the bright side, I do have the one thing I had mainly sought out when I went to work there(besides a paycheck): a Canadian work reference. With any luck, that will help me out down the line.
And so 2004 begets change. TransFormers Armada becomes TransFormers Energon, and maybe I'll be lucky and the improvements that seem to be coming from that change will mirror themselves in my own life: last year was alright, but could have been better, but the future looks bright. Hopefully, that will hold true here.
Right now, I'm taking a week off. I could use it; I haven't had more than a single day off at a time since September or so, that I can recall, and usually my days off are spent resting. Hopefully, I can rest, rejuvenate myself, and get some work done, including some work on that MegaMan comic script for Dreamwave. Maybe this year, something good will happen there.
Oh, one other downside to my departure: I never got to finish my MegaMan bobble-head collection :(
LBD "Nytetrayn"
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no subject
Date: 2004-01-08 08:49 pm (UTC)