Quick Thoughts

I haven't blogged as much these past few days. Funny thing is, I've actually had a lot on my mind that I'd normally want to write down. But for now, I think it's best I just focus (or try my best to) on other more important things. Such as...you know...where I'll be working at in the near future! :-/

I was thinking back this morning to what I'd call "happier times." January of 2008, in particular, when we took a trip to Madrid. There really weren't many things to worry about at the time for both of us, if I remember correctly. So it was a good feeling. Peaceful. And a fun time going on a beautiful and forever memorable trip. These days, I can still have fun if I want, but I can never shake off that nagging reminder in the back of my mind that things are topsy turvy right now. And not just for me personally, but for many people out there, both here in the U.S. and abroad.

We all just keep on going, living life, taking those "can't help but smile" moments as we can get them. In the end, I think what matters most are the people you love. And those are truly the ones that'll always be around, no matter what the times may be like. A warm embrace, a gentle kiss, a hand to hold...things that'll never cost you a penny from the special people in your life.

I may take little breaks from this blog in the coming weeks. But hopefully soon I can get back to my random silliness. :)

Two Month Notice

It's finally starting to hit me, the reality of it all. I am losing my current job in two months. :( It was something that was pretty much coming for a while now, but there was never an end date. Now that there is, it's much more scarier. I guess I should try and see the positive side of it, that at least I'm being given a decent amount of notice so I can try to plan accordingly. Still, doesn't make it any easier knowing that I have to look for a new job during a time when jobs seem to be more and more scarce.

We found out about all this last Friday. We got the final word at an office meeting Friday afternoon. I told myself that this weekend would just be for me to relax, have a nice time with my bf and friends, forget all my worries and just let myself have a nice time. And I succeeded. I did have a great weekend. But of course, as usual, it went by too fast. Now I'm back at work, Monday morning. I'm grateful to have a job for two more months at least, but it still doesn't make it any easier having to come back to work after a nice weekend.

So now it's time to start getting serious about planning for what's to come. Time to start brushing up those resumes, putting my name, my experience and my skills out there, hoping that somebody will take notice.

Tough Times Still

A little over a month ago, on a gloomy Friday, we had some pretty significant layoffs here at the office, and the announcement that two more of our store locations were going to be closing down. Sad times indeed. Fortunately, my job was spared and I was asked to stay on board. A couple of days after that, especially the Monday back to work, I was in this strange mood at work. I mean, who here wasn't!? The office was noticeably emptier and the worker's morale wasn't exactly at it's highest. I told myself I would focus more on looking around for new jobs while I'm still here. But then something happened.

I started to let myself slip back into routine. I started to forget...no, wait...more like "ignore"...the fact that things really aren't going good for us. I just focused on my daily tasks, clocked in and out, then went home and did my own stuff that makes me happy, have fun or just relax. Part of this was just me wanting to "feel" better about the unavoidable event that seems to be getting closer and closer by the day: the end of our company. Pessimist much? Not really. I'm usually a very optimistic person. But I've got to be realistic here. Things have been slowly going down for us a long while now. As one of my coworkers put it, regarding those who were spared their jobs last January, "You're only delaying the inevitable."

I just wanted to feel happy. I started the year off with an awesome week's vacation and had a blast. I would've loved that type of feeling, or some resemblance of it at the very least, to last a while longer. But who am I kidding? I need to remember that things aren't going well for a lot of us. :( Some times I don't even know how this all happened. I know it's been a long time coming, but to me it seems like it all just suddenly hit us recently. Maybe it's because every day I hear more and more about people closing down stores...and then it hit us, too.

Tomorrow, we're having an office meeting with our big boss. He sent an email telling us that "by now you might've heard" so and so. Thing is, I hadn't heard a word. I had to google it! Turns out...we're closing two MORE stores. So that'll officially leave 3 stores that will still be on "open" status. But I know it's only a matter of time. :(

Dream Job

I dreamt about work last night. Or rather, changes at work. I don't remember everything at this moment, just bits and pieces. I was still working where I do now, at present time (after the layoffs from January). For whatever reason, I was given a new position within the company. I think it was something in the Human Resources department, since I was moved and seated in a cubicle near that area. Right now I work within the Product department. Long story short, I wasn't really enjoying my new job. It brought back all those feelings of confusion and nervousness that I tend to get when I start a new job. And plus, my boss was a lunatic! She wasn't someone that I actually recognized from my real life job though. She came by at one point and pretty much just dropped a giant yellow phone book into my desk, opens it up to the "T" section under Telephones and points at this big one page add for a company that sells office phones. She scribbles some weird note on the page (more like a glyph that I couldn't understand) and says, "Get me two certificates!" Then she just waddles away and says nothing else. I had no idea what she wanted. I noticed there was a number on there and it said "For a free brochure call..." Was that what she meant by certificates, that she wanted a brochure? Of course, the easy thing to do would be to follow her and ask. But for some reason she gave me the impression that she wasn't the approachable type and hated to be bothered. Plus, I tend to like solving my own problems using my creative thinking skills, which, mind you, have been praised before in the workplace. hehe

Then another man walks by collecting the "time sheets", which I guess was a form that I had to fill out declaring what hours I worked. Again, I was confused, since I currently just clock in and out using a time clock machine. When he saw I didn't have mine, he just demanded I have it ready soon and walked away. Again, I was just left confused. I walked back to my old desk to try to gather some of my things, not having been given the chance to get them when I was sent to my new desk. As I got to it, I noticed there was already a woman throwing my stuff into a box, clearing the desk for herself. Damn...they move quickly here! lol

I don't know what the whole point of the dream was. All I know is that it was full of those "new job" feelings I always dread. Being the "new guy" and not knowing yet how everything works, whose nice and who isn't, what it is exactly I'm meant to do, etc. I know this job I have now very well and am so comfortable in it, which can be a good and bad thing depending how you look at it. Regardless, I have a feeling I'll be somewhere new before the year's up.

Scary

Via CNN.com:

The final week of January began with a bloodbath for the job market, as over 71,400 more cuts were announced on Monday alone.

At least six companies from manufacturing and service industries announced cost-cutting initiatives that included slashing thousands of jobs.

More than 200,000 job cuts have been announced so far this year, according to company reports. Nearly 2.6 million jobs were lost over 2008, the highest yearly job-loss total since 1945.

CLICK HERE to see a chart of the main companies that have had cuts so far.

DAMN. What else can I say. But, Damn. :(