A co-worker and I will be filing for unemployment later on this week. Such fun.
And I got another rejection email today. The torture never stops.
But, I have a cool new ringtone on my phone:
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Monday, September 11, 2006
The Call
The call came even before I got home from work today. The temp-wrangler cajoled SO into taking the message (even though she didn't want to) that there is no more work at Company, Inc., and I should not bother to come in tomorrow. But, I can come in if I want to clean out my desk.
A co-worker and I will be filing for unemployment later on this week. Such fun.
And I got another rejection email today. The torture never stops.
But, I have a cool new ringtone on my phone:
A co-worker and I will be filing for unemployment later on this week. Such fun.
And I got another rejection email today. The torture never stops.
But, I have a cool new ringtone on my phone:
Friday, September 1, 2006
Dark dungeons
I get a chimp-o-matic quote on my google homepage - this one is pretty funny:
It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet.
--George W. Bush, Arlington Heights, IL, 10/24/2000
Those dark dungeons of the internet are keeping me entertained today, I'll have to say.
I ran 4 this morning with the dog. 9 on tap for tomorrow, with the last 5 a group run with my buddy M.
little boy ran a 3K race yesterday, finishing in 12:5x, probably the first quarter of the pack. We were all amazed when these 2 freshman came sprinting in around the 8:xx minute mark. Who ARE these wunderkinderen who can run two 4:xx miles as 14 year olds??? They finished a full four minutes before the other early finishers. We found out later that they'd been disqualified - they'd only run 2K.
Big Boy had a soccer game at school. Weather was beautiful. He only got to play about 5 min of the first half. He is peeved about it and wants to quit. I told him that it doesn't matter how much of an ass the coach is, if he doesn't participate in a sport, he can get a job.
This working 4 hours a day is great for my job as parent spectator of high school sports.
I may have a housepainting gig (for a co-worker who'll still be employed here at Company, Inc.) once this interminable hell that we like to call temping is over. It's rather ironic, now that I'll have time and the money to renovate houses, the market is so awful that we'd have trouble selling anything we did. That would suck. Only good things from today: I'll get my 1500 hour "vacation bonus" when this is done and unemployment should be almost half of what I'm making now, but I won't have them take taxes out, so I'll gross a little more than half.
No games or meets today, the boys had practice this morning and also worked on the retaining wall project and are off to the state fair with their buddy Nigel.
It's important for us to explain to our nation that life is important. It's not only life of babies, but it's life of children living in, you know, the dark dungeons of the Internet.
--George W. Bush, Arlington Heights, IL, 10/24/2000
Those dark dungeons of the internet are keeping me entertained today, I'll have to say.
I ran 4 this morning with the dog. 9 on tap for tomorrow, with the last 5 a group run with my buddy M.
little boy ran a 3K race yesterday, finishing in 12:5x, probably the first quarter of the pack. We were all amazed when these 2 freshman came sprinting in around the 8:xx minute mark. Who ARE these wunderkinderen who can run two 4:xx miles as 14 year olds??? They finished a full four minutes before the other early finishers. We found out later that they'd been disqualified - they'd only run 2K.
Big Boy had a soccer game at school. Weather was beautiful. He only got to play about 5 min of the first half. He is peeved about it and wants to quit. I told him that it doesn't matter how much of an ass the coach is, if he doesn't participate in a sport, he can get a job.
This working 4 hours a day is great for my job as parent spectator of high school sports.
I may have a housepainting gig (for a co-worker who'll still be employed here at Company, Inc.) once this interminable hell that we like to call temping is over. It's rather ironic, now that I'll have time and the money to renovate houses, the market is so awful that we'd have trouble selling anything we did. That would suck. Only good things from today: I'll get my 1500 hour "vacation bonus" when this is done and unemployment should be almost half of what I'm making now, but I won't have them take taxes out, so I'll gross a little more than half.
No games or meets today, the boys had practice this morning and also worked on the retaining wall project and are off to the state fair with their buddy Nigel.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Getting laid
off is really not what I wanted today.
That little theory I had about how doing the work of three people would keep me on the project was just shot all to hell today. A week and a half at most. And they kept four people. Three perfectly competent, one completely not. But they aren't subject to the "2 year rule." The one that says if a temp is so valuable that you have to keep them beyond 2 years, you have to hire them on permanently. Well, although Company, Inc. has a stable of 50-100 contract attorneys working on multimillion dollar litigation at any one time, they wouldn't want to be cost effective and bring some of the most skilled and productive people in house. No, that would make sense. Better to keep training new people all the time. Someone do a six sigma project on this before the entire thing collapses. I know what stock I'm not buying.
The temp agency says that there is no more work. So I'll be on unemployment in September. There aren't any jobs to apply for. I know. I checked.
Maybe once I'm on unemployment I'll defer my student loans. Or die. That would work.
That little theory I had about how doing the work of three people would keep me on the project was just shot all to hell today. A week and a half at most. And they kept four people. Three perfectly competent, one completely not. But they aren't subject to the "2 year rule." The one that says if a temp is so valuable that you have to keep them beyond 2 years, you have to hire them on permanently. Well, although Company, Inc. has a stable of 50-100 contract attorneys working on multimillion dollar litigation at any one time, they wouldn't want to be cost effective and bring some of the most skilled and productive people in house. No, that would make sense. Better to keep training new people all the time. Someone do a six sigma project on this before the entire thing collapses. I know what stock I'm not buying.
The temp agency says that there is no more work. So I'll be on unemployment in September. There aren't any jobs to apply for. I know. I checked.
Maybe once I'm on unemployment I'll defer my student loans. Or die. That would work.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Yum!
Dinner was awesome. If you haven't yet checked out the Fatfree Vegan Kitchen, do so at once, particularly the source for dinner tonight, here. I was lazy and didn't peel the Japanese eggplant, nor did I have any hoisin sauce. It was fabulous just the same. I'd often wondered how to mimic the spicy garlic eggplant I've ordered over the years, but never attempted it. I like that this has the flavor, but hardly any of the oil. Tofu always makes me happy, too.
Even little boy, who looked dubious at the thought of eggplant, loved it. Big Boy, who is out playing soccer at the park, has not yet weighed in.
Running was fun, a 5 miler with the particularly fetching canine starring in my profile pic. The photo was taken a couple of years ago, because she now has quite a few white streaks in the black spots around her eyes. She's 6 1/2.
SO should be home from cabin-building in Wyoming at some point tonight. We've seen each other a total of maybe 3 days since July 22nd. Brother-out-law will be coming as well.
Even little boy, who looked dubious at the thought of eggplant, loved it. Big Boy, who is out playing soccer at the park, has not yet weighed in.
Running was fun, a 5 miler with the particularly fetching canine starring in my profile pic. The photo was taken a couple of years ago, because she now has quite a few white streaks in the black spots around her eyes. She's 6 1/2.
SO should be home from cabin-building in Wyoming at some point tonight. We've seen each other a total of maybe 3 days since July 22nd. Brother-out-law will be coming as well.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Interviews
Well, I had one on Wednesday. No sense in blogging about it, it was a waste of $2.50 in quarters for the meter. But at least I got a good parking spot.
Out for an 8 miler this morning. It went reasonably well, and I'm not walking funny or anything now. The weather was beautiful. I'm kind of surprised that running has been going as well as it has. My increase has been well over the 10% rule. Here's August for you:
Week 1 - one run, 4.5 miles
Week 2 - two runs, 8 miles total
Week 3 - four runs, 19 miles total
Week 4 - five runs, 24 miles total
Next week will be five runs and 27 miles. Rather astonishing, given that my total miles for all of July were about 15. By the time the Big Woods Run comes in October, I'll be doing 30 mpw regularly. My schedule right now calls for one 12 miler, which I'd really like to do, but if it turns out to be another 11 miler, that's ok, too.
After May's half marathon, I still think anyone could run 13.1 miles. Can't believe how not trained I was for that. Ah, regrets. How fast could I run if I really tried to live up to my potential? Maybe I'd be at the front of the middle of the pack.
little boy ran in his first cross country meet this week. 5K in 23:xx. I was so proud of him! That embarrassing, mom-is-just-about-crying sort of proud that all teenagers just love. Big Boy had a double-header soccer extravaganza last night. He scored one goal in the second game, but alas, they lost.
The eating plan is going well, but for the pizza fiasco this week. Who knew you could feel hung over from eating sauce stuffed crust pizza?? It was probably all that darn sodium. I discovered that I totally love those little golden cherry tomatoes. Who knew? Grandma would be proud.
Out for an 8 miler this morning. It went reasonably well, and I'm not walking funny or anything now. The weather was beautiful. I'm kind of surprised that running has been going as well as it has. My increase has been well over the 10% rule. Here's August for you:
Week 1 - one run, 4.5 miles
Week 2 - two runs, 8 miles total
Week 3 - four runs, 19 miles total
Week 4 - five runs, 24 miles total
Next week will be five runs and 27 miles. Rather astonishing, given that my total miles for all of July were about 15. By the time the Big Woods Run comes in October, I'll be doing 30 mpw regularly. My schedule right now calls for one 12 miler, which I'd really like to do, but if it turns out to be another 11 miler, that's ok, too.
After May's half marathon, I still think anyone could run 13.1 miles. Can't believe how not trained I was for that. Ah, regrets. How fast could I run if I really tried to live up to my potential? Maybe I'd be at the front of the middle of the pack.
little boy ran in his first cross country meet this week. 5K in 23:xx. I was so proud of him! That embarrassing, mom-is-just-about-crying sort of proud that all teenagers just love. Big Boy had a double-header soccer extravaganza last night. He scored one goal in the second game, but alas, they lost.
The eating plan is going well, but for the pizza fiasco this week. Who knew you could feel hung over from eating sauce stuffed crust pizza?? It was probably all that darn sodium. I discovered that I totally love those little golden cherry tomatoes. Who knew? Grandma would be proud.
Thursday, August 3, 2006
Edge of Seventeen
Well, my firstborn turned 17 yesterday. Given that on most days, I don't feel any older than 17, this has come as something of a shock. He's been taller than me for almost three years, so I don't know why it's so surprising that he'll be an adult in twelve months. Maybe cuz I can see the end of the ride? Who knew it was going to be so short??
I worked on his socks more last night, gusset is almost done, then the endless expanse of foot, some toe work and I'm done. They'll be finished by the time he gets home on Saturday.
Work is the same... I did some phenomenal production on Tuesday, but the "crisis" (as usual) was just a figment of the Real Employee's little drama. No job prospects at this point, and no interviews from the outstanding applications, either. We finally had some thunderstorms and the weather was completely acceptable yesterday. I rode my bike in today, as I fixed the flat. Had a quick chat with the co-temp-workers in their little side office, cuz talking to the dog isn't really feeding my need for conversation.
I worked on his socks more last night, gusset is almost done, then the endless expanse of foot, some toe work and I'm done. They'll be finished by the time he gets home on Saturday.
Work is the same... I did some phenomenal production on Tuesday, but the "crisis" (as usual) was just a figment of the Real Employee's little drama. No job prospects at this point, and no interviews from the outstanding applications, either. We finally had some thunderstorms and the weather was completely acceptable yesterday. I rode my bike in today, as I fixed the flat. Had a quick chat with the co-temp-workers in their little side office, cuz talking to the dog isn't really feeding my need for conversation.
Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Quotas
**Quotas - yes, even lawyers use them. The first temp job I worked had a quota of about 25 documents per hour, or roughly 200-250 per day. The first project I worked on here had a quota of 40 docs per hour, and it freaked me out a little bit. I had to wrap my mind around working some in between surfing the web and emailing my friends and working on my pro bono cases and frantically looking for a Real Job.
After working on this current project for over a year, we finally got a number, but only because we have a production deadline set by a judge who means business and a whole bunch of new people who aren't yet "up to speed." That number is 78 docs per hour and it seems to freak out the newbies quite a bit. Given that I've been working with basically the same set of issues for a long time, I get to help train the newbies and QC their work. Well, not just me, of course. There's 5 of us here who've been doing this task.
Here's the procedure: we get a batch of 1000 docs at a time and the Real Employee (who isn't a lawyer, btw) has said that she expects us to get through a batch in a day and a half. You look at the document, decide if it's relevant, and if it's not, move to the next document. It's not rocket science, but most associates do this for several years in the big firms, so I hear (they also bill out at $275/hour). They're also not nearly as fast as I am, nor dare I say, as accurate. (I've had occasion to review some of their work, and really, they're not worth it.) I think that my personal record is just under 500 docs per hour. It was one of those days when I wondered how fast could I actually go without losing all semblance of accuracy and how long could I pay attention to document coding? That's usually the kicker - it's hard to concentrate long enough, because coding is really quite boring. To do it fast & accurately, it also requires hyper-focus, which is difficult for me to maintain when I'm really not interested in the subject matter. Normally, when I'm feeling slacky, I'll limit myself to 200 per hour, so in an 8-hour shift (like yesterday), I'll do 1,600 documents.
I have this crazy notion in my head that one of the Real Employees will notice that I'm really good at not only document review, but also training attorneys to do this stultifyingly dull yet very necessary job. So most days I make myself do the work of 3 temps. Sometimes only 2, sometimes 4 or more, but usually 3. If their quota is 78 docs per hour, mine is 234.
There's a deadline for this source on August 2, but the 45,000 docs won't be loaded onto the server until early this morning. Real Employee has asked that we work a lot today. I think I'll see if I can code 4,000 docs. Not that anyone will notice.
I think that 4,000 is entirely possible. They apparently just collected this source's entire email account for the past several years. There's so much non-relevant stuff that I just got through 500 docs in 35 minutes. On to another 500...
After working on this current project for over a year, we finally got a number, but only because we have a production deadline set by a judge who means business and a whole bunch of new people who aren't yet "up to speed." That number is 78 docs per hour and it seems to freak out the newbies quite a bit. Given that I've been working with basically the same set of issues for a long time, I get to help train the newbies and QC their work. Well, not just me, of course. There's 5 of us here who've been doing this task.
Here's the procedure: we get a batch of 1000 docs at a time and the Real Employee (who isn't a lawyer, btw) has said that she expects us to get through a batch in a day and a half. You look at the document, decide if it's relevant, and if it's not, move to the next document. It's not rocket science, but most associates do this for several years in the big firms, so I hear (they also bill out at $275/hour). They're also not nearly as fast as I am, nor dare I say, as accurate. (I've had occasion to review some of their work, and really, they're not worth it.) I think that my personal record is just under 500 docs per hour. It was one of those days when I wondered how fast could I actually go without losing all semblance of accuracy and how long could I pay attention to document coding? That's usually the kicker - it's hard to concentrate long enough, because coding is really quite boring. To do it fast & accurately, it also requires hyper-focus, which is difficult for me to maintain when I'm really not interested in the subject matter. Normally, when I'm feeling slacky, I'll limit myself to 200 per hour, so in an 8-hour shift (like yesterday), I'll do 1,600 documents.
I have this crazy notion in my head that one of the Real Employees will notice that I'm really good at not only document review, but also training attorneys to do this stultifyingly dull yet very necessary job. So most days I make myself do the work of 3 temps. Sometimes only 2, sometimes 4 or more, but usually 3. If their quota is 78 docs per hour, mine is 234.
There's a deadline for this source on August 2, but the 45,000 docs won't be loaded onto the server until early this morning. Real Employee has asked that we work a lot today. I think I'll see if I can code 4,000 docs. Not that anyone will notice.
I think that 4,000 is entirely possible. They apparently just collected this source's entire email account for the past several years. There's so much non-relevant stuff that I just got through 500 docs in 35 minutes. On to another 500...
Monday, July 31, 2006
The road to hell...
...is paved with good intentions. And it's probably no hotter there than it is here today, so we're good.
The guys from the city woke me at 8 am pounding on the door because they wanted me to move the Subaru off the street. They were planning on trimming the trees. Nice of them to give me advance warning. So I move the car into the driveway and think, "Hey, it's not too hot, I'll ride my bike to work today." And then I think that I'll have to go to the grocery store after work, so hey, I might as well put the rack back on my bike so I can get the groceries home.
One of the trees they trimmed is just outside the upstairs window. The window had branches in front of it, so you didn't have to be overly concerned with walking in front of it while in varying stages of undress. That is no longer the case. The lowest branches are now ABOVE the roofline. Now I really do have to go shopping for blinds or curtains. Argh.
I finally got to work at 10:48 am. My rear tire is half flat. It was fine when I left, so I must have hit some glass while riding to work through the inner city urban jungle. Luckily, I have a patch kit with me. Unluckily, it's got to be about 8 years old, so I have doubts about the adhesive. There is a bike shop about 2 miles from work, so I'll check out the tire and the patch kit, then take a walk to get a couple of new tubes. I'll have to air up the thing any way, and the nearest gas station is about a mile away, so I'd be walking anyway.
And it was already 95 when I got to work. I didn't pack an extra shirt, so I looked real spiffy when I walked into the office,* red-faced and dripping sweat. It got up to 101 today.
I reviewed my quota** of documents already, so now I'm bored, hungry, and looking for something to do. I get to leave in 6/10ths of an hour. Hey, I wasn't a clock-watcher until they started to insist that we bill our time in 6 minute increments. I understand that real attorneys do this, but real attorneys work on more than one case at a time. If we worked on multiple projects, I can see how it would make a difference (but then again, at our billing rate, ~1/10th of what a real attorney bills, we could bill by the hour with no divisions and it would probably be a wash). But we work on one project and one project only. Forcing us to watch the clock until it's a multiple of 6 so we can leave after 8 hours is a waste of time.
*I use the term "office" quite broadly. I work in a large cement block room with nasty fluorescent lighting, bright orange carpeting, and many, many long tables set up with computer monitors on them. There's over 20 of us temps here, all attorneys, all hideously underemployed. I've been here "temporarily" for over 18 months now.
**Quotas will be discussed tomorrow!
The guys from the city woke me at 8 am pounding on the door because they wanted me to move the Subaru off the street. They were planning on trimming the trees. Nice of them to give me advance warning. So I move the car into the driveway and think, "Hey, it's not too hot, I'll ride my bike to work today." And then I think that I'll have to go to the grocery store after work, so hey, I might as well put the rack back on my bike so I can get the groceries home.
One of the trees they trimmed is just outside the upstairs window. The window had branches in front of it, so you didn't have to be overly concerned with walking in front of it while in varying stages of undress. That is no longer the case. The lowest branches are now ABOVE the roofline. Now I really do have to go shopping for blinds or curtains. Argh.
I finally got to work at 10:48 am. My rear tire is half flat. It was fine when I left, so I must have hit some glass while riding to work through the inner city urban jungle. Luckily, I have a patch kit with me. Unluckily, it's got to be about 8 years old, so I have doubts about the adhesive. There is a bike shop about 2 miles from work, so I'll check out the tire and the patch kit, then take a walk to get a couple of new tubes. I'll have to air up the thing any way, and the nearest gas station is about a mile away, so I'd be walking anyway.
And it was already 95 when I got to work. I didn't pack an extra shirt, so I looked real spiffy when I walked into the office,* red-faced and dripping sweat. It got up to 101 today.
I reviewed my quota** of documents already, so now I'm bored, hungry, and looking for something to do. I get to leave in 6/10ths of an hour. Hey, I wasn't a clock-watcher until they started to insist that we bill our time in 6 minute increments. I understand that real attorneys do this, but real attorneys work on more than one case at a time. If we worked on multiple projects, I can see how it would make a difference (but then again, at our billing rate, ~1/10th of what a real attorney bills, we could bill by the hour with no divisions and it would probably be a wash). But we work on one project and one project only. Forcing us to watch the clock until it's a multiple of 6 so we can leave after 8 hours is a waste of time.
*I use the term "office" quite broadly. I work in a large cement block room with nasty fluorescent lighting, bright orange carpeting, and many, many long tables set up with computer monitors on them. There's over 20 of us temps here, all attorneys, all hideously underemployed. I've been here "temporarily" for over 18 months now.
**Quotas will be discussed tomorrow!
Friday, July 28, 2006
It's 99 degrees out
99°F
Feels Like
103°F
...and it's not done yet. Luckily for me, I'm in the basement of a lab building built with cement blocks. I'm staring at some blocks right now, as a matter of fact, and they're a refreshing industrial beige.
Feels Like
103°F
| UV Index: |  | 8 Very High |
| Wind: | | From SW at 13 mph |
| Humidity: | | 39% |
| Pressure: | | 29.84 in.  |
| Dew Point: | | 68°F |
| Visibility: | | 10.0 miles |
...and it's not done yet. Luckily for me, I'm in the basement of a lab building built with cement blocks. I'm staring at some blocks right now, as a matter of fact, and they're a refreshing industrial beige.
I applied for another job today. I didn't run. And I haven't knit since Tuesday. I did take little boy out this morning for an iced chai latte before he got to work moving rocks for my co-temp-worker.
I've got to start running again. This once a week thing just isn't doin' it for me. Nothing particularly hurts, I just cannot get my butt outta bed in the morning. And it's hot. And it's humid. Blah blah. It actually IS too hot when I get home from work and besides, that evening running thing was something I never quite got the hang of. I looked at one of my race t-shirts this morning and said (out loud), "I ran a half marathon in May? What the hell happened?"
Gonna buy a scale after work. Let the fun begin. I actually haven't owned one in about ten years. Hmmm... maybe it's been even longer.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Another day, another job application
Well, I applied for yet another job today. I wouldn't waste the time, but it takes me from my mindless, soul-sucking temp work, if only for a few minutes.
I still have 7 applications for state jobs that are sitting in limbo. I got a rejection letter yesterday for a job I applied for months and months ago. It recycled nicely.
On a brighter note, little boy and I IM'd for awhile yesterday afternoon. I told him that I'd bug him this way when he was in college, too. At least we've got another four years until that happens. Still haven't heard from Big Boy, and he's been with his father for a week and a half already. His first sock is almost done and I should have them finished by the time he's back on the 5th.
I still have 7 applications for state jobs that are sitting in limbo. I got a rejection letter yesterday for a job I applied for months and months ago. It recycled nicely.
On a brighter note, little boy and I IM'd for awhile yesterday afternoon. I told him that I'd bug him this way when he was in college, too. At least we've got another four years until that happens. Still haven't heard from Big Boy, and he's been with his father for a week and a half already. His first sock is almost done and I should have them finished by the time he's back on the 5th.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Post the First
Misadventures, indeed. I only signed up for blogger to post a comment on the vegan lunch box. Oh well.
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