It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to sit down and write an entry. It seems like if it's not one thing, it's another!
Work:
I accepted the 8-5 job at a "local" college that has its headquarters here at Yokota. As you know from my FB posts, I was exceptionally excited about the opportunity! It was going to look great on my CV, AND allow me to travel all around the Pacific Far East on another's dime while collecting per diem. What could be better than that?
My sanity! My sanity very quickly became the answer to that seemingly innocent question. For the first week my days looked a little like this:
4:00am: roll out of bed, reach desperately for that first cup of coffee and grade/write posts
6:30am: get kids up and get myself dressed for the day
6:45-7:00am: unlock the doors at work and get started with emails or chat with the Assoc. Dean regarding current issues
5:00pm: unlock the outer doors so Kaleigh can wait with me for NZ's practice to end
5:30-5:45pm: drive home
The evening consisted of making dinner, cleaning up from dinner, helping out with homework when required, and trying to be back at my computer no later than 7:30 or 8:00pm so that I could work until midnight, occasionally a tad later.
At the end of the week, I put a couple comments together at work and realized that though I was a salaried employee who consistently arrived before the scheduled work day started, stayed beyond the scheduled end of the work day, AND rarely took the full hour I was allotted at work, my pay check was going to be reduced. As a condition of employment we agreed that I would come into work at noon on Tuesdays so that I could fulfill a previous commitment. It was never specified that those hours would be deducted from my paycheck. Tassjie had an emergency at school one afternoon and I was away from building for 19 minutes to help her with what she needed. I was told to fill out a leave without pay slip for that as well. Hmmmmm. According to the Fair Labor Standards Act, a salaried employee is guaranteed a minimum amount of money per week regardless of the quality or quantity of work produced in that week provided the employee works at least once that week. I bring this up and was told that it was a "leadership style". No, it's ILLEGAL! Here was the first of many problems: I won't work as an hourly employee from 8-5 and be docked for every minute I'm not at my desk but be expected to show up early, stay late, and come in on weekends like a salaried employee. I very quickly changed my schedule and didn't stay one minute past my allotted hours. My schedule quickly adjusted to look like this:
4:00am: roll out of bed, reach desperately for that first cup of coffee and grade/write posts
6:30am: get kids up and get myself dressed for the day
8:00am: log in at work
11:15am: (yep that specific--the leadership style included dictating a set lunch schedule that was NOT, I repeat NOT to be altered
without direct approval--in advance! from her, the DEAN) eat lunch in breakroom while grading/posting with the laptop. If
I forgot a lunch, this happened at home around 11:20ish)
12:15pm: log back in at work
5:00pm: pick up Kaleigh and sit in the car grading/posting until NZ was finished with practice
5:30-5:45pm: drive home
My evening routine didn't change. Suffice it to say, I was extremely busy!
It didn't take long for me to realize that I was working in a hostile, disrespectful, and unethical environment. My own integrity was in question and I'm definitely NOT okay with that. I could tell you things that would make your mouth fall open! At this point, it would likely just be gossip (and I'm not into creating even more drama!). Let's just say that the leadership style I mentioned above included yelling and cursing at employees, unless this person was busy looking straight through you. Neither option set well with me. It became apparent that my coworkers were scared for their jobs and too afraid to say anything. If you know me even a little, you know that I don't have a problem calling the baby ugly. I tried to go through the proper chain of command, however this didn't work either. It also became crystal clear that I was hired to bring with me the credibility that comes with the three little letters after my name!
"Here, can you sign this?"
"What is it?"
"It doesn't matter just go ahead and sign it."
Nope! Afraid not. I'm not afraid for my job, in fact, I don't "need" the silly job! And I'm certainly not about to lay down and be a doormat for anyone. At the three week mark I resigned. I washed my hands of the drama and got back to the business of living.
Two weeks pass and in a stunning turn of events, the Dean is told to retire and the Deputy Chancellor calls to tell me he didn't process my resignation and I'm still an employee! They want me back.
Flattering.
But...
...
I've since signed another contract and IF the new acting Dean will honor the original conditions of employment AND extend the date from Dec. to March, it looks like I'll be headed back to work.
It simply cannot be any worse than it was before! The main source of my drama no longer exists and, to quote my grandma here: time will tell!
Pets:
It was too hot for Jack and D'Argo to come with us to Japan. We really hoped to have them here by September. Here is it the end of October! I am SUPER excited to say they are coming home tomorrow!!!!! But it's been an incredible ordeal to get them here. I would seriously like to have a straight answer! Not only do websites contradict each other, one person would tell us one thing, another person would tell us something different...there were moments when it looked like D wouldn't get to come. Then he'd be okay but Jack couldn't come. When we finally got the okay for both pets we find out that Delta Cargo won't accept a credit card over the phone--ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? Cash or money order only at the counter?? No one could have mentioned this a month ago giving me time to mail a check without additional postage and additional issues? Drama!
Here's the problem: I LOVE drama--in terms of the stage! Broadway, community theatre, even movie theatres from time to time! I love the arts!
I H A T E drama in any other area!
I think instead of chocolates, I've been reaching for a piece of drama.
Work--drama!
Crazy bosses--drama!
Animals--drama!
JCI for the Cube--drama! (But I got an Alfa Romeo out of that one so I'm not sure we can count that one quite the same!)
Tried to open a local bank account--drama!
Registration for the truck that's stored stateside--drama!
Just send me the box of checks I ordered and you deducted from my account three months ago, please--drama!
Lawn mower--drama!
Jr. High and High School--drama!
Back to the AAFES Garage for JCI for the minivan--drama!
Drama! Drama! Drama!
Seems to me like we could eliminate quite a bit of that drama if people would just treat each other with respect. It's actually quite a simple little concept that has...dare I say it...dramatic results! =)
I think I've rambled enough for now--plus it's time to go grab my taxi cab driver's hat and get the kids from practice. Here's to hoping that my box of chocolates is almost empty and I can reach for the Halloween candy instead--at least I'd know what I'm getting that way! :)
