Checks have started to arrive from the gub'ment. Evidently making a call to the complaints department at the EDD and telling them you will soon be reduced to eating shoe leather, even though you know your claim decision has been reversed and should now be upheld, works. Because they mailed them out TWO DAYS after I made that call. And of course a representative hasn't called me back yet... wanna bet me they never do?
I can afford the $1 for a "gentleman's bet" now. Except gambling is illegal so let's bet something symbolic, like a cake recipe.
Speakin' o' cake, I submitted to demands from our January birthday crowd (Rob, Dave, Micah) to make fawncy chocolate lava cakes with creme anglaise and (for everyone except Dave, who hates fruit with his chocolate dammit) macerated berries. And nomnomnom. Want the recipe, folks? If so let me know and I'll dig up the recipes and stuff. You will use a lot of eggs on it if you make it. That, I know.
...er... what else... oh yes, I've been knitting chain links of wool yarn for a slightly edgy "necklace" scarf (there are patterns all over the internet, but it's basically "cast on 21 stitches on 3 dpns, use 4th dpn to work 7 rows in stockinette, cast off, weave in ends, and tug gently to get stockinette to roll up. Then insert link into the next link you cast on and repeat ad infinitum. Felt when done." They look bootiful. Yarn life, boy-ee!
And I'm always behind the times on the Internets, but for God's sake go discover Leslie Hall if you're like me and behind the times too. Because she's hilarious. And good for her and her gold spandex. "Work through the pain!"
And because that reminds me that Dave mocked me earlier for being behind the trend on the Internets by a couple years, and because you may be too, I figured I'd share this glittering gem: Incompetech, home of any frackin' kind of graph paper you might care to customize and print out at home. Ahhhh, nerd Mecca.
Be good to each other. Love you folks.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Knitting. Go 'way.
I just realized I haven't updated here in FOREVER. And it's for a good reason.
I discovered knitting. In 2 1/2 weeks, I have knitted 3 infant hats (they seemed like finish-able projects), 2 toy owls, and 2 adult hats (well, almost done with #2, will be by tonight.)
And I've learned lots of new skills, which is 1) why I decided to do this and 2) oh so satisfying.
But (despite the title of this post) I love you folks.
Lest I get all Romper-Roomy and Magic-Mirrory and list you, and tell you I am thinking of you each by name, I'm just gonna tell you I love you all. Because that's less stalkery.
Hey! There WAS good news. I had my unemployment insurance adjudication hearing on the 7th and guess what? I won! Here's the Kafkaesque glory (which freaks me out somewhat): after 5 months of remunerated broketitude, I AM ELIGIBLE BECAUSE MY BOSS DIDN'T LIKE ME FILING A CLAIM.
It goes like this:
1) horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor.
2) try to get along with horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor.
3) do pretty well, but horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor asks me to commit claims fraud.
4) refuse to commit claims fraud, and realize that this is the third time in about 4 weeks that horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor has asked me to commit insurance fraud.
5) agonize. Realize that since boss has never once punished horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor for any action including screaming at boss and storming out, taking off any time she wants, spending all day on personal calls, and abusing fellow employees -- and previous instances of fraud -- nothing good will come of this.
6) quit.
7) file EDD claim.
8) get hired back during horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor's off hours, training my replacement.
9) boss gets copy of EDD paperwork stating that horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor was askin' me to commit fraud and that I felt my license/morality were in jeopardy.
10) boss gets pissed off and fires me mid-day, telling me to get off the premises.
11) claim rejected because I quit voluntarily and neither morals nor license worries the state. I file an appeal.
12) MONTHS later have adjudication hearing. Ex-boss shows up and asks me not to include e-mails between us in my evidence, as she feels these were private. Tell ex-boss that that is not possible, as all MY communications were always professional.
13) adjudication hearing is grueling. Be interrogated for 45 minutes and then some back and forth misery wherein ex-boss lies her head off AND fortunately contradicts herself enough that truth can be surmised.
14) receive notice that original claim would not have been supported, because after all the state doesn't give a fuck about my morals or license... but since she fired me through no fault of my own (for filing the claim!) I am covered after all.
15) WTF? But I guess it's cosmic justice. I DO care about my morals and license, and think I was totally justified in quitting. The abuse would have been sufficient, but the fraud requests were the poop icing on the poop cake.
I have never so sympathized with Josef K.
Mind you, they still have taken no steps whatever to pay me... and I have no idea how long they will take, as it is impossible to get through to the EDD in person, by phone, or by carrier pigeon. When the Ouija board finally tells me what's going on, or when a check arrives, I'll let y'all know.
So... what's new with you? I have heard NOTHING from some of you in forever... Troy and Heather? You okay? Greg? Don't make me get out my Magic Mirror, folks! :)
I discovered knitting. In 2 1/2 weeks, I have knitted 3 infant hats (they seemed like finish-able projects), 2 toy owls, and 2 adult hats (well, almost done with #2, will be by tonight.)
And I've learned lots of new skills, which is 1) why I decided to do this and 2) oh so satisfying.
But (despite the title of this post) I love you folks.
Lest I get all Romper-Roomy and Magic-Mirrory and list you, and tell you I am thinking of you each by name, I'm just gonna tell you I love you all. Because that's less stalkery.
Hey! There WAS good news. I had my unemployment insurance adjudication hearing on the 7th and guess what? I won! Here's the Kafkaesque glory (which freaks me out somewhat): after 5 months of remunerated broketitude, I AM ELIGIBLE BECAUSE MY BOSS DIDN'T LIKE ME FILING A CLAIM.
It goes like this:
1) horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor.
2) try to get along with horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor.
3) do pretty well, but horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor asks me to commit claims fraud.
4) refuse to commit claims fraud, and realize that this is the third time in about 4 weeks that horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor has asked me to commit insurance fraud.
5) agonize. Realize that since boss has never once punished horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor for any action including screaming at boss and storming out, taking off any time she wants, spending all day on personal calls, and abusing fellow employees -- and previous instances of fraud -- nothing good will come of this.
6) quit.
7) file EDD claim.
8) get hired back during horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor's off hours, training my replacement.
9) boss gets copy of EDD paperwork stating that horrible, abusive coworker/supervisor was askin' me to commit fraud and that I felt my license/morality were in jeopardy.
10) boss gets pissed off and fires me mid-day, telling me to get off the premises.
11) claim rejected because I quit voluntarily and neither morals nor license worries the state. I file an appeal.
12) MONTHS later have adjudication hearing. Ex-boss shows up and asks me not to include e-mails between us in my evidence, as she feels these were private. Tell ex-boss that that is not possible, as all MY communications were always professional.
13) adjudication hearing is grueling. Be interrogated for 45 minutes and then some back and forth misery wherein ex-boss lies her head off AND fortunately contradicts herself enough that truth can be surmised.
14) receive notice that original claim would not have been supported, because after all the state doesn't give a fuck about my morals or license... but since she fired me through no fault of my own (for filing the claim!) I am covered after all.
15) WTF? But I guess it's cosmic justice. I DO care about my morals and license, and think I was totally justified in quitting. The abuse would have been sufficient, but the fraud requests were the poop icing on the poop cake.
I have never so sympathized with Josef K.
Mind you, they still have taken no steps whatever to pay me... and I have no idea how long they will take, as it is impossible to get through to the EDD in person, by phone, or by carrier pigeon. When the Ouija board finally tells me what's going on, or when a check arrives, I'll let y'all know.
So... what's new with you? I have heard NOTHING from some of you in forever... Troy and Heather? You okay? Greg? Don't make me get out my Magic Mirror, folks! :)
Monday, January 11, 2010
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