Oct 19, 2010

Marvelous Monday Update 10/18/10 (on Tues)

WORK
Where do I start?! Things have been a whirlwind with J1 and the "merger". I had my one-to-one meeting with our HR person, who told me that she thinks the merger will be a good thing for me personally... especially since I will be getting my degree soon. In talking with a coworker of the same staff level as me, the other two in my office were told their jobs were "squishy". Time will tell what will happen.

Aside from that, we've all been going through webinars and meetings to get us up to speed on paperwork and software. Our "new" time & billing system is
H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E.
It's a DOS program converted to Windows and is very clunky and not user friendly. It took me 3 hours just to enter my time for a 2 week period... just so I can get paid.

I have been working my tush off at J2. Due to working for prominent accounting firms over the past 15 years, I'm expected to uphold ethical standards.* There are several unethical business practices going on at J2, that I do not agree with and have never dealt with during my career. Thus, I'm having a difficult time working for this employer. In addition, the president of the company has a calendar of scantily clad women hanging on the wall of his office. Add to that the f-words being slung around, I totally find it distasteful, unprofessional, and uncomfortable.

*J2 is not an accounting firm.

A "funny" note: Right before starting at J2, I was kicking around the idea of contacting another company for PT work. A friend of mine called today. Apparently, the owner of the same company called her about the same time I started at J2 asking her if she knew anyone. Since I'd just started at J2, she never said anything. She called the owner today, and he will be calling me this week.


SCHOOL
Guess what? School starts back up this week. I am already not impressed with the instructor. Over three weeks ago, I started emailing him and got no response. I then talked to the director of the college and she was going to contact him. He claimed he didn't get any (really none?) of my emails and told her to have me call him. So, I did... voicemail. Two days later (TWO!), he finally called me back. This was last week. I had a question about the textbook. That left me a WEEK to order and get a textbook. I was not a happy camper. Luckily, the seller shipped right away and I just got it yesterday... three days before class starts. Hopefully, I can get all the homework done before the first day of class. Yes, the instructors assign homework before school even starts!


GIVEAWAYS
Must be the week for giveaways!
• Evalina of This and That is hosting a giveaway on her blog.
• Sarah at Crafty Moo is also hosting a giveway.
• Terri at Dixie Samplar is hosting a Halloween giveaway.
• Teresa at A Willow Tree Pond is celebrating her 100th post by hosting yet another giveaway.

Check out their blogs and stitching, too!


STITCHY STUFF
As you know from last week, JG saw the light of day and even received some stitching. I was *really* getting into it again when.... I misplaced couldn't find "lost" the Gloriana and Thread Gatherer silks. I spent an evening searching tearing my house apart looking for these threads. I needed those to work on the section! I contemplated buying new ones, but at $8 a piece, I held off. Disappointed, I put JG away and hoped I could find the silks on another day.

Fast forward several days... I inherited (OK, I actually snatched it) an antique library table from my parents that I used to do homework on when I was a kid. While cleaning my 4 season room so I could put the desk in there, I had to put some stitchy stuff where it belonged (in the armoire). Guess what? I found the Glo & TG floss!! I swear I looked in there 3 times earlier in the week.


Didn't use the newly found floss yet, but I do have a JG update:


Also worked a bit more on TMQ:

Other WIP pics can be seen HERE and HERE.

I worked on SE scissor case, but didn't take a photo. Bad me.

29 comments:

Terry said...

Good news about J1!!! Maybe they will update their computere software soon. (keep fingers and toes crossed for you!!) I do have a question though, when they said squishy, what exactly did that mean?

Hope that the possible new J2 works out so you can get out of the current J2 situation. Nothing fun about dealing with someone who doesn't care about his business which he obviously doesn't (or you wouldn't be having to deal with the questionable practices that he has been doing)

Stitching looks great and I'm so glad you found the floss! That wouldn't have been fun to hand over the $ for something you know is somewhere hidden in your house. lol

Hopefully the professor isn't bad just way too overworked. Although, it doesn't sit well that he is so scatterbrained with stuff before school even starts. Good luck in that class!!!

Carolyn NC said...

Glad to hear about J1, but I hope J2 gives way to a better PT job! Talk about unprofessional?! Stitching looks great, even though JG was put on hold for the lack of threads...LOL Should I mention that this is something that starts happening daily as you get older????...haha - JK! Good luck with the instructor and your class!

Berly said...

Stitching looks great, Meari! J1 sounds like you're going to be ok, hopefully the new J2 will come through soon. Good luck with school!

Kathy said...

I hope things improve at j2 either that or a new one comes along for you. Good luck with school. And getting all the homework finished. You can do it!
Glad you found the missing fibers. :) Isn't that always the case that when you stop looking is when you find it. :)

Have a great week.

Emily in NC said...

Bum about getting the textbook three days before class starts. Homework before class starts NOT FUN, good luck with this sessions classes. stitchy stuff looks good and glad you found your floss.

Anonymous said...

Meari,

I just read your blog. It was meant for you to work on JG and it is coming along nicely.

Sorry about your work conditions. Maybe something good will come out of the phone call you are expecting.

School....what can I say other than you soon will be done and it will all be behind you, and worth the effort.

Hang in there.
Nan in PA

Kay said...

It sounds like work has been having some trying moments for you, I hope it will perk up soon for you. My husband has had a few instructors like that before so it is understandable about how frustrating it can be to try to get a hold of someone that you cannot, thank heavens you got your text book in time at least! That is a shame about misplacing the thread for your one WIP, usually for me when that happens it is because I have a thief of a cat who likes to run away with my thread!

Sunshine said...

Good Luck with your Jobs. I hope everything turns out the way you want it to. Head UP!!! Don't let that instructor bring you down. You can do this!!!!
Good to see you got some stitching done, and I'm glad you found the threads. I like to giggle every now and then when the girls nag at you about it. LOL! Happy Stitchin!!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the JG update! :) I'm glad that J1 is sounding promising, and that you'll hopefully be able to get out of J2.

Karin in CA

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about your various problems at work and school Meari. I hope they will work themselves out for you soon.

On the other hand, glad you found your floss. It's funny how you can find things in places where you are SURE you've given a good searching before! Both those WIPs are coming along great - they are so pretty!

Good luck with your new semester (is that the right word?) at school!

Hugs,
Lynette

valerie said...

Wow, you are one busy lady! Sounds like J1 is promising but hopefully your friend can work some magic to get away from J2. That's just not right! Love your JG progress. One day...I'll do my very own Chat. Don't know when that day will be though! lol Good luck with your classes...I can't stand scatterbrained professors either.

Carol said...

Sorry to hear about the absent-minded professor, Meari (or should I say absent professor?). I just don't understand why they don't take more pride in their jobs--they could be so inspirational in so many ways...

Sounds like getting away from J2 would be a welcome relief in your life--hope it all works out well for you!

Glad you found the floss finally :) Your JG is looking splendid!

Anonymous said...

Wow, hope the job situation clears up soon. What a nightmare it must be working under such circumstances. I've totally got a similar professor this semester. Wrote to him late LAST semester to see what I could do over the summer to prepare for this semester, and never heard back from him. Glad you found your threads so you can work on JG again soon.

Sandy in NM

Robin said...

good news about J1......sounds like they weren't just giving you a *standard* line if co-workers got different welcomes at their meetings. And don't you just love that behavior some people believe is appropriate at work??? Our 'sexual harassment officer' and the head of our hr dept. are the two biggest offenders so who do you go to?? I need to start doing WIP rotations after I finish my current WIP since I am so close. Glad you found your threads - yes they are expensive! and more so, I bet you did look in the armoire 3 times and they weren't there. That kind of stuff happens to me all the time. I am still looking for my steno pad with my September board meeting notes.....keep check the back seat of the car and one day I know they will magically appear there.

Julie M said...

Great update Meari! Glad you found your floss, your WIPS are beautiful and what an idiot you have for a teacher! Hope he gets better when class actually starts!

Good luck with the jobs, I hope it works out the way you want.

Kristin said...

Bummer that you have a sucky teacher this quarter.

Glad you found the threads so we can see more of your gorgeous stitching.

Good luck with the whole job situation. It sounds like a stressful situation to be in.

Veronica said...

I look forward to your Monday updates every week. Sorrie to hear about the stuff you had to go through at work.

I LOLed at your floss playing hide n seek with you. At least you found them now :) Lovely progress on both JG and TMQ.

By the way, how's Charley been? I miss reading about her and her antics.

Debra said...

Nice progress and so glad your found your floss. Sorry to hear about job two, it doesn't sound like a place I would want to work at. Good luck with the new lead. About the teacher, we have the same problem with customers that owe us money, they will not send the money in when billed, they do not answer or call back any messages left, finally a text was sent they replied that the check would be in the mail this week and that she wouldn't need our services next year. Can you believe that!!! Good thing because we won't be serving customers that take over a month to pay their bills.

EvalinaMaria said...

All will work out, believe me! Congrats on the finding time to stitch and good luck with the school. You will do marvelous!

Anonymous said...

I am so glad you found your floss. I misplaced my OHD SAL that I have been working on all year and I haven't found it yet. Sounds like you have been extreamely busy between work and school.

TFS
Mary in NC

The Teacup Cottage said...

Reading your posts always makes my day better! Good news about the possible PT work, and I completely understand the "old systems in a new world" esp. here in the military!

Your WIPs look great, coming along. Glad you found the floss ... I do that all the time now that the baby is here. Oh, how I miss my organized days!

Lyn said...

It sounds like your professor this semester will be a real pill!

I am glad you found your floss, even if it was in a place you already looked. A different time gives you fresh eyes...maybe?

Your projects are coming along nicely!

Katrien said...

I'm glad you found your floss!
Lovely stitchy update

Akila said...

ATB with J1. Your chances definitely sound good :) J2 sounds so bad!! Feel sorry for you, having to put up with it. ATB with your next semester and your prof.

With soo much going on, you still managed to give a stitchy update!! Truly amazing. How do you find time?

chrisstitches said...

sorry to hear about work & school problems....yikes (what's on the boss' walls)....
Love your progress on Japanese garden. I'm way behind on e-mails so that's all for now.
It's a cool 31 this a.m.
Chris b.

Mel said...

That is so funny about the threads. But I am very glad you found them!

Ugh. I hate useless instructors. Though my friend who is a professor would remind me that they should not have to answer emails 24/7 just because they can. Guess it depends which side of the fence you're on. (But I think two weeks is excessively long!)

Rebecca (Becky J) said...

I now exactly what you went through with the Threads, I think they disappear on their own, mine did the same thing, and I had looked in the same spot over and over again and then they just appeared. That is so weird, I thought I was loosing my mind. Sorry to hear about the job problems. I used a DOS program called MAS90 when I worked at an accounting firm to put in all the accountants time for our billing. Hope you are reading your textbook.
Becky J

Nancy M said...

Sure hoping that other job opportunity comes through. It's certainly no fun to work for an unethical firm!!! Glad you found the threads. I'd hate that you would use that as an excuse not to work on it anymore! Keep the updates coming!

Shelley said...

I hope J2 is worth the hassle. Don't let it stress you out too much.

Your stitching looks fabulous!