Thursday, March 12, 2009

Rollercoasterama

I should have known it was coming. Last time I got all antsy and decluttery, MuNKi got activated to full time Air Force, and we ended up moving across the country. This time, MuNKi got laid off.

Here's how the day went:

Morning: MuNKi goes to work. I remember that this is Layoff Day (30% ends up going) and try to decide whether I hope he makes it through or not, since "not" will push us onward to more exciting things. ^_^ (I know. I can be reckless.)

10:00 am: I take the kids to morning classes at TKD. I tell the Master that MuNKi might be getting laid off today.

12:00 pmish: We head home. I call MuNKi to see if he remembered to fax my sworn statment of Absolute Being (or whatever) to CA so I can get an official copy of my birth certificate. The phone picks up and there's silence. I try again and get a recording - not his. A few mins later Mollusc tries and then informs me "I think he said he was in the process of being laid off. It was hard to hear him."

12:45ish: I open my compter and see that MuNKi has messaged me that he's been cut. I'm strangely untroubled.

1:15ish: Friends come to hang out for a bit. (We took their son home from TKD with us so the kids could play) We talk about the job thing and toy with the idea of going to live in Hobbit Holes in Wales.

2:30: MuNKi (no, I'm NOT implying that he's a jerk, LOL!) arrives home with his box of stuff. Someone has given him the contact info of the competition's director. Heh.

3:00ish: I take the Bigs to the Library for their volunteering hour.

3:20: MuNKi arrives with the Littles, who apparently wanted to come after all. He informes me that he's gotten a call from a different company in Muskegon or somewhere across the state with a job offer. Upon hearing that it's across the state, the dude says he thinks he has stuff in Detroit, too and says he'll call back.

3:30ish: The Bigs want to know what "grades" they're in. We don't have "grades"; we just do whatever's challenging in different subjects. I give random numbers that are hopefully close. It turns out that the children's librarian is nominating them for the town's Teen Service award for their volunteering work.

4:00ish: we head home and the phone starts ringing off the wall. I can't begin to count how many calls came and from whom, though I know there were people from 2 companies calling: MuNKi's employer's company and the company with whom they are doing their best business.

4:45ish: The Director of Engineering calls MuNKi to say "Oops. It was a mistake. We need you after all."

I guess it's good to know you're needed. But do we trust the company to keep him on? Ha!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

And it seems you're quite calm through it all--amazing. My dad might be getting laid off or moved or something, and I'm kind of hoping it happens for same reason you were--my parents need some change in their lives. Mainly, they need to move. I don't want to keep having to visit them in Kansas City.

On a related note, while of course I sympathize with families who have it so hard right now with lay off and the like, I find it difficult to feel really sad about it because I feel like we've been given an opportunity to change direction in our economy.

C said...

Well, I always get excited about change, even when it's probably not the prudent thing, LOL! I hope your dad can find something right for him if he gets laid off.

Because of where I live (Motown) there are tons of families losing their jobs here, so it does sadden me. It also scares me to see the government starting to acquire businesses and banks. We already know how corrupt politicians are. The thought of them getting more involved in commerce is nauseating. I'm ready to flee the country.

SM said...

Holy MuNKi links!

What a crazy day! And yeah - do you trust the company? Did they make a mistake as in "oops - it wasn't supposed to be you it was supposed to be some other poor schmuck" or was it a "oh! crap! We made a mistake! We can't lose him!"?? Craziness.

I think it's weird how things like this happen though. I was starting to get antsy with the prospect of LM getting closer to going into daycare. He was on a waiting list that was going to be opening up in a month or so. And then I got laid off and now we don't have to worry about it. i'm going to be getting a job (or trying to) that will work around being at home with during the day.

So strange.

C said...

This time it was an "oops we didn't realise how valuable you are." Which just does not inspire confidence. It took the *customer* freaking out and raising holy hell, and flat out saying they would withdraw their support MuNKi's company's bid for the next big project if MuNKi wasn't on it (there are 2 other competitors for the business, which is is a multimillion dollar project.)

So while, yeah, it's great to know how valuable MuNKi is, the fact that the people for whom he works *did not know that* is less than inspirational.

Anonymous said...

That sure was a fast turnaround...oddly flattering yet, you're right, hardly confidence-inspiring.

You're far more daring than me. I worry all the time lately about being laid off...I think I'd have a hard time getting another job and I want to keep my not-so-lavish lifestyle.

So, MuNKi just heads back to work on Monday with his box of goodies like nothing happened? It seems that, at the very least, he has a bargaining chip. Maybe they should pay for the error of their ways?

C said...

Yep, he went back today. I, too, thought that maybe a raise would be nice, but only fleetingly, because they just laid off 30% so that would hardly be right. He wasn't taking any chances, anyway, with a family of 6 to support, but he may, at least, be able to "rid himself of this meddlesome priest", or at least the lame boss who knows nothing about his employees. :-P

tshsmom said...

LOL, we have the same problem when someone asks Z what "grade" he's in. He's way ahead in some subjects and about a year behind in a couple of subjects so it's really hard to put a label on his accomplishments.

I'm with Maccandace. Losing our jobs is our worst fear! There aren't many jobs here and we don't have the resources to re-locate. Scary times. :(

robkroese said...

Gosh, that was nice of them.

Statement of Absolute Being? Is that a real thing, or something I don't remember from Douglas Adams?

C said...

Tshsmom - I know. Labels are so pointless, aren't they?

I should be afraid of MuNKi losing his job. Really I should, but I have the feeling that (as my friend Frank put it) if a giant hand scooped us up and deposited us somewhere, we'd find a way to survive. And I'm just naiive enough to find the challenge thrilling, LOL!

Diesel - wasn't it? Wait - MuNki's co or the customer? It was very nice of the customer for sure. MuNKi's co? Well, it would have been nice if his boss had actually known what he DOES, LOL! But that guy is no longer his boss (as of today) so whoopee for that! ^_^