A Problem

It is interesting to watch people who take pleasure in other people's nightmares.  I'm not talking politics here, that's a whole different story.  To "take pleasure in another man's calamity" is something I have never quite understood. You know, a person hates another person.  The hated person has something horrific or very bad happen to them and then the hater laughs and mocks the person either behind their back, to their face or both.

I mean, okay, Osama bin Laden.  There's a guy you can say good riddance to.  Well, whatever.

All plans are on indeterminate length of time hold right now.  Situation at work and the potential to - not be employed anymore.  Can't and won't go into it on my blog.  I can only say that I still love my job at my company, there are a good share of problems but, you find that at any place of employment.  I would have liked to have been promoted by now, but, I do like the responsibilities that determine my job description.

So, if it happens, it happens.  I will remember the good things, such as all the employees that helped me out when my house burned down. Gift cards and furniture and all kinds of stuff were given to me.  The company itself helped me out with a fund they have designated for emergencies.  I have received the highest level of bonus money that my "tier" can receive every year I have been there.  I have received the Safe Driver Award 4 years out of 6.  But, I do potentially face a new reality: becoming one of the millions of Americans that are unemployed.  

I have a couple of co-workers, referencing the beginning of this entry, that talk smack about me behind my back.  I'm not the only one they talk smack about, but I recently heard from one of our VENDORS about their malicious speech.  The guy at the vendor is totally cool and I actually get emails forwarded from him here and there with comedic things he has gleaned from wherever on the internet.  It's funny how you can uplift your fellow employee - which I have done with both of these individuals numerous times in the past - and the find out they have been trash talking you.

I dunno, but I work at 2-man branch.  That's my manager and I.  We are going to hit somewhere near or maybe even over 600k - $600,000 for this month.  That will be more than the main branch's warehouse will have put out in terms of truck deliveries, where they have 2 full time drivers plus several individuals that work down there that they use to send out product as well.  I am the ONLY driver.  I take pride in my work; I strive for excellence and I try to keep a good attitude. It is, actually, the 2 full-time drivers over there that talk the crap about me behind my back and then talk a sweet and nice to me face-to-face. Don't you just despise people like that?

I am not going to go into the details that have led to this point, I am not terminated yet and it may not happen, but, I am preparing for the "worst".  I can probably find another job, but, who knows what, how much it will pay, the working conditions, etc.  I'm one of those people that will stick around for a long, long time.  I probably get too comfortable in my working conditions, but when I have an expertise of what I am doing, I tend to enjoy it as well.

It IS even more interesting, however and getting back to the main point of this entry, to find out who IS on  your side.  Quite a few people, I find out.  This includes members of management, I might add, which is refreshing to say the least.

Well, anyway, I put in a 10-1/2 hour day today and was totally burned out at the end of it.  A LOT of driving.  When I  got back to the yard, done with the truck and all paperwork in hand, I walked into the building to hear my name being mentioned. They didn't know I had pulled in with the semi.  We have a "dinger" that sounds of when anything passes through the gate on the side of the building, but they had a lunch for contractors today and they blinded the dinger so it wouldn't keep going off repeatedly, incessantly, forever.

I had no idea what was going on, but it came to light quickly: the lottery.  It's over half a billion dollars now.  22 people in our company had pitched in $5 a piece to create a pool.  A salesman came out of the kitchen - totally cool dude- after hearing, oh, Ben's here, he just came back! and asked if I wanted to be included in the pool.  Of course I do.  How would you like to be the sorry sap in your company that didn't pitch in 5 bucks and then find out everyone else has their part in 540 million dollars?  Even spread out 22 ways, that's still a LOT of money per person!  27 million? Minus taxes and in my case, 20% up front to the Lord's work. At least 20%.  What are you going to do with that much money anyway?  Buy a house and set up a fund to pay for property taxes for the rest of your life and after that, who cares.

Others would care, of course, I don't.  If I owned a property flat out, that would be the end all for me.

You know, I haven't been terminated from a job since I was 16 years old.  It would be a blow to me, frankly, to get that kind of thing handed to me now just because of that if nothing else.

Oh well.

ben