POST ELEVEN Tuesday 6-3-2014 VOTE!!

Another analogy:

1. I've seen people doing blind bungee jumps for a myriad of reasons, and some practical jokes regarding said bungee jumps, such as at bachelor parties where the groom-to-be bungee jumps blindfolded. 

I liken the CA primary as a bachelor party groom's blind bungee jump, when he thinks he's going off a bridge, but instead...

Jumps into a wading pool 9 inches deep.

OOOKKKAAAYYY!
We went to vote at our polling place late Tuesday morning.
There are only two people working there; the Inspector and another clerk.
Since I'm not working at this particular nanosecond AND I was an Inspector in  2012 for two precincts in La Habra, I called the Registrar of Voters and volunteered for my precinct.
YUP, I'm gonna be a Poll Worker late this afternoon until around 9 PM, so this blog won't be completed until 'way later tonight.
If at all.

Ok, of course I got there when the late afternoon sun was shining into the garage, making it kinda hot.
We had a total of 55 people come in, BUT in this precinct, a lot of people got the Vote By Mail envelopes and in this precinct we usually get a great turnout anyway, so I'll bet a lot of people turned in their envelopes or mailed them in. We had almost as many envelopes turned in to us as there were physical voters! I hope November is better. Or less dull.
I chatted with some of my neighbors, handed them my business cards, asked them to let me know if they knew of any jobs, and used the down time to look at some job websites. (I took my tablet in just in case it was slow, so it worked ok that way.)

Made some lists of things that would help in the next election if I work again (and if I do, I'll have to document job searching on a Saturday or Sunday to make up for it)
Some things to remember are:

• Since our polling place is on the edge of La Habra which is Orange County, we don't have to worry about people from LA County dropping off their envelopes.  BUT if there are people who work in our area and they live in LA County, they MUST go to the nearest LA County polling place to drop off their Vote By Mail envelopes!!! So I listed about 3-4 polling places in Whittier and La Mirada that were the closest to us.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot-one of my ex-coworkers called me and said I had some cards and stuff at work. I had to leave her a msg because I missed her call. Wonder what it is?

POST 10 Monday 6-2-14 Thoughts on when my position was eliminated - we're talking morale, here.

Below, I thought this pic was cool until I looked at the small bottom print. Then I thought it was even cooler, almost bordering on bitchin'. That's all. It's just COOL.

Some thoughts on the general mood and feelings around the org for about the last two years or so.

Morale at the corporate office as of the Friday morning I was let go 5-23-14 was cautious, pessimistic, bordering on some SERIOUS negative vibes, and I had heard before that lots of times people felt themselves drawing away more and more from the organization and especially its Mission. People were and are still afraid to speak openly to others and felt they couldn't speak about anything that even MIGHT be construed as negative, and so therefore a threat.

(I remember reading about this type of atmosphere during the 50's with the McCarthy 'red' Communist witch hunts, an example being when one dare not say ANYTHING bad about the stock market or American business in general or else be considered 'anti-business' which is tantamount to 'anti-American' which of course meant you were a Communist. For some reason, this seems close to the mood around the org. Those 28 persons I noticed that were let go/fired/left/forced out seem to be just like some of those entertainment industry persons who were accused of being Communists and then blacklisted.)

Unfortunately, 'kind and caring' doesn't work with corporate GOC. Either you make money, make your quota of people served and jobs found, save money by cutting your budget down, or you're GONE.

DEFINITION:

According to Alexander M. Leighton, "morale is the capacity of a group of people to pull together consistently and persistently in pursuit of a common purpose.". 

I feel the common 'take' on morale is usually looked at as a positive force in people, and so the positive energy of morale, to band together, is the epitome of a powerful force, a force both within people and physically as a group. SO, again in my opinion, it seems to me that in times of low morale, people are more protective of themselves than protective about the group, since the group isn't providing the security as before. Job security at my work? I had counted over 28 people who had left, were forced out or fired from February 2013 until March 2014, just with Main Facility staff alone. Those kind of events tend to make one think about oneself and one's position at the organization a LOT and become at the very least apprehensive. That type of thinking is sadly also counterproductive-you can't do your job well if you're thinking about all the people who have gone and thinking you might be the next, no matter HOW many people have told you that you won't go anywhere, you're too good at what you do!

(I saw this at Bally Total Fitness also in the late '90's/early at the turn of the century, which is why I had my resume out since the beginning of 2003 so I could escape from the Bally's corporate office.) 

Unfortunately, all those people who told me that I was too important, I do so much for the organization, well, I shouldn't have listened to them so much. I should've been a LOT more cautious and wary. 

Upper management talks of transparency, but only if information goes down to those who do the jobs. Information can and does a lot to reassure people, even if the news isn't so good. It's like going to the doctor: if it's bad, it's best to tell the patient so that the issue can be dealt with quickly. People appreciate honesty, no matter how bad the news, and if it's honest, there is more trust. Underlying rumors would be just rumors, if the trust is there. Interestingly, since the org is considered one of the most trusted companies in 2012, it's an antithesis that the org is considered that only from the outside, and that the inside with the rank-and-file leaves a lot to be desired. Again unfortunately, rumors and whispers were (and still are) flying around the place like trailer parks in Oklahoma during a tornado. I say whispers, because I experienced and saw a lot of people go into places that didn't have cameras (or so we hoped) and would whisper to each other so that others around us wouldn't hear. We'd also hardly at all move our lips, and would use winks. It was my understanding that that cameras weren't audio, they were just video, but hey, there was a lot I didn't know there, believe it or not. A lot of changes in security were made within the last 4 years or so of my employment, what with  employee badges with chips in them for not only timekeeping but to swipe for leaving and entering the buildings, an actual security office at the employee entrance, swiping our badges to even go up the elevator. 

We all realize that within all rumors lies SOME truth, and that's what made it scary.

Notice the definition of morale above: it could go either way, actually. Low morale is the lessened capacity of a group of people etc. High morale is the increased capacity of a group of people, etc.

I truly believe I was a positive force in maintaining a sense of morale at my work with people. If Lynne could make you feel good about yourself, if Lynne could make you laugh, you felt better about any organizational situation or actions and could take one more day without feeling pessimistic or fearful. You could always count on Lynne to lighten your day.

Now Lynne, 'Little Miss Merry-F'ing Sunshine", is gone. In an organization that serves those persons with disabilities and other barriers to employment to train for and find employment, so to eliminate the position of someone who tried to engender some sort of positive outlook within and for the company with clients, outside vendors and employees, is assisting a downward spiral of esprit de corps. 

I'm not tooting my horn, I've been told this quite a few times over the years, that I am a morale booster. Always have been, yet even I hadn't lately been immune to the negatively surrounding Goodwill.

There are some that say, "They didn't offer you another position in some other department?" Well, considering that I'd had a gut feeling that I was becoming sort of expendable last September 2013 when my prior boss the VP of Human Services was forced out, and a HUGE gut feeling this past March, I had a hunch that nothing would be available except perhaps a retail worker at a huge cut in salary, AND since there were no other openings that I would fit into, I'd say that we all knew that there were no suitable positions for me.  

My gut feeling also was in the last few days of that week, my manager had been going to a TON of meetings, and a lot of those meetings I now feel were about the 'restructuring'. I know he fought continuously for me, but when it came down to it, he was trumped by upper management.

I felt a kind of relief and that feeling was kind of surprising to me. No more looking over my shoulder at who was around, no more worrying about those people coming up to my office and being noticed on camera that they came to my office and stayed for a certain period of time, and if they'd get into trouble for talking to me. 

SOME READING HOMEWORK FOR YOU:
The 'No-Asshole Rule' Part I
The 'No-Asshole Rule' Part II

And your final test:
The Asshole Rating Self Exam (the ARSE test). "Are You A Certified Asshole?"

You can probably apply this test and put answers in that you feel a potential asshole would answer, and get a good idea if that person truly is or not.

The articles in the links above are courtesy of Robert Sutton, who has a book out:

The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't

This book available at Amazon.com

The link for the final test is from 
Even if the articles were written in 2007, hey, there's NO SHORTAGE of assholes in any workplace and his take on them is timeless.
Here's his blog link:
Bob Sutton 'Work Matters'

POST ONE-B RE: Saturday 5-24-14 THOUGHTS OF GOODWILL OF ORANGE COUNTY ELIMINATING MY POSITION

BOY, can I call it, or WHAT?

This writer hits a lot of topics RIGHT on the head, especially since I'm going through this now. (please see posts for 6-6-14 and 6-7-14)
Take Action to Fight The Unemployment Blues

Check out this link; article came out on June 6 2014!!!At this link below, he discusses my same topic below: Getting Fired And Getting Back In The Game

As I mentioned in the very first post on 5-24-14, the loss of a job is almost like the loss of a person. Any situation whereby someone or something leaves somewhere COULD be considered a 'death', based on the emotions you feel. It can also apply to your position with a company. By 'you' I mean the person experiencing the 'death' or the person who experiences another person's 'death'. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross broke down the 5 emotions of death as

ANGER

DENIAL

BARGAINING

DEPRESSION

ACCEPTANCE

These emotions can come at different times, might not apply or you might not feel them, or you might feel some long after the 'death'.

ANGER at having been let go without a 'by your leave' or a chance to redeem oneself. 'How dare they let me go after all I've done for them!";

DENIAL by not believing at first that it could actually happen to you, or you not believing that this person is actually gone. By thinking, "How can they let me go? I've done nothing wrong, why me?"

BARGAINING by thinking you have a chance to plead your case, "Oh, I'll be good, I'll be better, I'll sacrifice my personality and thoughts for the company".

DEPRESSION  "I must not have been very good in the first place, I feel bad about myself because obviously they don't feel good about me"

ACCEPTANCE  As an FB bud always said, "It is what it is".

POST 9 on MONDAY 6-2-2014, OMG I actually MISSED a day of posting!!! What is HAPPENING TO ME!!!???

Yesterday Sunday 6-1-14 I actually worked on getting my paperwork ducks in a row re: filling out EDD and DOR paperwork. So I was writing, just not HERE on this blog.

To paraphrase Jeff Foxworthy...

YOU MIGHT BE A WRITER IF...

• You wake up in the morning (or afternoon) and all you can think of is topics to write on.
• The first thing you do is get an Arizona Iced Tea, spread out all your vitamins and pills by the laptop and write while gulping them down.
• You get a phone call from FB bud Johney who gives you a huge lift by confirming how positive and 'together' you are, and you're writing it down while you're talking to him. THAT was a huge self esteem boost, thanks, JH!! I needed that.
• You get a phone call from your daughter-seems she's trying to buy dog food at Costco and the Costco membership expired yesterday May 31. I asked her to pay for it there and they said that she couldn't pay for it, it had to be paid for by the primary holder. So all I could think of was a) solving her problem, and b) whatinthehell is going on.
• I went online to see what was what,  and I was surprised to see that none of the info I expected to be on there was on there i.e. people/cards on my account, due date of membership, type of membership, etc. SO...
• I called Corporate (whose phone number WASN'T on my card, BTW, and neither was my expiration date on the card) and they couldn't believe that she couldn't pay for it there, NOR could they believe that anyone didn't ask us to renew when we went there last week. So Corporate fixed the sitch by actually CALLING the ABQ Costco, talking to the Supervisor in Processing, kept them on hold, came back to me and took the information down for renewal, got the Supervisor back on the horn and told me it'd be 5 minutes, and it WAS. They also notified (the corporate PC word for 'admonished strongly aka REAMED) the Supervisor for this membership renewal by anyone on the card issue. Another piece of info they told me was that they are working on combining two separate Costco websites, the general one and the membership one, to make one totally secure online site. As usual, I solve a prob within 10 minutes. Again, AS USUAL, I gotta write about it!
• Plan in your mind what you're going to write about and ACTUALLY jot those notes down on paper! Kinda like making an outline.
• You write about this quasi-trivial stuff, because you're gonna look back at this blog when you need to know when you did what.

I had to use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) on Barry last night*. 

He was AGHAST that I

-Cooked dinner

-Cleaned up the dishes afterwards

-Cleaned up the stove

  

*JK

6-3-2014 This morning he talked to Jax and asked her if she (Jax) knew where her mother was: there's this strange person living in the house because of the aforementioned tasks. Jax said to 'embrace it'. 

POST EIGHT, still on May 31st 2014, and having time to read the LinkedIn articles and positives. I'm going to share some relevant information to me:

• "A proverb here; "Illiterate persons of twenty-first century will not be those who are unable to read or write, but those who are unable to learn, unlearn and relearn". So change is necessary."

• There are top 5 signs you are a 'Game Changer'. Two of them are REALLY me.

Sign #1: You are an expert in your field

Second king of Israel wrote in 10 century BC: “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” Game changes have tendencies to be highly immersed in the area of their expertise. They are not only continuous students of their occupation field, but also teachers (sharers of information) and great partners to his/her peer group.

Examples:

When was the last time someone asked for your expert advice or asked to create something that was viewed important and critical? Do leaders in your organization share information with you and ask for your opinion? Are you a ‘wanted person’ in your community? Is what you know easily learned searching Google?

Sign #5: You teach and build into others

Admiral Grace Hopper, once said:” The most important thing I've accomplished is training young people. They come to me, you know, and say, "Do you think we can do this?" I say, "Try it." And I back 'em up. They need that. I keep track of them as they get older and I stir 'em up at intervals so they don't forget to take chances.”

Game changers care about people, their progress; they teach, support and build into others. They don’t do it for money, or recognition, but simple because they love people. After all, true game changers know that everything they have they received, so they simply pay forward. Down deep inside game changers know they were meant to serve people.

Challenge yourself:

Is there anyone in your life that could use your help today? Do you believe that people need help regardless of their circumstances?

• I noticed that quite a few of my ex-coworkers have not changed their LinkedIn profiles to reflect that they're no longer working at Goodwill. Hey, if you're going to be on LinkedIn, update it!

You know, I'm lucky. I mean it was surprising, but it wasn't a total tragedy, and I didn't lose my employment in a way that stripped me of my self-esteem and my sense of safety and surety in the world. I won't spend too much time stuck in a cycle of anger and regret about the whole experience.

I believe that I am talented and accomplished, and that I can have a great life and career.

POST 7 It's Been 8 Days Since 'That' Day and I CAN'T BELIEVE It's May 31 2014 !

Good thing I'm a writer. Or 'writeaur' (Fr). Or bashrayber (Yid). 

The amount of PAPERWORK and things you have to read is STAGGERING!!! AND IT ALL CAME TODAY!!!

Unemployment paperwork and requirements! Department of Rehabilitation paperwork! Plus all the paper fit to begin a small forest!

("Hey, lumberjacks! I have a LOT of trees around MY house that you could use for paper!!! C'mon by and cut 'em down!!!")

BTW, I've been checking daily regarding how many people are reading my posts. Whoa, 20 for the first one, considering how LONG that sucker was!!!

I notice at least 3-4 people are keeping up with this blog, and I think I know who they are.

I'll try to make this blog entertaining for my few fans. (My fans may be small in quantity, but you CAN'T BEAT the quality!)

OK, regarding unemployment benefits and my thoughts:

• Since the "Claim Beginning Date" is the SUNDAY prior of the week I filed the claim, the effective date includes the last week of work. I don't know if that week is considered the 'waiting week', must find out.  If you're going to go to school (like I am, part-time), it behooves one to take mostly online or hybrid classes, because NOTHING can interfere with your availability to work. So night classes, weekend classes, and especially online classes are the way to go. Or maybe really REALLY early classes.
• REGARDING BENEFITS: I've been reading the information, and I realized that since they issue an EDD DEBIT card for my benefits, they are able to track my expenditures!!! So one must NOT use the debit card for travel or the Improv or superfluous things. It must be used for food, gas, perhaps online living payments of electricity, gas company, things that won't get one into trouble if they (and they will!) review my debit card charges!!! You can BET that certain items WILL be red-flagged, like the Improv, a hotel in Flagstaff during the week when theoretically I SHOULD be looking and available for work!!! And then if I put that all that week I was available for work, I've just committed FRAUD. 
• Another thought regarding the debit card charges: if used for gas, I shouldn't charge it for long-travel gas unless I am traveling for a job interview. It would be obvious that I need to note the day before, after or of I pay for gas is the day I list that I looked for work!!!
• I need to make a budget list of our expenditures and what CAN be paid with the debit card.
• The benefit amounts are automatically added to the one debit card issued via Bank of America.
• STOP THE PRESSES, THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS NOT NECESSARILY PERTINENT TO MY SITUATION:
• I can set up a Direct Deposit from this card to my regular bank account.
• I must make 'all reasonable efforts to find work while claiming benefits'. I need to find out the parameters-all day everyday? Once a day? 
• I'd really like to find work, I need my mind and talents occupied but I had such specialized talents that I'll need retraining in certain things. That's why I want to go back to school for certain things, like to be brought up to speed in accounting, computer information systems, updated MSOffice apps, paralegal, plus to get my certificate or AA. It'll be part time of course and take awhile, but I've got TIME to do it. Another thought about finding work is that I was used to a certain amount per hour and finding that will be kind of tough. I probably need to bring down my standards. THAT'S a self-esteem kick in the head, for sure.
• I'm hardly the 'professional' type aka appearance, so I guess I have to either a) get some new duds for work searching, or b) lose weight to fit into what I have currently. 

I'm currently changing my LinkedIn profile to reflect my being 'unemployed'. I've searched the 'net (of course!) and found that the term 'unemployed' is such a NEGATIVE TERM, as well as 'work at home'. Since I'm usually such an upbeat, positive person, I found a new way of describing my sitch.

Scammers, believe it or not, will target those words and send TONS of 'get rich quick' schemes!!! So you are going to LOVE my current LinkedIn 'currently working at' and job description! I've copied it here for you, and will translate these high-falutin' terms as I go along!!

Currently I am employed as being committed to finding employment utilizing my Info Mgmt-Research-Emergency Solutions

• Legal, governmental and medical knowledge and analysis utilizing research with an emphasis on documentation required and regulatory compliance substantiation - I'm trying to fill out the EDD and DOR paperwork, determine exactly what I need to put on those forms, plus figure out what next to do about school;
• Monthly budget reconciliations on current periods/P&L, YTD and budget variances on a cash basis vs accrual - I'm figuring out what expenses we gotta cut out and what expenses we can use the EDD debit card on i.e. food (NO ALCOHOL!), gas, medical, dental, medication and vision copayments, utilities including Internet,  land line and cell phone expenses, basic items like health, car maintenance, etc. RE: the P&L, I'm screwed if there's an L!!!.;  
• Utilizing financial software to forecast current and end-of-year budget variances - I'm using one of my TurboTax features to do a future scenario based on creating a new tax return and doing a 'what if', using actual and projected income and expenses;
• Using positive budget information to establish position cash reserves - If we have anything left over, sock it away into a savings account; 
• Utilizing and consolidating information technology hard-and-software for maximum benefit - going to clean the computer room, move the computer, maybe get a wireless printer with feeder capabilities and get rid of a TON of papers! 
• Inventorying of current assets and determining current market value vs. basis by utilizing online pertinent information, and determining disposal of said assets with the intent of maximizing cash flow - get ready for a garage sale.
• Utilizing legitimate business travel for current profession and future employment, based on IRS Publications 529 'Miscellaneous Deductions' and IRS Publication 463, 'Travel, Entertainment, Gift and Car Expenses' - I'm figuring out what I can take off my taxes next year, and additionally showing 'good faith' regarding business travel for the EDD.

Here's my LinkedIn profile:

LinkedIn for Lynne Shapiro

• www.linkedin.com/pub/lynne-shapiro/42/255/868

  
  

  
  

You know something else? I now have the time to read the excellent articles on LinkedIn!!!

Some of them are AWESOME and truly make me think!!!

POST SIX 5-29-14 and 5-30-2014 Days Three and Four of My Unemployment from Goodwill.

5-29-14

Y'know, I really JUMPED on some of this stuff! Must still have the adrenalin rush going on and in shock.
Meeting with one of the 403(b) reps today at Benjie's.
.Have to contact the other 403(b) company to t/f $.
Did paperwork, our Mutual of America rep Walter D'Souza is AWESOME!!!

• Bub and I had a Harbor Freight attack!!! We LOVE that place!!!

Just be-bopping around town, getting stuff notarized, downloading transcripts from college when I went in the Middle Ages, sending away for college transcripts from the Dark Ages, maybe they'll come by Pony Express. Or chariot. Or mastodon.

Now this is kinda funny:
I'd always seen classes in the Brea newsletter and the good ones I'd see were in the mornings!
We went to the pharmacy, I picked up another Brea 'what's going on' newsletter, and the GOOD NEWS IS
I can now take those morning classes!!
BUT...
The INTERESTING NEWS IS
that they're at the Brea Senior Center.

Huh.

This evening, I downloaded a lot of school stuff, i.e. orientation, assessments, forms, I can't beLIEVE how much paperwork and forms there are now! I'm going to start with a few online courses just to get my feet wet. They're actually hybrids, you have to meet the first day and then meet sporadically thereafter, but mostly it's online. Which is good.

Hope the transcripts from the monks come quick.

5-30-2014

Lots of medical stuff for Bub i.e. Dr. appt for WC.

I got a phone call from the DOR and my counselor is someone who I was in occasional contact with when I was at Goodwill!!! Small world!! So she knew I knew what was needed, I told her my situations, it was a nice chat!!!

When Bub and I were waiting for the Dr., we were looking at ABQ homes and switching phones so we could both look at them. We saved a few and Jax wanted to see some. I wanted to compare them with what we have and what I really want to do at this house.

I wrote a couple of lists and included projects I want to do to our house.

If we ever moved there, I'd like:

Pueblo revival/pueblo contemporary/southwestern contemporary

I have a list of 'must haves' or 'don't want'...

1. Master bath has to have a nicer bathtub, you know one of those neat ones like you like BUT also has to have a small shelf around it, and a separate glass-enclosed shower (that glass-enclosed shower is what I want to put in our black and white bathroom)

2. A front of a house that looks relatively cool

3. (Jax and Steve taught me this) I HAVE to have a front window for a Christmas tree and the front window is NOT a bedroom!!!

4. The backyard has to be nicer for our grandson Stevie to play

5. Relatively close to Jax, Steve and Stevie.

6. Lots of light and windows (I really like Jax and Steve's house because of all the light and upper windows and that skylight in the bathroom!)

7. Not TOO much greenery, backyard only, just enough grass for da little sweetie to play on, but Barry wouldn't mind gravel 'cause you CAN'T MOW IT!!!

8. No cul-de-sacs, not enough parking there.

9. No HOA, or I want to see the HOA contract before I buy to make sure I can do what I want to i.e. put a pool in, put a pergola in the front (one of those neat small patio covers that would go over the entrance)

10. No 'deep' long entrance way, they tend to be 'dark'.

11. No way the neighbors behind or to the side can look into the back yard, UNLESS we make the fence bigger or plant some cypress trees or something to block the view.

12. POOL (if there isn't one, we'll put one in, TRUST ME!) But we'd have to have a big enough backyard to fence in the pool area. Maybe I'd get a lap pool, about the depth of our jacuzzi, and not quite the size of a regular pool, see pic below. For some reason, VERY few people in ABQ have pools!!!

My secondary list of "ok, I'd make this a 'must have' except I COULD live without it" and "I really don't want it but I'll cave if I have to" is

1. Kiva fireplace (that corner 'beehive' fireplace)

2. 'Bump out' kitchen or front window, like a bumped out window seat

3. I'd like it a little more 'Southwestern contemporary' style.

4. Nichos are nice (little wall indents that hold things)

5. Vigas (those wooden beams on the ceilings)

6. Small enclosed front courtyard with one of those adobe 1/2 walls. We'd probably put a small ornamental patio cover/pergola in front.

7.Master bedroom opens to back yard, OR if upstairs, opens to a balcony. Has enough room for a couple of dressers PLUS a couple of chairs and a small table.
8. A lot of gravel, in fact, almost all gravel

In fact, here at our house I'd like to remove the front tree and put a pergola/patio cover in front. (see pic below the lap pool)

I'm tired, I'm gonna go have a root beer float.

MORE to come!!!

PS-to get to sleep every night, I'm reading the 50th Anniversary edition of "The Great Crash of 1929" by John Kenneth Galbraith.
It's really interesting, believe it or not!