A week in the life

Well, this has been quite a week in the life of this Valley Grrrl. If I was living in a soap opera, this would be that ratings week where Dixie comes back from the dead, Luke and Laura get hitched for the 27th time and Erica Kane reveals she is really a transvestite midgett.

I'm not even sure where to begin. How about starting with Friday of last week? That's the day when my boss was, in the kindest possible terms, "let go." Now, while many of my co-workers were secretly thrilled and others openly shocked...I would describe myself as nonplussed. I won't go into detail, I will simply say what my dear LA-B said to me.

"The devil you know might be better than the devil you don't."

So, with one devil down, who will be heir to the kingdom? Turns out we wouldn't have to wait long to find out. By mid-afternoon the big boss ascended the stairs to our loft offices and announced that the new guy would start Monday, that he has a crew he likes to work with, but he will meet with each of us to see if there is a place for us in his department. Oh yes.

I believe my blood pressure soared well beyond high for most of the weekend. While I have almost (gulp) 2 decades of experience in and around this business (I started my first radio job in May of 1988), that doesn't mean squat if new guy wants to bring in his own peeps. Plus, I am the new kid on the staff. I only started in January and haven't seen any of my work come to fruition yet. So, why keep this one?

Monday comes, I volunteer to meet with him first. My coworkers think I am crazy. But those near 2 decades have taught me that the first one in says everything first. Everyone is going to say mostly the same things. We all had the same issues, complaints and concerns about how the department was run and had all discussed it so much in hushed closed door sessions, that I knew we would all be making the same suggestions for improvement. So, by going first, these suggestions would sound original coming from my mouth and when spoken by the coworkers who would follow me, they would sound like old news.

I thought my meeting went well. I was in there for nearly 45 minutes. The only thing that concerned me at the end was they never asked anything about my experience outside of this job. The big boss and the new guy knew nothing of my, my resume, my anything. So, were they just picking my brain with no intentions of keeping me?

I was assured that the decisions would be made quickly. Apparently my definition of quick is much different than theirs.

By mid day all of my coworkers had had their meetings and the waiting began. Who knew we would be waiting 2 more days? At 6:30 new guy indicated that we could all head home and we did.

Tuesday came and more tension. New guy was having closed door meetings with several of my coworkers. No meeting for me. In fact, by the end of the day, the only 2 people that had not had a second meeting with new guy were me and our PA. No offence to the PA whom I have grown extrememly fond of and who I think is far smarter and more capable than he gives himself credit, but when restructuring the department with ones own peeps, one almost never keeps the low man on the totem pole. Based on this, I was certain my fate was going to be the same as the PA. Bye Bye.

Tuesday passes and at the end of the day, new guy calls us out into the common area. Here we go....or not. No decisions will be announced today.

Another sleepless night leads to Wednesday. Bt now, everyone is convinced he or she is a gonner. It's torture. We sit, we wait. No one wants to do any work for fear that it will be a waste of time. The clock strikes 10 and the big boss makes her way up to the loft. She goes in to new guy's office, closes the door and everyones' hearts stop. The door opens and it begins.

First they invite V in. She and I are equals in the department and their was some speculation that they would only keep one of us. So, I knew that if she came out with a smile, that my moments were numbered.

She came out with a smile.

Ug.

Next to go was her associate. Again, speculation was that while she would not stay in the department, they would keep her on the show as she has many friends in high places. There was also speculation that she might be promoted which would mean SURELY they wouldn't keep me.

She came out with a smile.

Yep.

Now, at this point it would seem trend would be to keep the order of meetings by job title. So, producers first, then move to the other job categories. Unless, of course, that is it for the producers.

I was not called in next. It was our coordinator. So, my mind is now telling me to start packing. If she comes out with a smile, everyone else will be exiting in tears.

She came out with a smile.

And I was called in next. It's all a blur really. We want to keep you. We loved what you had to say. We think you are a big asset to the department. We are giving you a raise.

The sky opens up, a ray of light shines from above. I am saved.

I didn't get fired, canned, the axe or the boot.

YAY.

I'm tired of typing now. So you will have to come back later to read about the great hummingbird adventure and the long overdue reveal of my deep secret.

Toodles.