I could use a hug and a drink, except the drink will upset my already unhappy stomach
so I guess just a hug.
The lab is driving me effing insane. No sooner do I let go, move on and start feeling good, they contact me re: we might have work/we don't have work/can you/never mind, and nonsense.
First I got an email in early September from the scheduler wanting to know my schedule because she had some days for me in October. So I had to inform her that to the best of my knowledge, there were to be no scheduled per diems until Jan 1, after both retirees actually retire. But my schedule was the same so feel free to ask about it.
Then I got an email from the manager wanting to meet with me, with a couple possible days. I waited a few days and then answered with the better day and time. The only subject I could guess at was maybe approval to offer a job or relief on the per diem ban.
Then, on the 27th, I got an email from the scheduler stating that they said no scheduled per diems. (We freakin' duh...it's already almost October, I figured that out a couple weeks ago when I didn't hear anything back.)
I didn't get anything from the manager confirming the mystery meeting, so I called the morning of the meeting to confirm before driving down there. She was all happy and welcoming, had somehow missed my email, found it while we were talking. I suggested we move it to later in the week, better for me.
So we finally had this meeting yesterday. I don't know what lie she would have told me if I'd asked the subject, but it's probably better that I didn't.
Apparently I am now the subject of speculation and rumor mongering, so she ran a series of rumors about things I'd supposedly said over the past several months by me for explanation. I either totally didn't recognize them and still don't, or they were so misconstrued I didn't recognize them until hours later. And they were old -- one may have been as far back as May, but I really can't be sure because I never said what they claimed I said. Seriously, what the fuck?!?
The only thing I immediately recognized was not a rumor, but an incident in early June, when a co-worker wrote in a *very* nasty and uncalled for note to me, that she somehow has gotten a copy of, and that she did want to apologize for. I'm not sure, but from the way she talked it sounds like she got a copy of the note back in July and spoke with the writer back then.
I don't know why she waited until October and dragged me into an unpaid meeting on my personal time to apologize for what was, clearly, a mortifying incident. I explained that I had spoken directly with the writer after he came back from vacation and that he seemed embarassed about it at the time. That I thought he just needed a vacation, etc. Apparently that wasn't enough to suit her, because she told me twice that she's going to speak to him again. 
And I also don't understand why she dragged me into a meeting with her to quell their rumor mill or discuss supposed incidents from months ago or that happened only in somebody else's deranged mind.
In the meantime, it has become clear to me that she never lived up to her promise to tell the techs to call me for ad hoc per diem work, because I ran into one of them at the Common Ground Fair and she was under the impression that I'd completely retired and also under the impressions that they can't hire per diems period. She was freaking because she's now scheduled to work 15 days straight.
I'm so fed up with them...how can they *not* have notified the person who does the schedule that the per diem ban isn't "month-by-month" but until January 1.
And Jeebus effing christmas, do these people honestly think I'm going to sit around on my hands for 4 months in hopes that maybe after January they'll possibly come up with a p/t job for 12 hours/week?
Anyway, I'm too physically tired after working very hard for 3 days straight getting major cleanup done in my family room, and then going to bed late and waking up too early this am. So I can't throw myself into the next cleaning project until I recover from this one. Leaving me nothing but annoyance over their repeated intrusion into and disturbance of my peace of mind... 
= new reply since forum marked as read
chamomile tea or warm milk instead? 
Maybe you should just get away from that obviously toxic and unhealthy situation? I sure would. It's not good for you.
Did anything good come out of that other job you were looking into?
I am so sorry that your situation sucks. I wish it were better.
Maybe I'm that toxic? 
I called them a week after dropping off my application to touch base, and was told the manager was on medical leave, would be back in a few weeks and then pretty much hung up on. The entire call was something like 30 seconds.
The thing is, in these parts most jobs go to family and friends. They get advertised, but for all I know the person who actually picks up the phone may "screen out" anybody who isn't part of her personal circle. I don't even know if the manager ever got my application or if somebody dumped it in the trash to protect the job for a friend.
In the meantime, I'm trying to stay focused on getting my house cleaned up and in decent repair to put on the market. I've given myself to the end of this month. Then I'll focus on finding work...I don't care if it's at the family dollar store. Just need some income to help stay afloat until I sell this place. Then I can downsize my house, location and expenses.
Here's another hug for you! ---->
gluten-free breads and muffins. And then part 3 is to turn it into a small sideline business selling at local farmers markets next spring and summer.
And as synchronicity would have it, when I looked through the upcoming events in the local weekly, there is a class on starting your own business that starts next Wednesday and runs til Nov 4 or 5, whichever is a Wednesday. And it's only $30, so I can do it! 
I also wanted to learn to spin this winter, but haven't found a class on that. But there is an ongoing knitting class/get together on Saturdays, so I think I'll start that this winter as well...
Maybe, be glad you are out of there! I hope something else turns up for you soon.
I guess I should have expected a "pink ghetto" to be a gossipy, rumor-mongering mess. But the unprofessional, "management by gossip" is just mind-boggling... 
And it was pretty funny when she was talking about the nasty note the co-worker had left me last June, about how it was so "passive-aggressive" of him to sit on his pile of (minor) complaints and then dump 2 pages of them on me like that.
Because it wasn't at all "passive-aggressive" of her to sit on these "stories" she'd been hearing, and then have me come in on my own time, not an employee, and dump them on me months later... 
and
(It's peppermint, for settling your stomach.)
And these, which I use for upset stomach:
almost...still had a craving last night for fudge brownies, but not the right ingredients and my oven's on the fritz.
Settled for fudge brownie blintzes! 
They worked and were pretty darn good! 