Intense Job Frustration

Argh!! A plea to the Goddess for a new, challenging, interesting, FUN job!! SOON!

I have been in my "new" position for 4 months now....and haven't done one bit of true work. The project I was hired to do hasn't even begun yet. In fact it has gone through a few changes, and I'm not actually sure WHAT I'm possibly going to end up doing.

I say possibly, because everything is still in negotiations - not even contract negotiations yet, just pre-negotiations!! I've been told that we may start working on things as "early" as the end of March, but maybe even as late as the end of April or even into June. That will mean I will have been employed for over 6 months - and NOT DONE ANY WORK!!

Now, that may sound appealing to some, but I have been so very bored!! The days just DRAG on - 8 hours of watching the clock and wondering why I'm even there. Having nothing to do also means I'm not contributing to anything....therefore I'm feeling mighty useless....which makes me frustrated. All I do is work on some "non-work" stuff (to keep me busy) which I have been told isn't of any use once the project actually starts!! I specifically told my boss in the interview what I hoped to do, and the project seems to be morphing into something that does not include ANY of what I told him.

Add to all this is the fact that I was expecting an interesting, challenging, maybe even kind of fun job when I hired on here - one with some good teamwork. Well, it's not interesting, it's not challenging, there's NO teamwork, and oh BOY is it NOT fun!! They have instituted a strict dress code, NObody talks to each other, no one in the department seems to be interested in celebrating anything (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years all went by with absolutely nothing!), and my boss has point-blank said that "work is for work - people should have fun on their own time."

Now, I am not a young, early 20-something (sorry to generalize!!) who expects work to be the new social mixer. I know that work is a serious time - everyone is employed to do his or her job to the best of their abilities - meeting deadlines, working with others, etc. But one should always be able to enjoy their job and surroundings - this just naturally makes it more pleasant, which makes it so much easier to do a great job. Happy employees mean efficient employees!!

So please, cross your fingers, pray to your god(s), chant, dance around a bonfire, stand on your head, do what ever it is you do, and help me find a new job!!!!!

Seasonal Grumbling

Winter has always been my least favorite season. I grew up in Michigan, and though it took me a while, I realized I didn't have to STAY there. I moved to Arizona. The desert is a fantastic place. It never bothered me a bit when it hit 115 degrees in the summer - usually I was at work during the "worst" of the heat. And on the weekends, I just planned around the heat. . . . there was always nice temps in the morning or evening. And winters offered temps such as 40 degree lows and 60 degree highs.

But somehow I've ended up in Washington, DC. Now, I'm relatively young, so living in different places is not a life sentence. And I really DO like this city - it is so incredibly vital, and after living for a year in Bangor, Maine, I realized I need the stimulation of a big city. DC offers so very much to everyone - culture, nature, fun, history, future possibilities, etc. I really look forward to seeing more and experiencing more over the next few years.

But winter really sucks.

And, HEY DC!!! Don't you yahoos know how to plow streets?? Doesn't anyone know how to shovel a sidewalk??? Ye Gods people. And it's not just the neighborhoods....even downtown. I walk up First Street NE every work day, right next to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and CNN, and this past week or so has really been a pain. The sidewalk right next to Union Station doesn't even look like it's made the acquaintance of a shovel....and there's even a plow blade just sitting in the street - surrounded by piles of ice-crusted snow that clog the gutters, reaching out a third of the way into the traffic lane.

And having 4 pipes burst from the cold a week ago just adds injury to this bitter cold insult. Our water and gas bills are going to be outrageous this month.

How many more weeks till spring?