Sparky 2.0

I'll get back to the saga, yes, but I need to jump ahead and get to some current events, if you don't mind.

Today may have been my last day at the Hellhole that I've called my job for the past seven years. Seven years. That's longer than I worked at the Medical Center even. It's a long damn time. Tomorrow was scheduled to be my last day, but there are reasons for my possible bumping up of it.

I need to visit Rugers' Human Resources department and do paperwork for them before I can start. I had my physical on Wednesday, and returned the paperwork for that, and I was hoping to get a call from Betty sometime today so I'd know when to head down Newport way. Of course, I didn't get a call today, and when I called her I got no answer, although I did leave a message. So this leaves me two options:

1. Go to work my last day, and leave almost no time for me to be able to get myself to Newport to do this paperwork so that I can possibly start there Monday.

2. Blow off my last day so that I can pro-actively attack this situation, take charge of my destiny, and get my ass in gear.

Sounds pretty cut and dried, doesn't it? Even so, the prospect of making this decision alone was somewhat daunting, and I knew Jennifer was going to call me to find out how a particular thing at work today went (I'll get to that), so when she asked if I could hang out for an hour or so before she went to see her aunt, I said sure. When I got there I said, "Make me a better offer." She was confused. "Make me a better offer, and I'm done with them up the hill." I still had to lead her through this a bit, as she's not all the way used to the odd pathways of my mind yet.

"It can be anything. I can be bought off with almost nothing. Sparky, let's go shoot some hoops. Sparky, let's go play pool. Sparky, buy me lunch. Anything."

So she said, "I do need someone to hang out with in town," or something like that, so I said good enough. Besides, I really do need to be available to run to Newport at a moment's notice, so going to work would just screw that up. I just needed something to tip my indecision over.

I did warn Bob of the possibility of this right at the end of the day. I said it was regrettable, as I really did want to finish out my two weeks, but he understood and even shook my hand. We talked about some other stuff, too, which I'll get back around to in a minute.

So if that's the case that today was my last day there, I left with little fanfare, pretty much just sneaking out like a thief in the night. I mean, it's no secret that I'm leaving. I've had at least 20 people stop by my press this week alone and wish me luck and ask me questions. To a person, not *one* of them doesn't understand my reasons for wanting to get out of there. Take that, Sue. So even though relations between Sue and I have been excrutiating the past few weeks, I am very popular with the people ... even though my not being there tomorrow is sure to piss off some of them, as I almost swore on my own grave that I would be there tomorrow. I didn't let anyone, not even Starr or Stacy in on even a hint that I might ditch out, even though a few people did ask if I was going to do exactly that. Even without this Newport thing I would have been tempted, as it's really sucked down there lately, even moreso than normal for my sucky department.

And that means I'm technically unemployed for the first time since fall semester of Westfield State College way back in 1990. I mean, sure, Rugers is as good as all set, but until I talk to HR and get in to finish my paperwork, I'm a little nerved up. So you might ask me why I'm doing something potentially stupid like blowing off work tomorrow. Because the alternative is working until 3:20 and *then* being technically unemployed with no way to fix that until at least Monday. So if I follow the math here, there's only one decent option remaining. I ditch.

So let us celebrate this fine moment. I'm free! Free at last, free at last, thank god almighty I'M FREE AT LAST.

Ah, and the other thing. Jennifer, being somewhat angry about her dismissal, and being something of a spiteful girl, is talking to a lawyer. To be honest, that might not have crossed her mind if not for my mentioning to her that my dad thought that firing someone for the "hostile environment" reason sounds pretty bogus, and might be illegal. So I have some blame for this.

She has talked to a lawyer, who seems somewhat receptive. She's also left two or three messages on the voice mail of the president of our former company, and as of yet he has not responded. Today I had my final meeting with Chris, our Human Resources person, so that I could finish out my paperwork. Yesterday I had to see Chris so that I could pick up Jen's last paycheck, since she was told she couldn't come in and get it her own self, as if she's violent or something. She was, however, outside waiting in my car. There was an idea that I might be able to put across to Chris somehow that Jen was seeking legal recourse about her situation. While I've been hardcore and badass in my dealings with Sue and Bob the past few weeks, something about Chris (probably that she's pretty sweet and meek) throws me right off my game everytime I talk to her, so I never got an opening. I didn't get an opening today either.

My talk with Bob, however, was another story. After covering my Newport business with him, I got onto the subject of my leaving and how it wasn't because I hated the company or anything, and that I thought he'd always been fair with me and so forth. Then I stalled ... on purpose. I wasn't sure how I should play this one until I was in the middle of playing it. I told him that there was something else I thought I should mention, and it would bug me if I didn't, and that I was trying to be honorable about things. So I got back into the Jen vs. Sue situation, and my part in that, and I mentioned that Jen was upset and thought she got a raw deal, and I happen to agree with her. Bob said he couldn't discuss the particulars, and I said I understood that, however, she'd already told me the whole thing. And I mentioned that she was angry, talking to a lawyer, and I stressed that she was dead serious about it.

I have to say that Bob has a pretty good poker face, and I couldn't get a good read on his exact reaction. I do think he took what I said seriously, but he didn't give off that he was too concerned about it. Jen has a theory that maybe he's secretly interested in seeing something like that play out, as it could remove one of his biggest problems, but I dunno. He did say he appreciated me bringing this to his attention. See, the way I was playing it was a bit subtle -- that I was coming forward to him about this situation, that I was a little worried about, without her knowledge. I was spilling her beans, so to speak. Really, it's kind of the reverse of the "interview" stunt Jen and I pulled a few weeks ago. We're totally in cahoots on all this shit, but not everyone necessarily knows that.

I did add to Bob, however, that if the lawyer wants to ask me some questions I will talk to him, and I will tell the truth. I won't lie. Then again, I won't have to. The truth is plenty fucked up enough. Bob said he had no problem with that, not that he could stop me anyway, but it does support the idea that he's playing this pretty cool. Jen and I did a lot of speculation about that while comparing notes. Then she called the lawyer's office back and got some advice. While on the line she said that she wasn't looking to stir up a lot of trouble or anything, just that she felt she was treated unfairly.

Afterwords, I said, "Despite what you said to the lawyer there, I think you should raise hell. You should raise holy fucking hell."

She gave me the most evil-looking smile this side of a cheshire cat.

"Oh. I intend to."

There might be some ugliness afoot.