Friday MEaNderings

It's Friday and my second day off in a row without having to be out of town or doing something work related...feels quite strange, but in a great way!  Yesterday I did all my baking and cleaning and so today is just going to be running the trail, lots of dog time, and a dinner party at a friends house.  My kind of day!  Of course I work the entire weekend, but at least I had what felt like a weekend.  And I can't complain because once Sunday night rolls in, I'm off for 9 days!...7 of which will be spent in sunny San Diego with Mr.  Can Not Wait!!

Of course as any true pet parent can attest...I am feeling the anxiety already of leaving my boys for that long. While I know the friends I have watching them love and care for them...I just worry that they'll feel abandoned or something will happen while I'm away.  But that's just me and my neurotic self...plus my dogs are the best...and I'll miss them probably more than they'll miss me.

This has been a bit of a wacky period between stressful work weeks for both Mr. and myself...and some weird family health stuff going on with some of my family members back home.  It seems that all is winding down though, so hopefully once we get outta dodge we can just "peace out" and have an amazing adventure.  Then when I get back from that awesomeness I will go full on into mission "Find a new job before this one kills me".  I am the kind of person that picks a career/job and sticks with it...digs in and makes it my own and creates a family of coworkers that make it awesome.  Unfortunately, in my current location my position is set for failure with the current line-up of support roles and team members and there seems to be a black cloud over the entire place.  There is a reason my role has had 5 people in it in the last 2 years...which of course no one told me until they shoved me in and fed me to the wolves.  This location was not on the short list when I was hired and I do at times let my mind wonder to consider where my head would be if I had been at one of the three places I was hired for...whether I would be digging in and having a blast like I did in my training location. Or if I needed this challenge to spur me on to something I really am meant to be doing.

One will never know...but I just have to take what I can and push forward.  I do know that at the current pace I will not survive the fall...let alone holiday.  I was pretty clear in my interviews and conversations with the upper ups that I wasn't seeking a position that would have a negative impact on my personal life and my ability to live outside of work...and that's just where we landed.  Between the erratic and exhausting schedule...to the constantly understaffed support network...it's just a never ending shit fest.  While I know that I use every minute of my day and I always leave with things better than I found them...I am tired of never feeling like we're moving forward and not constantly doing things over...and over...and over.  There has never been a period where things have set and moved forward and I'm beginning to realize that I think that is just how this location is with the volume and level set for it.  I here my peers in other locations talking about their routines and days they have set aside for planning and preparations...which is a joke in my location because if I'm not on the floor making shit happen...I'm already behind.  Planning happens at home for me...in the car...on my lunch.  And guess who's over it.  This gay...i mean guy.

Ok...enough bitching.  I am going to sit back, watch a little netflix with my dogs...go for a run...lay out...and relax the fuck out.  Here's to a beautiful weekend for everyone...and if you're hiring...I'll take it.

Cheers - Rin

            

I'm Back & TGIF

So, I have been on the quiet side since my vacay ended on Wednesday.  I had an amazing time.  We just enjoyed each others company and loved time out of town.  The beach was quiet and gorgeous, and just cool enough to wear a hoodie and walk the sand looking for shells with a coffee...I love that! Falling in love more every day.  Luckily, so is he...so we're all good in the hood on that front!  We shared more childhood stories, grandparent stories, and barely stopped laughing the entire time.  So, it was a winning time off and it definitely will be the first of many trips down to my parents beach house.  While it was a surprise right up until the day of, when his brother asked me a bit too loudly from across the room whether the house was right on the beach or not...blurgh!  He was still excited.  

My return to work was not so joyful on the other hand.  I'm trying not to let it weigh me down a second day in a row, but it is taking some bounce out of my step.  The douchebag owner apparently negated the other owners commitment to include me in the teams bonus program, despite the fact that my job is completely focused on increasing business and facilitating the teams ability to do their jobs and ultimately bonus.  I could essentially blow their ability to bonus by not scheduling them effectively, not sending them home early on slow days, managing inventory poorly, not following up on customer needs, etc.  So, that was a blow considering it was a written offer with my last review and raise.  All I get are excuses based on previous and upcoming scheduled court dates revolving around the continued battle over the business.  Leaving me stuck in the mud right in the middle of the shit swamp.  I basically let my good boss know that in an effort to maintain my sanity and not bank my future on empty commitments that are never kept, I was actively seeking other employment opportunities...and while I hoped I could outlast the trial and see the day that douchebag actually no longer has any involvement, I couldn't rest my future on the hope that it will actually ever happen.

So, I came home, and blew up the web with my resume.  I'm just drained emotionally from the entire ordeal.  I'm fairly certain not many people, if anyone, have had to sit on a court witness stand and testify against a former employer, and then have that employer back at the office the next day and working as if nothing happened for 3 months while the courts decided which boss should get the business and how to divide it.  I've just kept working my best to build and grow the business, and in the last quarter we blew plan away by almost 25% above plan.  So the last thing I needed to return to after all that's gone on is finding out that no one is batting for me, no one pushed to ensure that i didn't get screwed out of a bonus program that was in writing and very clear cut in how it should be calculated based on our % above plan.

  So, I'm done batting essentially.  I'm doing my job, but not burning myself out. Finished early, so i left early today. If I move on to something bigger and better before resolution happens, then that's what's meant to be.  If i do my job while I'm there, and leave it at the door when it's time to go, and have the joy of seeing douchebag empty out his desk and walk away, then great.  Either way I have to trust that I will end up where I'm supposed to end up.  I just cant go to sleep thinking that I have no pies in the fire so to speak out in the job world.  So, Mr. came over after my shitastic day yesterday, and all the bs just rolled right off my back the minute he walked in the door.  Having his support through all this has been so beneficial.  I love his take on things and his ability to refocus me on what's important.  I trust that we'll both find positions or create them where we can focus on building more time together and making way for even bigger and better vacations.  

So, that's where I am now.  Walked my boys in the crisp air, unwinding from today, and on my way out to meet Mr. for dinner.  I hope everyone's weeks were as amazing as my vacay, and not nearly as shitty as my Thursday. Peace etc. - Rin

Thursday Teasers

These guys know how to play the tease card...really well I might add.  It's like a bird feeder out in the winter, with no bird food in it.  It's the same way I feel about Thursdays...you so want it to be Friday, but at the end of the day you just have to face the facts that it's not.  This means tomorrow's post is gonna have to have some hotness fo sho!  Which one do you wanna see peel it off the most?  Do share, I'm super curious.  

nuhmahstee biatches - Rin

Teaser 1

Teaser 2

Teaser 3

Teaser 4

Teaser 5

Teaser 6

Teaser 7

Teaser 8

TGIF

Had a beautiful cool morning walk with my dogs this morning as the sun rose.  Best part...I had my flip flops on. I'm a guy who really can't stand wearing shoes.  Not sure if it's from living in Southern California for so long or if it's just me, but living in the north east has made it difficult spending as much time in my flip flops as I'd like.  So now that spring is around and it's warming up, my feet are happy.

I'm headed into work early today so that I can get back home and spend time with my boys before Happy Hour.  :-)  It's definitely a needed addition to the weeks plans.  It's been a great week, but busy and I need some time in a sea of men.  Hoping to meet up with some new friends there tonight and as always meet some more.  Two weeks from now I'll be picking up my keys to the new condo and spending one last restless night in my house with the ex.  Another reason I have to celebrate tonight:  I scored movers!  Considering I'm on the 3rd floor with no elevator, I'm very happy to have two (hopefully hot) guys getting me set up so I can use my time and energy to unpack and have myself somewhat put together before the start of May.

Here's to a great day for everyone!  And a little rainbow of beautiful bois to get you started...

MANdatory Monday