Big post Saturdays

I‘m having a real struggle obtaining my vacation pay. This fiasco began because I have my vacation pay accrued. I take out 2 draws/year. 1 in the Spring and another this time of year. Makes for a nice Christmas. I called last week to have the reception hold a form for me on Gregg’s desk. It was in a large white envelope: “This for James;” I left it on the boss’s desk in the envelope over the last weekend because he was in Vegas. Thursday night imagine my surprise when I found no vacation pay on my cheque. Wtf? The boss said he never saw a form from me and I should get another form from Greg, re-submit it for him and try again for Friday morning (yesterday). It‘s still not to late. However Greg was away from the office last night. Shit. I thought I’d have to make a special trip in etc. I later saw Greg out the corner of my eye when he came in an hour before the shift was ready to close (Thursday night) He produced the envelope. I received $80 in bonuses based upon CC’s et. The boss thinking it was for me gave it to the management station on the same floor. I’ll provide a photo of this area for later. This was my mistake for not opening up the envelope for the boss’s attention.

Last night I’m feeling pretty good heading into the office. Partially overcast etc. Cold. No sooner do I get off the elevator Greg hands me this notice: It’s an email reply to the boss from head office saying there was an overpayment (of some kind) almost equaling the 2nd half of what my vacation pay was for. WTF? I was livid, crushed. The Grinch that stole Christmas you hear about had stabbed me in the back. I brought this letter to the boss’s attention while he was still in his office and he asked me if I’m coming to the Christmas party. What, after this? He wrote down a phone number I should call Monday, yeah right because head office (Calgary) conveniently left for the weekend. All kinds of things wee running through my head and I had a slow start to the shift based on that and felt terrible. I knew this would cause me some grief at home with Anne later as well. I was expecting this money to buy the 120 Gb Zune media player as a Christmas present for myself and to take Anne out for a nice Christmas dinner. So much for that. In early January Anne’s going to take out of her RRSP for my Lodge dues and my website. My vacation pay accrued allows me to buy one big ticket item/year. Now if I don’t get this thing fixed up, I’ll have to rethink this vacation pay strategy and maybe have it on my weekly pay cheque like most people do.
I wasn’t in a good mood, obviously, heading home. Even though the Oiler game was on I still felt let down. I didn’t even go buy a book at Audrey’s as I wanted to buy the “Night’s Dawn” trilogy, book #2. I came in shortly after 9pm last night, listened to the Oiler’s/Ducks game in progress. 2-1 Ducks but the Oiler’s scored their first in the game in the 3rd just as I was coming in the door. They tied the game up but lost in the shoot out. Good news for us Oiler fans is that the Flames lost, on their home ice yet.
After the game I watched a bit of Smackdown and Anne came in and I showed her the form and she was level headed to work it out with me what might have happened. Then the fighting dinner, some of Smackdown, more fighting. I went to bed then got up to do some computer stuff in the office. Anne came in with some chocolates for me (peace offering) We’re all right for now.

I’ve had a tough week, what with hearing all of this economic gloom and doom going around I had some potentially explosive stuff that could have occurred with another employee at work (shades of Lucian but with somebody else) The Oiler’s lost a game earlier this week, my vacation pay, plus some problems with my teeth. There hasn’t been a lot to get excited about. Anne gave me back $15 from the other day so I still had my original $80. In which case I’m going to go get the book and a bottle of Christmas wine for us for next week.

We’ve got a lot to be grateful about considering the trouble in the world and the economic meltdown. We’re not in a recession quite yet here in Edmonton but unless things change we could be in one by the Spring. Then again the economy could change on a dime. We had a recession in 2004 that completely escaped my radar. I never even knew we were in one at the time! That recession came and went and some are suggesting (here at least) its going to be like 2004.

The good news; the US has given the green light for another bail out package. This time it’s for the big 3 in the auto industry. We’re essentially doing the same thing here in Canada announced yesterday a multi billion dollar stimulus package that includes our own auto industry most of which is back East. Thing is, you can toss around Billions of dollars if the banks aren’t going to lend credit to customers no matter how good the car is, nobody will be able to get one. In Europe I’ve heard they have had (or have?) this 2 for 1 deal. Buy one vehicle get a 2nd one free. Good idea. The other thing is our auto industry is just a spin off of the US auto industry. We produce the overflow. Also, the auto industry needs to produce vehicles that people want to buy, Hybrid vehicles could become a lot cheaper for one thing. It’s not good news for the Alberta oil industry but there is the larger picture here. More about the economy here, the Feds are talking about reforming the UIC (Unemployment Insurance Commission) program again by bringing it back to the level of the early 1990’s. The Coalition is really squeezing the Tory minority here, which is good. Especially if Harper wants to keep his job. The recent EI (Employment Insurance) is no better then Union strike pay.

I’m really blessed in some ways because in my line of work, I am recession proof. Also because I’ve diversified some years ago I can always work in Security as a security guard, also recession proof. Plus my wife is working and we could qualify for a rental subsidy program in the new year and there are all kinds of things the Feds can do to strengthen and improve our economy, things look optimistic. Plus, I’m going to “fight for my vacation pay.” We think it’s a clerical error on their part. Plus the Oiler’s play on Monday, we get our cheques on Christmas eve, I get 2 days off and the Oiler’s play again on Boxing day.

As for me, today it’s into the office in about an hour. I’ll be out there in that -28C weather waiting for the #11 bus to creep over the Manning bridge. No Tim Horton’s for me this weekend and once I put my 4 hours in, it’s off to get my book and a bottle of wine and I’ll have a nap later. I feel pretty good about things around here after all.

Anyway Bloggers, that’s all for now

e. Jim