Hey, I'm Still Here!

I noticed that some folks have added me to their blogrolls, even though I have been extremely neglectful with the posts. I'm afraid I've been very busy (both with work and at home), and not feeling particularly motivated to type.

I am humbled by, and grateful to those who linked ptooeyhesaid from their little pieces of the intarwebs, and I have done some cleanup on my own links over their to the right and down a bit. No, just over there....Just look to the right...yeah, now down a bit. That's the stuff! You'll find a couple of additions (cool folks and far more talented writers than yours truly). If you haven't already, please go check 'em out.

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I had a strange experience yesterday, and I'm not quite sure what to think of it. I've been with my current company for nearly 5 years, and it's been by far the best job I've ever had. I love the fact that I'm paid to use my brain, and it always seems new and refreshing. I had been told as far back as 2 years ago that I was being paid a substantial bit less than others in the company performing the same duties. There was some talk of giving me a salary boost, but nothing ever came of it.

I never made an issue of it, because while I'm certainly not getting rich doing this, there's food on the table and a roof overhead. Plus, like I said, I enjoy the work. I got a new boss back in August (my fifth in less than 5 years - go, corporate America, go!), and he has been substantially more "hands on" then the other four. I like him a great deal, he seems very genuine and not a blowhard corporate ladder-climber like many of the others. He has also pushed very hard to see that I get the salary adjustment that had been discussed. He has, apparently been successful in doing so, but I haven't yet gotten official notification or any of the numbers yet.

Yesterday, his operational counterpart was visiting my workplace and stopped in my office to let me know of the probable upcoming raise. I should have been ecstatic, but he had the usual (and expected) list of wants/demands that are dangled in front of any employee in that situation. As he rattled off all the things that he'd "like to see", I found myself thinking of finding other work for the first time since I've been here. There was no rational explanation for it, his wishlist was perfectly reasonable. But, I think that after having so many people breeze through here with differing expectations and outlooks, I've gotten tired of having to justify myself and my work. I've always been praised as a solid worker, and our location is consistently listed as an example of how to run our type of business. But it's never enough. I have to explain why I don't want to advance or relocate and why I "choose family life" over work.

Much of the issue, I'm sure, is that I had not slept well the night before and wasn't feeling particularly well, to boot. I hope that today proves better for my attitude, because I would genuinely like to be happy about this.

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I hope that anyone still checking on this blog has a very happy Thanksgiving. I'll try to stop in here with updates when I'm able!