TheGirl left me to my own devices this weekend because she has this tendency to runaway when there's a holiday that hits a sore spot. Like Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this time Mother's day. I resolved to not beat her up about it, and just let her go away like she wants and figure things out. What I don't like is her lack of communication. I sent her a txt last night saying good night, and she didn't respond until this morning at 10am. I don't want to think ill of her, but when she goes away it makes me think that I'm not important in her life. Worse yet, that she�s thinking of dumping me again. I know she loves me, but it still stinks to not have her respond, because my mind goes off and thinks bad thoughts.In lieu of spending the weekend with TheGirl I went to watch �The Avengers� with my homeless buddy from the Glendale library. I like spending time with him, because I like that I can being a little bit of happiness in his life. It must be hard for him to hear about current movies and want to see them, but not be able to do so. Also, I mentioned going to see the movie to TheGirl, but she dismissed it because she didn�t want to see it. So my buddy and I made a day of it. I took him to the movies, then he and I went to get some flowers for TheGirl downtown, and finally we ate a burger in Pasadena. If not for having to pick up my aunt from work as promised I would have hung out some more. Tomorrow TheGirl comes back and I'm taking her to dinner. I bought her flowers, and I hope to be intimate with her.
Meanwhile at work, all I heard Thursday and Friday at the library is whispers pertaining to the bad budget news. The city is in the hole, and is going to have to make deep cuts to the budget. TheGirl was told the other day that come July 1st she is being laid off. It basically means she no longer has a job at the library, because the money for her job comes from the state. The state no longer funds her job, and with the cuts it means her job isn't going to be funded by the city either. She has a job lined up, but it's not certain. So she's in a terrible limbo of not knowing what to do. But I started this by mentioning whispers, and the whispers are everyone talking about the cuts. This looks like it's going to be a bloodbath. They are asking employees who qualify to retire early. If 150 employees in the city retire it mitigates the cuts. But any smaller portion of that number and the cuts will have to be made accordingly. A couple of the people in the library that are eligible for retirement have already told me or TheGirl that they are not going to retire. I think it�s foolish not to since the city is a sinking ship. Best get what you can before the whole thing sinks.
I know that my job isn�t completely safe either. I might loose some hours, or I might be let go entirely. I think the fact that I�m the Thursday driver secures that day for me. Friday I�m one of two pages that work that day, and we�re shorthanded at circulation. Which means my supervisor can plug me into any position and not have to rely on a full time employee. But I think my Tuesday nights are done. They need me on that night, so that might be my saving grace, but if they have to cut hours I�m sure that will be the day I get slashed.
I�m going to start looking for other part time work around my house. Anything close by that has a help wanted sign is going to get my attention. Because being close to home will save me on gasoline. I figure if things get really bad I can always return to my old Ralph�s job. It�s easy, and I can work as many hours as I want, because they are pretty flexible.
The real axe won�t fall until sometime in June, when the people who are eligible for retirement will have to make their decision. That will tell how deep the cuts will have to be. But the sad thing is some departments in the library have already been told that they don�t have a job come July. Like TheGirl, but also technical services, where the part time people have already been told they are being fired. The library is going to contract their jobs out. Done... just like that. It�s really going to be a bloodbath when it�s all over. Meanwhile, as I told a couple of people, you watch. After the bloodbath, and the part time workers are out on the street the executives that dropped the axe are going to be raises. Fuck!
End Communication.
