Today's rambling: Slaveway must die.
Written on Sunday, Feb. 09, 2003 at 12:18 a.m.
while feeling a bit

The Patriot is a sad, sad movie. Even though it has a happy-ish sort of ending, it's really more bittersweet than happy. It played on TV tonight, and this was the first time I'd really watched it without Lauren, Kevin, or Amanda around. Therefore, I wasn't forced to listen to Lauren coo about Jason Isaacs the entire time, and could instead focus on the storyline. The story itself, to me, is really good. It's made me want to go visit Valley Forge, lol! But it's also really sad. War itself is really sad, but in most cases it's one of those things where you know people are dying, but you don't really think about it personally. With movies like this, you get to know the characters and sort of feel for them...so when one of 'em dies, it does feel kind of personal. At any rate, I probably shouldn't have watched that when I was already feeling so blah, lol!

I can't believe it's already a few minutes after 10 o'clock. I've been sitting in this room all day...Amanda didn't call me at all, which has me more than a little curious. Did she see the Away message I'd had up earlier this afternoon and wisely decide that I wasn't in any mood to go exercising, or did I somehow do something to get them all irritated at me? It's odd that none of them even called to ask about dinner...I won't let myself get all worked up about it, though. I didn't do anything, so they can't be angry at me! Right? :P

I hate it when girls bring their guy friends over, hehe...I know that sounds stupid, but it feels weird having them in here. Actually, I don't usually mind it all that much unless I'm coming out of (or going into) the shower. Then it's a little odd. I've only had Kevin here a couple of times, since the main hangout spot is Lauren and Amanda's room. Who got to decide that their room would be where we all go, anyway? Hehe...Ah well, I can't say that my room is all that cozy or anything. We don't have carpet on the floor, it's rather messy in here...Just wait 'til next year! Kristen and I agreed to buy carpet, and I'm going to try bribing her dad into building me a loft bed, too. *chuckles* Then, our entire room would be living space! True, it would be a big pain to be up that high, but I guess a small sacrifice like that would be worth having more space in here!

Oy. I just climbed up there to see if I could sit up straight on hers...Just a few inches lower, and I'd be able to sit perfectly straight. It also needs to be closer to the wall, hehe...And it's almost scary climbing down! Then again, I have a slight fear of heights. Not a huge one, but enough that doing things like climbing off of high beds is a little odd! But, like I said, it would be a worthwhile sacrifice, especially as next year I won't be able to keep my desk against the foot of the bed as I have it now. We're getting desks with shelves on them next year, woot! The crap part to all of this is that our dressers are only going to consist of three drawers. I'll have to see how much I can fit in there, and if it's not enough then I'll just have to buy a cheap dresser at WalMart and let Kristen have the three drawers. :P Or let HER buy the dresser, ha ha! ;) Just kidding.

Amber was making me feel really guilty tonight for having told Mel that I couldn't work on Mondays and Wednesdays! She said she didn't mean to, but still...I can't help thinking that she was sort of scolding me. She kept saying stuff about how she wished we could find people to do those two days and how we were confusing our listeners, and when I said she was making me feel bad she apologized and said she wasn't trying to. Then she said it was just that we'd had such a mixed up schedule last semester, she was glad that this semester would finally be consistent. : Well, sorry, but my classes are a little more important that a radio show that a)People don't even listen to, and b)I'm not getting paid to do! It might be a little different if I had listeners, but if I do none of them are the kind to call in. I've gotten a total of two calls this entire time, and they were from Pam and Kristen!

I shouldn't let myself feel guilty, though. I mean, like I just said: my classes are more important! Grr...these things always have to happen to me, don't they? Just because I have an overactive conscience and feel guilty too easily!

Hmm...Frank just told me that new hires to Slaveway (well, our little chunk of it) are starting at $6.25 an hour, they're not getting paid extra for Sundays or holidays, and their benefits won't start for two years. Umm...? If he's right--and he is well known to exaggerate, but let's pretend he's right--that's just STUPID.

OY! I just found out that what Frank told me was true! Yes, I'm writing this entry after taking long pauses in between sections, hehe...Anyway, Mom had told me earlier today that Slaveway was sending out letters to employees who'd been with the company for 10+ years. Apparently, they were offering to pay those folks to leave, because they're earning top wages. I called Geoff tonight at work, and found out that yes, that IS what they're doing! Well, they're calling folks in to meetings, but one of the night crew leaders (who's on the list) said that's what is going to happen. Geoff is one of the folks on the list as well, and I honestly think he's a little scared at the prospect.

But then, who can blame him? He's been working for this company (first in one of their warehouses, and then later in the stores) since around 1989 or so! That's quite a lot of time invested in a company, obviously, and he even said himself that he's never actually had a real job other than this one. I asked him what he'd do if they ARE going to try paying him off, and he said that depending on the money, he's going to take it. But then he said he just didn't know what he was going to do, and...I don't know. It's not that there were any quavers or anything in his voice, but I could just tell that underneath it all there was a little nervousness, if not even a little fear. And I felt so bad for him. Maybe it'll be good for him, though. He's gotten to the point where he's comfortable in this place of life, no matter how much he dislikes it, and doesn't even want to try for anything better. Maybe if this all happens and he's forced out, he'll be able to try for something better.

Then again, I've been told before that I'm an idealist...

This article might explain why Slaveway is doing what they're doing. Gah, I hate them even more now than I did before. They definitely do NOT know how to treat people. And yes, this is "corporate America at its best," as Geoff pointed out, but my brain just cannot wrap around the idea of treating people in this fashion! I'd rather work at some little corner store, earning less, but being comfortable and treated well. Too bad we couldn't get a moral economy back...

Right at the end of the conversation, I said, "You have to call me after you have your meeting and let me know what happens!"

"I will," he promised. At that I laughed and teased him, saying something like, "You're over there thinking, 'Hell no!'" but he replied, "No, I will--I definitely will." ^_^ After that, I told him to take care, he returned the sentiment, and that was that.

Anyway, that's about all. Oh wait, on the heels of that moral rant, how about a little superficiality? *grins* When I called the store tonight, some woman named Caroline answered. Oh dear, I just realized the significance of that name, but I'll come back to that. She sounded kind of startled when I asked for Geoff, put me on hold, then came back and said she'd try transferring me to his phone instead. When I asked Geoff (toward the end of our brief conversation) who she was, he said that she worked at night or whatever, and then said something about her being cool..or maybe he just said she was nice. I don't remember. What I do remember was that he said she was this cute, perky woman who was the same age as him, relatively. Cue Berry Jealousy. I shouldn't let myself become jealous so easily, but I can't help it! He's not allowed to talk about any other women unless it's his mother. Ha ha ha...Not that I'd ever SAY "Don't talk about other women around me!" because not only would he get on my case (as in, berating me) but I would feel pretty stupid too. :P

As for the 'significance' of said name...'Way back when I was a slave for SuperFresh, and had that huge crush on Matt, there was this girl named Caroline who was a huge flirt. She was athletic, blonde, cute and perky...all those things that guys seem to go for. And she flirted shamelessly with Matt. It actually went beyond simple jealousy and turned pathetic after awhile, because while Matt would order all the rest of us to work, he just let Caroline stand around and chat with him. I finally ended up disliking him for awhile because of it, hehe! But yeah, the name Caroline has just been sort of disliked by me since then. X_X

And so now I'm really going to leave. Go read this if you need something else to do. That link, by the by, was given to me by the Lovely Lola, who found it thru her friend Mary. ;) It's got a bit of a premature ending, but the first few chapters are pretty amusing, hehe!