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Some random descriptions of my life right now:

My new responsibilities at work are both consuming and confusing. I've been left pretty much on my own to figure everything out, which is both a blessing and a curse.

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Mom's having some pretty serious problems with her eyes. One eye is much worse than the other. She had some laser surgery last week as a very important first step. Unfortunately, it didn't do the trick. Her doctor recommended an off-label use of a medication, and she's trying it. Again, this is just the first step. Once this problem is addressed, there will be further treatments and surgery. It's tough for her, but she's bearing up with grace.

Without going into too much detail, this is a problem that has been evolving for some time. Mom's ophthalmologist wanted to do a procedure a few years back, but she couldn't bring herself to go through with it. She is courageous and she doesn't give up easily, but the literature they gave her to read about the procedure scared her. I would have been scared by it, too. I'm tough, and I read a lot of medical reports, etc., in my line of work. This literature really was scary.

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My husband is going through hell at work right now. His boss is verbally abusive to her employees. People have taken demotions and retired early just to get away from her. She laughs openly about this, and takes great pride in it. She has made twisted, sarcastic comments in the office about workers who have died. She yells at people and berates them. She gives vague, confusing, and inaccurate directions to employees, then calls them incompetent when they carry out her instructions.

I am so sad for my husband. He's a good man and an excellent employee. He doesn't deserve this mistreatment. No one should have to work in this kind of an environment.

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Went to a big meeting last week about major changes in the works at The Office. The story line goes something like this: budget crunch...overburdened staff...can't afford more boots on the ground (line staff)... have to reorganize completely to make things work. Is this starting to look like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic to you? Read on.

The new and improved system looks a whole lot like the system that was in place when I was hired, oh so long ago. About ten years ago, they overhauled the system to create the current one, and the reasons looked something like this: budget crunch...overburdened staff...can't afford more boots on the ground... have to reorganize completely to make things work.

And now, for the coup de grace: they will be hiring more management staff to make it all work. That's right, they can't afford more line staff, the people who actually deliver services, but they can hire more managers 6 PAY RANGES UP from line staff! As usual, line staff, if asked, could have suggested a few simple changes that had a good shot at making the current system work without all of this upheaval. And with far less cost. But, surprise, surprise, they never asked us.
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So that's it in a nutshell: Merci's life circa January 2006. Bit of a rough patch right now, but we'll get through it. Dinner with friends this weekend should provide some distraction.

And Colin Firth is on The Tonight Show right now, so life is looking up!