Saturday, April 29, 2006

Ok THIS is the last B&N post

Just to update everyone on what's happened... I've been reinstated, "allowed" to return to work he said. There wasn't an apology, they still feel like it was all my fault what happened.....However, I'm getting back pay for the days I was scheduled to work, plus the hours I was scheduled to work this past week, plus the hours I spent in this last meeting...AND more hours!!!

"MORE HOURS!?!" I hear you say.

Yes, I am finally getting more hours like I requested almost THREE months ago.


Does it seem to you all like they are back peddling? Seems like it to us too.
I told them through the whole meeting that I was fed up and didn't want to work there anymore. Multiple times. Yet at the end of the meeting I was told I'd be "put on the schedule for next week."

We figure now, it's better this way. I'll leave when I'M good and ready to leave, NOT when they want me to leave. HA!

I will be very careful to not give them another excuse to write me up or put me on suspension. But, on Monday I'm going to go to the EEOC and let them know what's going on, in case they do try something like this again. Also to start a record of this for future mom's to be who work at the store.

Travis and I are very happy with the way things have worked out though. He says he's very proud of the way I've handled it, by sticking to my guns and not being run off like all the other people before....Not that they didn't have a right to just leave with all the crap they went through.

I feel proud of myself too, but it makes me love him even more when he says that too me :)

My husband's the best!!

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Congratulations Kevin and Lisa!!!

They found out today their new baby will be a girl!!!! Lil Trav is going to make an excellent big brother!! Can't wait to meet you, little Selena Karen Riedl...not sure if that's how they are going to spell it :)

Monday, April 24, 2006

Its the principle!

Ok short post I just have to mention my annoyance. I have been taking prenatal vitamins since May last year. The are in blister packs and the packs are all perforated in a grid.

The perforations don't always do all the way through so you have to fight to get them separated from each other...Travis saw me fighting with it one night and told me to "just cut it."

Now really if something is perforated, it's done so you don't HAVE to cut it right???

I finally got my pill and did it with out cutting. It's the principle of it all. GOSH!

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Six things about me and THE last B&N post

1. I'm pregnant
2. I'm tired
3. Having just eaten, I'm no longer hungry
4.I've been put on unpaid suspension for a bogus charge from a job I'm about to leave in a month and half and think it's mean spirited and unfair.
5. I'm pretty much over that ^ now.
6.I'm the luckiest girl in the world because I've got a great husband, a son on the way...And the best most loving family in the world!!

Yea folks, that's some s*** isn't it? I've worked at Blow Hard & Numb nuts Brookstellers for almost five years, never had a problem with management till the new management moved in. Didn't have a big problem with them till I got pregnant. All of a sudden I've turned into a bad employee breaking store policy. Except when I got my employee review I got a "meets expectations" rating and a 50 cent raise.......

Last time I went into work, this past tuesday, I was brought into the office with my Cafe manager and the Store manager and the District manager was then called on speaker phone. He was driving and his dog was barking when he answered the phone. He told me he was on vacation...... But found out just the day before that I hadn't clocked out or clocked in the previous week. This was my third break with store policy and what was my excuse for the break?

Not expecting this I wasn't sure how to answer (it's hard to remember things that happen a week ago when you are pregnant and you're lovely sister in law got married over the weekend) It slowly started coming back to me....

District manager says "I want you to be honest with me and tell me your story again" to which I reply with my recollection of what happened. He says to me "Now I need you to tell the truth and tell me again what happened." I'm getting annoyed at this point because 1. Perhaps he's not paying attention to me because he's driving, 2. He keeps telling me to "be honest" and "tell the truth", which I'm doing cause why would I lie about something like this.
and 3. I finally realize I'm being interrogated.

What was my crime exactly? Ok last Tuesday I was scheduled to work 9 to 1. I thought I wasn't scheduled to work till Wednesday, I was called and reminded when I was supposed to come in...But it was no rush they weren't busy and they needed to cut back hours anyway. I didn't rush but I didn't take my sweet time getting there either. I got there as soon as I could and ran up to let the person whom I was supposed to relieve go on her break (I forgot to clock in
The next day, Wednesday, I had asked off because I had a doctors appointment. I was scheduled to work anyway. I talked to my manager and let them know about the appointment and they said don't worry just come in at 9 and then leave to go to your appointment and come back to finish out your shift, they needed to cut back on hours anyway. I told them that the timing of my appointment might not make it possible for me to return to finish my shift and they said that was fine.

So when the time came I left for my appointment (I forgot to clock out again
I went to the breakroom when I got back and Travis was in there on his lunch break. I sat down next to him to tell him how the appointment went and he rubbed my belly. The manager came in and I told her then I forgot to clock out for my appointment, but as I got back only 30 minutes before I was to clock out again did she want me to finish out my shift or not and if she wanted me to finish did I need to clock back in or would that mess the time clock up the next day. She said don't worry about it, if you want to finish out your shift I think you are needed still. So I put my apron back on and went back up to work thinking all had been taken care of. Stayed actually 30 minutes past my scheduled time off and then rushed home as family was coming into town for the wedding and I needed to clean house. I forgot to clock out again.

Well that manager on duty doesn't remember that conversation. She never fixed the time clock. Not only that but she's the one who makes the schedules, and on the schedule for the day before I wasn't scheduled to work that day, it was on a different schedule that I was supposed to work, so you can see why I would think I wasn't supposed to......sounds like a really organized place to work doesn't it.

So back to the interogation, I'm "lying" about why I forgot to clock in the one day and for forgetting to clock out the next. I accept responsibility for forgetting to clock out but in the one case I did tell the manager on duty about the mistake, so that it could be rectified that same day.

Normally, when a time clock flub happens a flag goes up on the computer the next morning. The opening manager can then talk to the employee about the flub and get the problem taken care of. This wasn't the case with me that week, perhaps if they had talked to me about it then none of this would be happening. Who knows.

All I know is this seems mean spirited and pointless as Travis and I are going to be leaving this store and moving to Houston in about a month and a half. Travis will be transfering but I will not since I'll be staying home with Jack for a little while.

District manager ends the conference call by letting my know that I was now on unpaid suspension because this is the third violation in store policy. So I wouldn't be paid and I wouldn't be expected to come in to work. I might be reinstated if they found that I wasn't guilty of the violation, that he had just found out about this the day before and would be investigating (remember the guy is on vacation). He says "Again, just to be sure you know what this means, you are not going to be paid and you are not expected to come back to work till we call you."

I must be some sort of idiot right because he's now told me three times what "unpaid suspension" means.

I don't say anything at this point because, during this whole process I've been treated like a stupid liar. Like a bad employee. I'm neither of course as you all know. So I'm mad, crying mad. He says "Are you still there?"

I say through tears as I'm so mad "YES, Thank you for clearing up what unpaid suspension means, and have a great vacation" in a very sarcastic tone, and then made to leave the office. The store manager grabs me by the arm and tells me not to hurt myself, I throw her off and wrench open the door, she runs out after me and grabs me by the shoulders and says again "don't hurt yourself" again I throw her off. Then she grabs me again and holds me, and tells one of my coworkers who was in the breakroom to call Travis.

She's holding me rather tightly which might be good because I was crying so hard and I was starting to have a contraction. Travis came in and grabbed on to me too (refraining from pushing store manager off) and asked me what wrong.

Store manager tells Travis to take me home, don't clock out she says "just take her home" I stop crying at this point and look at her and say "NO" and she says to me "it's ok he can take you home." I'm pretty hysterical and coworker is asking me "whats wrong" very concerned, I tell her I can't tell you because I was told to keep the conversation "in this office."

heh guess this isn't the office, but screw it.

Travis got me out of the room and calmed me down a bit. I was finally able to tell him what had happened, he got pissed but refrained from going into the office and quitting (good thing cause we need insurance.)

Anyway, that's the newest bit of drama from my place of work....uh I mean former place of work. If they do reinstate me, which I'm quite sure they won't, I'll tell them they can shove it "I quit."

I was really upset about it yesterday but today I'm over it. Jerks. So sorry for the long post but it's my final rant about this. It's epic I know but it's over now....

Brian or Liz
Mike or Bev
Heidi (can you believe how horrible our store has gotten??)
Chloe
Robyn
and Doah because I don't know a whole bunch of people who have blogs either, so we can be warty together! :)

Y'all are it!

Monday, April 10, 2006

No pictures yet, sorry.

Things have been super busy here lately. Not really on my part, but Travis has been running around getting stuff done. Lots of homework and classes to attend as well as working full time hours at work. Leaves him little time to do much else.

When he's had free time he's just wanted to relax or work on getting things ready for Jack, like sanding and restaining a chest of drawers our friends Kevin and Lisa are giving us. It's super cool to have a piece of real furniture for Jack LOL Where to put it is another question though.

Travis and I have decided to move to Houston, in early July. This means discarding lots of junk we never needed in the first place but were to clingy to let go if last time we moved. JUNK in other words. So I'm trying to go thru things and donate what others can use and throw out what no one needs. Donna gave me a great idea bout just packing one box a day. Can't believe I never thought of it before but it's a brilliant idea!!!

I'll start tomorrow LOL

I want to have lots of stuff packed up and ready to move or donate before I get too big....Which isn't far of. According to my baby calendars, Jack is about to hit a huge growth spurt. So I don't feel overly large now, nor am I'm very uncomfortable (just when he kicks my ribs or stretches) but I guess I"m going to be soon. Also once Jack is here I don't know if I'll have tons of energy to do anything beside nurse him and sleep....Leaving Travis to do the rest of packing and getting things ready to move.

He doesn't mind that, he told me so the other day. But I already feel guilty when he does stuff around the house that have needed doing for a while. He's a great guy. But still as much as I can get done before all that, will be a help to Travis.

Anyway this up coming Wednesday I'll be 8 months pregnant!!! I can't believe it!!! I don't feel like I've been pregnant long enough to be 8 months along. It's crazy really. So since this Saturday Travis' lovely sister will be marrying our friend Matt Coleman I'm sure we'll have tons of pictures to post, a few a which I'm sure will contain some part of my belly.....It's getting so big it's kind of taking over.

Anyway, we'll get pictures up I promise.....They just will be a bit late for month 7.

Monday, April 03, 2006

What's the day What's the weight?

Ok folks it's time to set up the poll. I've gotten people telling me what day he's going to be born and what weight, and since I have a hard time remembering just about everything, I think a poll on the blog is in order.
I'm due June 8th. I'll be 31 weeks pregnant on Wednesday April 5th. I think Jack will be joining us in late May.....

So here's the first guess:

Name
Lyndsy Morgan
MomGentry
Travis
G'ma River
Chloe
Heidi

Date
June 1st, 2006
May 31st,2006
June 2nd,2006
June 6th,2006
June 3rd,2006
June 9th,2006

Weight
6lbs 3oz
7lbs 13oz
7lbs 3oz
7lbs 6oz
8lbs 2oz
7lbs 9oz

Time





I've gotten a few mean guesses too, from Travis and his sister Jessica.....
She thinks Jack will be born in mid June probably around the 11th and weigh 13 lbs.

Nice. Reeeeaaaalll nice.

Travis says he's gonna be born in august and weigh 14 pounds. He does say he just says that to tease...He'd better or this is the last one buddy!!

Ok so if you leave your guess in the comments I'll edit this post to add your guess!! HEE HEE

Guess I'll think of a prize to send the person who gets closest :)

Another year come and gone...

Today is our second anniversary. So far it's been a pretty good day. We slept in a bit then got up, I took a shower and got ready for my mommy to be massage which I thought was at ten.

Went across the street to the Spa, and was reminded that my appointment wasn't till 12.

That kind of cut out the rest of what we were going to do today, like going down to Forsyth Park to take our 7 month belly shots, and walking around for a little while before Travis had to go to class at 3.

Oh well, so we exchanged our cards (we didn't get each other gifts) and then just hung out for a bit talking about everything and nothing....Then we took a nap. The alarm went off with about 15 minutes to my massage appointment and we got up and got ready for that. Travis went downtown do run a few errands and I went to my appointment.


The massage was great!! Not as great as the one Chloe gave me last time I was up there (thanks for that Chloe, best massage I've ever had!!). The lady who worked on me lives in my complex and we had a nice talk about that.
Now I'm back, Travis is on his way home form his errands and we may eat something and go for a short walk. It's 130 now and he has to leave at 230 for class LOL......

Life it like that though. Soon we'll have little Jack to take up our days but it'll be great.

We may go out to dinner, it'll be late though around 9 ish....Maybe we'll go tomorrow cause we could go earlier.

All and all it's been a great day. I can't imagine what life would be like without my wonderful husband. Don't even want to try. He's the best thing in my life!!!

I LOVE YOU TRAVIS!! THANKS FOR BEING THE BEST HUSBAND EVER