Nothing serious, just not much exciting happening, and not much on the horizon to look forward to. (You know, like a vacation or something). Mojo continues to make me very nervous when he's outside here at home and only when his cute lil' self slips inside through the pet door do I sense my body relaxing. (I do stick the slider in that door once it gets dark, which means jumping up constantly throughout the evening to let the dogs out -- to bark at whatever. Leaves blowing in the breeze?) I just can't sleep if Mojo has overnight access to outside. Besides, nothing good happens after midnight, right?
It's like having a teenage son all over again.
I have also had my nose in a good book these past few days. Sue Grafton's "S is for Silence," one of those Kinsey Millhone private detective stories. It was good! And now I'm feeling rather panicked because I don't have a stack of books to draw from right now. I've been perusing Amazon, but I just haven't seen anything that grabs me. Plus, I've read some pretty lame books lately and I'm tired of being mislead into buying ones that don't live up to their promises. (Richard Russo is coming out with a new one soon! It's on pre-order).
Our company is employee-owned (which really means nothing until you've worked there for seven years or more, at which time you then get to participate in the profit sharing plan, and even though it's better than nothing, you'd best also have your unmatched 401(k) in place if you want to retire). The other aspect of employee-ownership is that it's a very participatory culture. Committees for this and for that (on volunteered time, of course); we are informed constantly about the financial details; we are included in some of the decision-making, but not all. It's still not that different from other corporations with the hierarchy of management and secrecy and idiotic processes and idiotic decisions. And from past experience, I've seen "employee-owners" (or "employees" elsewhere) suddenly be perceived as "not a good fit" for the company once that seven-year or vested anniversary approaches. Up through six years they fit just fine, but hmm. Bub-bye any profit sharing, hello new replacement who has to put in that long and iffy seven years of servitude before seeing any benefit, maybe. That profit sharing/employee-ownership is touted as SUCH the end-all during the recruitment process. And, of course, the billable employee-owners have the most clout.
Gee, ya think I'm a bit cynical?
Well, October is "Employee-Owner" month, with all kinds of activities happening, like the company breakfast, nominations for Employee-Owner of the Year, and then the huge company party (where they announce the winner). The party is going to be at the Experience Music Project again this year, but I don't think JDub and I are going to attend. It was there last year and it really was awesome. But...been there, did that.
So several people from our office have been nominated, first for Office Employee of the Year (we have 11 offices), of which the overall winner will be drawn from. I got wind today of who some of those nominees are, and it just made me ill. Mostly the kiss-ups, the brown-nosers, and the people who are especially nasty toward marketing staff when we desperately need their input during a critical proposal deadline. WTF? Why is it that these types of people typically get the recognition? There was a scant handful of folks I felt were deserving and I sure hope one of them gets the honor.
And get this: The primo asshole of all was nominated by a clueless (or ass-kissing) engineer who is a total technophobe and he insisted that my boss write up the nomination description for him to glorify this guy -- and this nominee is an in-office tobacco-chewing/spitting pitbull take-the-easy-way-out marketing-hater PRICK, who if he had a brain would take it out and throw it at somebody [probably one of us] in a hissy-snit. I can't believe my boss agreed to do it. None of us can stand the guy. I absolutely would have refused. (Which would have resulted in "bub-bye any chance of profit sharing!" And "you're no longer a good fit for the company.")
Oh well. I still would have refused.
Hardly stuck our noses outside all weekend long. I'm already aching for comfortable nights on the deck before a fire. There might yet be another opportunity, but if Fall continues the way it's begun, it's going to be a long haul. Mojo has really only known summer! He was not a happy camper for much of the weekend and I swear he'd give us the stink eye when he'd step out on the wet deck and have to shake his paws then dive back inside to seek dryness. Like this was all our fault! (Cats are so funny). He'd actually sort of "punish" us by being naughty, like leaping into the midst of JDub's 2,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. (Ooh, if looks could kill as JDub would have to pick up all the dislodged pieces scattered all over the floor...) 
