Carolyn

Remember how I posted a couple of posts ago about how Doran, the boss boss from Topeka who fired everyone I cared about at B&W, including my dear boss, was in town? Well guess what! Today, using the most lame, ridiculous and stupidest reasons I've ever heard, he fired me. Yup. Gone. Toast. Christmas week. That is it. 9.5 years with the company mean nothing to him--he wanted me out and he came up with the way. He didn't give a damn about my rock-solid history with the company (he has been with B&W since April). In fact he pretty much told me he didn't believe Chris ever evaluated me honestly. Too good to be true? Nope. I am that good. LOLOL. Word was flying around BNSF, all the people I helped hearing about it (and on the heels of Chris), already and Chris has heard from one who wants to talk to me. It is no secret (he tells me) that after all the work we did in our office was shipped up to Topeka that the quality plummeted. I believe it, as I had super-high standards and wasn't doing it anymore. Rawr. He hears complaints, which I knew, but yeah. Wow.

Soon as I got home I contacted BNSF corporate support, and there are two positions opening early January, both in contracts--lol where I hailed from. Same group. Steve, my former boss there, is happy for me to come back. Chris is there too, and all my old coworkers--I'm going to be welcomed back with open arms.

Insane, huh?

I have to say that though there is shock racing through my system, there are no regrets, there is mostly relief. I did nothing wrong, and I stand by that. I have watched that company go from incredible, awesome, caring and a really fantastic place to work, to a place that now has five people left, and Kevin was interviewing today--he called me on his way, having heard from Juan what happened. Juan too has been polishing his resume with the intent to start hunting after the first of a year.

It has been a fascinating experience, coming into a company--asked to come work there by Chris all those years ago--and doing fantastic work, learning so many new things, and watching it grow and change and catch the excitement of new technologies... And then to see it fall hard as all the best and brightest were systematically pushed out. Splat. And it isn't done yet, I am sure of it. Five people left, one actively looking--what ARE they doing? A year ago we had 14 people there. Now five.

So, here I am! Sitting in my daughter's Starbucks while she works and plies me with coffee. Looks like a couple of weeks off unexpectedly, but with a position after the first of the year. Thank you, Steve! Looking forward to working with that crew again, AND Chris again. :) I'll be cleaning the house and putting the tree up tomorrow with the kids, and we're planning on Tron for Christmas Day and dinner at my friend Leigh Ann's house. It's going to be a good, if very simple Christmas. Next week my sister Leslie and her daughter Lexie are coming, so that will be fun. And then hopefully the following week I can get back to BNSF.

In the meantime, I've got a lot of rewriting to get done, a book to polish, and another to finish. Will try to make the most of these two unexpected weeks off, and make 2011 a different, but awesome year. :)

Nick just did a post in his lj about himself, which has inspired me not to do the same but just to plunk down what's been going on in my world as I rarely post things of substance.

NANO:
I made such great progress last week, almost 9k words (for me in a week that is fantastic), which brings my total for ballet boy to just under 59k. I *should* be able to turn it in first part of December. ZOMG YES! Yes, I am behind on the word count for Nano, but I'm not entirely doing it correctly anyway, completing an already-started manuscript as I am. Whatever. I'll get my 50k in by the end, and am happy about that, it'll just involve ending one ms and starting the next one which ultimately will end up with Loose-Id too, I hope. I am planning on it anyway.

2011 ORIG FICTION PLANS:
For other original fiction geared toward the fantasy market, I've settled on that too, and have been covertly working on it behind-the-scenes...primarily the planning stages. Right now, my #1 priority is finishing this ms, and the end is finally in sight, I'm making exciting progress and am extraordarily excited about that.

MAH LOCAL PEEPS OF AWESOME:
I have to say, a huge reason I am so much happier writing these days is, hands down, because of my friends here where I live. I've got a fantastic writing group now--Cid, Linda, Alice and Suz--they keep me sane and going ever-forward. It is awesome to have people around here who are fun and inspiring and enthusiastic and want me to adopt them. LOL! We have fun, and I'm learning so much from them too. Never thought I'd find peoples like that here. I'd given up. There are other good kids too, though these four are my core peeps.

I am much happier these days, I think, with writing and the writing world back as my priority in life again. Nick's writing again like a maniac too, and a couple who writes together... LOL! Seriously. I love love LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE him. And his writing. Oh yeah.

MERLIN:
So! Nick's also dragged me into the Merlin fandom, though as with Torchwood, I'm just hanging onto his coattails, on the edge. I like the edge. I've always preferred it there, under the radar. Merlin, Merlin...the fandom is so very very different from Torchwood. Lots of good people, but as with any fandom, there are Issues. Mostly, I just ignore them, watch the show and enjoy each episode as it comes without any expectations other than having fun, and read some of the fic. There are some good writers in the fandom, without doubt, and I love that there's alot of RPS as I enjoy Bradley James and Colin Morgan and their dynamics. The guys are great friends, are so different yet get along and are fun to watch.

TORCHWOOD:
I have to admit, except for Mander's TW 4.0, which is incredible and why aren't you reading it? GO HERE NOW: http://amand-r.livejournal.com/493428.html) I am not reading much TW. Those who know me know I love the show, am excited about the new Torchwood, that yes, while RTD is a prat in many ways, there is a hell of a lot I admire about what he's accomplished (especially after reading A Writer's Tale). So, I stay away from all discussion, wank and growls for a reason, as everyone does have the right to an opinion and I just prefer not to get involved with the hashing of opinions. For me though, it will be intriguing and hopefully fun to see how the fandom takes shape after, or should I say After. It'll be like Old Who/New Who! Old TW/New TW!

Other things...

PROGRESS ON STRETCH AND DANG THAT SCANNED NICELY:
I love Teresa Wentzler patterns. It is going slooowwww though because it is lots of thread-changes, each which involves pairing two different colors, there are tons of half-stitches, and it is maddening at times and oh the back is messy. But I love the progress! Returning to cross-stitch has helped me in so many ways. I think, no, I know, that side of my brain was STARVING. It is much happier now.

SUPERNATURAL:
I am about to watch episode 5.16. I am slowing down though, not wanting the ride to end just yet. Dean, oh Dean, you have infiltrated my dreams, and my fic! Yes, my character Lee has, without doubt, come to life for me because of Dean Winchester. I could never truly fall for Lee like I had Gev, and the solution came to me in the form of this glorious man:



I mean, c'mon, look at that. GORGEOUS and that is not even a picture with his eyes of awesome focusing on you. LOL. And yes, I know, I know...I succumbed right along with Nick, which makes blue_fjords happy. And yes that picture came from her. And actually? I think I can count on one hand the times I've posted a fan pic. Whatever. I'm glad to be watching this series, as I've enjoyed the fire out of it, and it has made my work go by so much faster. Yeah, I can watch shows at work. I know, right? Crazy.

What I 'can't' do, and shouldn't, is play on livejournal...

Um.

This is getting long. See? I don't write a post for ages, then blurt everything out at once. Sorry. This is why no one reads my long posts!