New Day - 8-30-09

Starting over with the hype on the job -- Sedgwick fell thru. Maybe the psyche test since I took it what, 5 days after being fired. I think my brain was probably toast. I did email Donna to ask her to critique my interview. Maybe that'll help next time around.

I'm half considering taking the Health Markets job. It'd probably be a good idea - meet lots of new people, sell 'em what they need anyway and make $$ doing it. Gotta be better than dealing with the deadlines and creature-features of work comp in CA. And 10 years vested brings big $$'s and I love ESOP type money. I'd have to resume putting $$ in my IRA but that's not a big deal -- or I could put it into my small cap fund. Course, I'd have to expand that a lot -- IRA would be better and it would be a Roth since it'd be after taxes.

I'm also going to get my Notary Public - it's only $70 or so and that's a little extra cash to bring in. Maybe I'll find out how much it costs to get bonded & licensed to pet sit/dog walk. It'd still get me out of the house, meet new people and I could potentially do all 3 jobs and still have time for me.

My attitude must be getting better - I had an emotional meltdown last week when I saw the girls on Wed. I took them their oranges and took back a huge rack of guilt -- and I'm not the guilty one. That sucked. Today I spent the day with David Attenborough -- my favorite naturalist of all time. I love our planet and it's wonderful diversity of life.

But back to the not guilty thing -- this whole BS started back with Sue Lemerandes file and Mt SJCCD trying to screw her out of her benefits.

First they send a letter 12-23 knowing she won't get it until after everyone's left for the holiday -- saying she was out of benefits on 1-9. Well, we figured it out and they were trying to short her at least 6 weeks of TD benefits under Ed Code. I sent a letter asking them to clarify and whoa -- I was right.

Then, due to a multitude of F'ups - hers, Dr Uppals and Mt SJCCD's -- they wouldn't take her back on the 39 month rehire list. (this is all back in 2006). Dr Tyler said it had to her 'specific job' or they didn't have to honor it. Well, then she applied for a bunch of jobs around the area - remember now - this was the height of the job boom -- and she couldn't find a thing. No one would even interview her. (are you reading between the lines??) She sold her house (or, more likely, walked away from it) and moved out of CA. I got an email thanking me for being nice and taking care of her -- I responded with I was glad she was back on her feet and that I'd been concerned about how she was treated by her employer.

Well - that was a mistake. Her attorney filed a 132a months after she left CA and won! Go figure. Well, MSJCCD read that email and accused me of telling her to file the 132a. WTF is that about??? She had an attorney, she was long gone from CA, she'd already settled her claim and why would I do that? That doesn't make sense. Her atty has an MD and ESQ -- is he not smart enough to figure it out himself??

Well, they wrote a letter to Keenan accusing me of telling her to file it - they wrote me up to appease MSJCCD (god forbid that maybe someone should stick up for me -- we did have the offending email after all). I did respond to the write up with my version of what happened but.... (Oct 08 by the way)

Then we have now. Let's see -- Jan 09-- I get the ACEUSA project files (15 or so) - biweekly meetings while I'm trying to settle them. My caseload is over 160 but it's not a big deal. April Cara goes out sick -- we get a temp - she's good. Not a big deal (Linda Gardner) to us. June -- let's have a meeting. Murrieta Valley USD isn't happy about the temp nor is PUSD -- and what Christina gets, Judy gets and vv. Well, Vicki can take those on -- unofficially at least til 7-1....along with the other 160+ files -- that takes my unofficial count over 212. Hmmm. I have Becky as asst on those 2 accounts and my wonderful Mel on the others. Jaime still has my ACEUSA files. I get to keep track of all of that.

Mind- I have new losses coming in cause school's ending. I have Christina emailing me about new claims, old claims, statuses etc. I'm freaked out cause J & H made such a big deal about those two I'm practically afraid to talk to them. J says - if you get too stressed let me know, except her door's always closed and H is constantly asking about AMA, opinions, ideas and talking her g'baby crap etc. A little extra stress cause I didn't have enough already.

Then, 7-15 rolls around -- my Redlands files are with Sil finally - I keep getting calls on 'em tho. I get a new stress claim from VVUHSD -- Lisa and I are on the phone for over an hour about it. It's good faith personnel action and will be denied. It's the Dir of School Svcs - directly under Herb (V Sup'tnt). A potential political nightmare.

My asst Becky is now on 2 wks vacation and I have not been given anyone to help out. Amanda volunteered but the emails still come to me. Sandra had been promoted, as of 7-1, to MO -- she doesn't want it. They give it to Pam (yay) as of 7-15 I think -- she goes on 2 wks vacation cause her husband is having surgery. I have no issues with that, in itself, but I'm getting MO calls, status emails and people constantly asking for help with stuff.

We have a conf call on 7-22 about IW and Herb asks that we contact the MD's (read me) about keeping her off til 7-28 cause he's at a conf 7-23 & 7-24 and he needs to talk to her about her new job duties (or the lack thereof). Since neither supv nor mgr says anything about this personnel issue vs medical issue (MD had rrtw on 7-23 full duty) I called MD's ofc. Well, they told IW that it was my idea that she be off til 7-28. I explained 'no' it was her employers request. So then she asks why. I said we were concerned about what looked to be a lack of treatment considering her ongoing symptoms (PR2) She then asks 'what if I go get a new rrtw for 7-23?' - I tell her ' it's not my business to tell you but you'll be sent home on paid leave'. All goes silent for a moment then she starts talking again - frankly, I have a MD appt of my own in 15 minutes so I tell her that I hate to be rude but I really have to leave for my own appt and that I'd call her in the a.m. if she still wanted to talk some more.

I then called Louis Rocha really quick to tell him I'd resend his paperwork (he'd called back while I was on the phone) and he told me to get outta there, I was late for my appt. I laughed and hung up.

Oh look - is this a personnel issue or medical? It should never have been given to me to call the MD's ofc to begin with -- it was all personnel and should've been handled as personnel. My Lisa was on vacation and wasn't there to run interference -- she feels bad, Herb feels bad and I got fired. WTF again.

I'm feeling a little blackballed myself here -- we'll see how it goes but when I get a job going, I'll be filing my own 132a cause this whole thing is BS.

Just my opinion but there it is.