Holidayzzzzz

Well, Christmas is over, and New Year's approaches.

I got a MUCH appreciated care package from my sister, including the WXRT live from the archives c.d., and lots of stuff from Trader Joe's!!

They are supposed to be opening a Whole Foods here in OKC some time next year, but still no plans by Trader Joe's to open a store here.

I've never been able to afford to do ALL of my shopping at either Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, but I love both of those stores for specialty items. I especially like Trader Joe's "simmer sauces," seasonal chocolates, snacks and treats, artisan bakery rolls, and frozen fish.

As for Whole Foods, I like their organic produce and meat (when I can afford a little organic stuff), and they have some items that I used to get at my local health store that the local health stores here don't carry. Like "Miso Cup" instant miso soup. They also have an awesome deli with LOTS of cheeses and olives to chose from, and I like their 365 house brand for staples like brown rice and healthy pastas. Cheaper than name brands.

Anyway, on Christmas eve, I cooked the sacred Virginia ham for my husband and his family, along with green bean casserole, home made cranberry sauce (thanks again, seeeester!), and, of course, spoon bread.

Everything turned out great, and my mother in law made sweet potatoes with marshmallows, which nobody ate, and some desserts. There was so much food left over, it was like no one ate anything.

Dave got me new hiking boots, some books I wanted, some cool jewelry, and some goofy, fun stuff from Archie McPhee. He went overboard.
I got him a book he wanted, and some goofy, fun stuff from Archie McPhee~ including a dash board jesus, and a dash board hula dancer.

We went to see "True Grit" on 12/25 with Dave's son, brother, and sister in law. You'd think it was set in Oklahoma, or something. That theater, on Christmas at supper time, was SO FULL a half hour before show time, that we had to sit way down in front and off to the side. My neck hurt the whole next day.

Made my Golden Split Pea and Virginia Ham soup on the 26th, thanks to the fact that my sister sent me some yellow peas several months ago, when I discovered that you can't GET those down here!

Marked the 14th anniversary of my mom's death by not thinking about it at all. That had never happened before.

Dave's brother and sister in law from Texas were here for Christmas, but his brother and sister in law from Kansas were here the weekend before.

So far,our plans for New Year's Eve have nothing to do with going out. We are hoping for a Netflix to arrive either that day or the day before, and we will have some bubbly, and some snacks.

Just like last year, when those were our plans even BEFORE Dave had a heart attack on 12/19, and required our activities to be kept low key!

The association dues for the condo went up, and the size of my paychecks is going down (removal of the "health care credit" I have been getting because I am NOT insured by my employer).

Oh joy.

Did I tell you about the testing program at work? (and the unexpected and absurd drama related to said testing program?)

When I was hired, I was told by H/R that they had to hire me at entry level, but that, come December, I could sit for tests that could potentially raise me up a level or two.

In the medical billing department, there are 3 levels.

Anyway, on December 1, I was told by the woman who has been my trainer and mentor that the testing program had been discontinued. This was also the first day of my direct supervisor's 6 week medical leave, so I had no supervisor to talk to about it.
So I emailed my boss's boss.

2 weeks went by. No reply.

My mentor then went on a few days' vacation, so I went and talked to another supervisor, who said "OH NO, the program hasn't been discontinued!! But because your supervisor isn't here, you almost missed it! I'm really sorry I forgot to pass the word along to all of her people!! You almost fell through the cracks!"

So, she got me signed up, in the nick of time. Oddly, THEN my boss's boss replied to my email. Gee thanks.

Anyway, when my mentor returned, oddly, the first thing she asked me was if I had heard anything more about the testing program.
I told her that, as a matter of fact, I had decided to pursue it with another supervisor, and found out that it was NOT discontinued, and that I had made it in to the line up ON THE LAST DAY to sign up.
I HAD thought it odd that she had been wrong about the testing being discontinued, especially because she had said that she was on the test development committee....so anyway, then I asked her what I needed to do to prepare, she said "nothing. There's nothing you can do to prepare. It's just how well you know your job."

So, my testing day came, and I successfully passed the level 2 test, even though there were two questions on the test that had errors in them! Pointed them out to the testing person, and was given a couple of extra points.

Passing up to level 2 assures me of a small raise, which will help offset a portion of the pay cut that comes on Jan. 1, but not all of it.

I was then given the option of taking the level 3 test immediately after passing the level 2. I said yes.

Then, during the level 3 test, I found out, the hard way, that there was an outline of procedures that is in my new employee manual that I should not only have studied, but memorized. I KNOW I got all of those wrong, because I didn't have the chart in my head.

"There's nothing you can do to prepare...."

Really?

Also, because my supervisor is off until January some time, they can't even complete giving me the level 3 test until she comes back!

So, I have no idea if I passed that middle portion or not...but, as I just said, I am pretty sure I did not pass it because I was told not to study anything.

This makes me wonder if this woman who has been mentoring me has something against me.

How could she lie to me about the testing being discontinued, hoping I would miss it, and probably knowing that I would slip through the cracks because of my supervisor's absence?
She was on the testing committee...she KNEW it wasn't discontinued.

And then, to tell me NOT to study, so that I would almost be guaranteed to fail....

Wow.

THEN, today, my new cube mate, who just started working last week, got to take the tests. I had to wait almost a year, but because he started in December, he qualified.

I asked my mentor if the new guy was testing today. She said no. I told her it sure seemed like he was going to, because yesterday, he was asking me all kinds of questions about it, and this morning, he had a set of coding books on his desk.

Later today, when new guy had been gone from his desk for an hour, I asked her again.

The second time, she said yes, he was testing today.

What.
The.
Fuck.

What was the point of lying to me about it?

Gawd.

(EDIT: and there was the time in May, after the hail storm that totaled her car, when I asked her if she'd heard from her car insurance company yet. She said NO, that she had not gotten a settlement yet, and had no idea what kind of new car she would end up getting.....But her brand new car was already purchased, and sitting in the parking lot when I asked her that: I saw her leave in it at lunchtime. It was not a loaner, it was a new purchase with the temp tags on it.
Why lie to me about that? What was the point? I had sort of forgotten about that until now...putting it here for sake of documentation.)

Anyway---so I know that I will be getting the raise that comes from passing level 2.

I MIGHT get another raise in addition to that IF I PASS level 3, which I will not know for weeks.

THEN....we are supposed to have an annual performance review, and everyone gets theirs in January. THIS could also bring an additional raise....
SO....the hope is that, between the one I know I am getting, and the others I MIGHT be getting, maybe I WON'T be bringing home less in 2011 than I did in 2010.

Please keep your available appendages crossed for me, and HAPPY NEW YEAR!