I'm alone today at work and I do not mind in the slightest. I have great plans for getting all of my work done, including the lagging projects that have been on my desk for weeks. Also, being the only person in the building besides the security team, I get to wear blue jeans and sneakers and could probably dance around naked if the mood struck me. (Trust me, that mood hasn't struck me since 1991!) I will have Friday off as my make-up holiday, so I don't accidentally get paid for the full week like last time! This suits me fine, as it will give me something I haven't had in months - a child-and-husband-free day off at home. Every once in a blue moon those are necessary for the mental health of Mom persons.

Friday I received my "annual review". I chuckle because I am the first one to receive such an honor; that is if you don't count the woman who was fired right after she received hers. Normally, I'm a big fan of the review. I welcome feedback and usually enjoy the opportunity to discuss my performance with supervision. (An entire meeting devoted to talking about me? How cool is that?) I like to use the review process as a jumping off point to make improvements and to challenge myself in a more focused way. This time, however, because of the way our contract is structured, I didn't even meet with my direct supervisor, or her supervisor who was supposed to fill out the form and didn't. I met with my rep from the contract house who basically told me it didn't really matter what they wrote, since I'd already received my raise. (Oh, yeah. I got a raise last week, too. Whee. It was a good raise - 4% - but 4% of crap is still crap. It's not going to change my life.)

There were only two things I was marked down on. I don't manage my time well enough, because I don't ask people for help when I need it to get the extra projects done. (True, I have a problem asking the people without enough to do to help me with my work because I've been given too much to do.) In my view, this has less to do with my time management skills than the way work is distributed amongst the team, but it is something I need to work on. I've never liked asking for help.

The second thing, the one that really tickles me, is in my interpersonal skills. Let me preface this by saying (and I'm sure this comes as no surprise) I have only once in my career before this ever had a review where it didn't say my interpersonal skills needed some work. I am used to this and I certainly expected nothing different here, where I've practically had boxing matches with one or two of the employees/supervisors. But I didn't get that. It stated I get along well with my teammates (which I do now, but remember last spring?), but I need to look at my job in a more "positive" light and refrain (it actually said reframe) from making comments about "the pay" that might be overheard by the customer.

It is no secret that I think we're underpaid for the work we do here. Having worked several years for a company that paid me stupid money to do less aside, this is a crap wage for the stress that we're put under. And if the job were easy and anyone could do it, we'd probably have a better retention rate that 1 out of 3. Any comments I've made aloud have been either in the context of a joke among the team or behind closed doors to demonstrate a point. So I think the dig is a little unfair, but I will take it and make it better. (Na-na-na-na-na-na.)

Anywhoo, the review and the raise didn't leave me in as high of spirit as I had hoped, so I was a little down on Friday night, but the rest of the weekend was wonderful!

Saturday, whilst frigid, was beautiful and sunny. I will take cold and sunshine over warm and gloomy and raining. Especially in January. We spent some family time visiting Grandma (who loves it when I bring the fam' because then she gets to tell everyone about her GREAT-GRANDSON!) and grocery shopping, punctuated by the suprisingly nice luncheon experience at the Olive*Garden.

Sunday, Hubband was having six or seven of his buddies over to watch playoff football. I ran. I ran fast and I ran far. There was no way I even wanted to be near that type of loudness. I managed to have a great day without spending an enormous amount of money. I saw a movie* and did some shopping both necessary (wedding gift) and unnecessary (craft items) and then met CWF for coffee at the B&N cafe. We spent two hours catching up on what we'd missed in each other's lives since Christmas (we've both been ill) and then I rushed home to find all the guests had gone and the TV was all warmed up for the Golden*Globes.

*The movie I saw was "Million Dollar Baby", which was amazing. In a year that has restored my faith in good movies, this is the best by far. I am not a huge Clint Eastwood fan, being bored of the cop drama/western movie by now. And I don't really care much for boxing as a sport, although I have to respect the skill involved. But this is different. It is real. It is surprising. The audience applauded and wept. And when I say it is real, I mean the color and the dialog and the way Clint allows himself to look old and frail. There is a scene where Morgan Freeman (words fail how much I love to admire this man) is talking to Hilary Swank and it's no secret why they're having this little meeting, but what got me was his jacket - I know exactly where to go in KMART to get such a jacket - had a hole in the shoulder. The type of hole that wouldn't get repaired because it really doesn't matter and who notices a hole there anyway. And Hilary Swank is sitting next to him and her hair is wet, because she's just had a shower, but it's just hanging off her head in exactly the way it should because she can't be bothered with her looks right now. And all through the movie I kept noticing that her lips were chapped, which they would be because why would she care about something like that? Anyway, these are the things that make me love a movie. Subtle reality and original stories. I am so glad that's not dead, no matter what the preview for The*Ring*Two makes one believe.