My New Office

[eloisel]

Here is my old workspace now after all my stuff has been moved out -

Here is the new office - it still needs work but everything is in and put away -

And here is my first picture on the wall - there is a chocolatier in the middle store -

I know - it isn't the grooviest thing ever but I am happy about it - thought I'd share.

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[jack]

I bet we could knock all that stuff on the desk off onto the floor in three minutes.

 

[jack]

Nice office

 

[Donovan]

Moved up to a window cube!

 

[eloisel]

I know, I know, I know - just a bigger box.

The old space had a window too - just in front of the divider. It even had a door opening into the main hall. It is a nice alcove at the end of a hallway running the length of the south suite of the department and fairly private. Just the big printer that most of the people in the south suite have to use sits in front of that window in front of that divider - so traffic for that. And people use the door to the hallway to go from the east suite into the south suite - so traffic for that too.

I've been eating lunch in my office all week because I can put an "out to lunch" sign on the door and close it. It is so cool.

 

[Donovan]

I wasn't mocking. Having never had a "cubicle" existence job, I never understood the politics that went into office placement until my company centralized into a spanking new building. I witnessed firsthand the jockeying that went on as departments fought, not only for individual key offices, but for department placement that would lead to window offices and good spots for their team members down the road. People got PISSED. I thought I'd see a knife fight or two before it was over.

That's why I traded in my headaches and on-call phone for a job that pays the same but involves basically ferrying people back and forth. I drive around in my nice air-conditioned vehicle listening to the radio for most of the day. The lack of aggravation is soooooooo peaceful...

 

[eloisel]

I think the only reason they gave me an office is because one litigation paralegal quit, they fired the second litigation paralegal, the other two paralegals don't know how to handle litigation cases at all, and the two replacement paralegals need training as the head of the litigaton department did not hire experienced litigaton paralegals. I'm the only one left that can handle litigation and I have the most seniority. We're going on a third year without a raise and I think the office is incentive for me to not quit too and really leave them in a hard spot. What they don't seem to understand is I'm five years from retirement. I'm not quitting. If I quit and went somewhere else I'd have to start all over again and it would be 13 years before I could retire.

I like my job for the most part. I codify ordinances, review contracts, assist the administration attorneys and the Economic Development department on ED projects, assist the litigation department support staff with technical issues, create and maintain databases, do legal research, develop and maintain three MOSS sites, provide content for the external websites, and just all kinds of stuff that just needs to be done from time to time. I don't have to jockey for position because a) I just work to support the rest of my life and b) I've made my own niche.

That is cool that you get to drive around all day. In the spring and fall I wish I had a job like that. Are you a cab driver? That would be too scary for me to do. We've had a few murders of cab drivers locally. I'd be afraid to pick people up.

 

[Donovan]

No, I work with MR/DD adults. My situation is like yours re: "retirement", I kept a job in a union shop, tried the upwardly mobile management thing for a while, then realized at this stage it's more in my interest to take an hourly rate job without the headache. Union guarantees pay hikes annually, my seniority allowed me to snipe a m-f day shift in residential, which basically means I drive folks to various programs, handle med appointments, take the occasional business call etc. Most residential jobs are eves and weekends, so this is a high demand spot. I essentially make better pay with OT for doing exactly what I did in management, with no aggravation.

I put myself thru college at this job and got a teaching degree, but realized that starting over in this economy wasn't the right move (I also have full medical 100% paid for my kid along with other bennies) so I stick it out until the kid gets grown, supplement my income with the occasional OT shift and side gigs, and I get to come home at 3pm to argue online about mexicans lol...plus the work I do is easy on the soul, if you know what I mean.

 

[eloisel]

I know what you mean about being easy on the soul. I worked in domestic law for awhile when I was taking a break from my first career in publishing. Domestic law is gut wrenching and not for me. I can't take everyone home and fix everyone's problems.

I loved working in publishing - could move wherever and get a job. But, kids need stability and changing schools all the time doesn't create stability. When I came back to Texas to settle down I worked for the same company for 10 years before they sent my job to Mexico - no kidding - thank you NAFTA. Actually, while it was horrible at the time, it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me. I temped for awhile to build a new skill set and wound up having a year long assignment for the City Attorney. After my assignment there ended I worked at a French helicopter company building databases for them. When the City Attorney got the budget approved to create a position suitable for me, they called me up and I applied and got the job. That was in Oct. 1999. Since then they sent me back to college then promoted me to paralegal. My publishing background works well for me. It is good, too, that I've got an incredible work ethic and a can do and will do attitude developed as a survival instinct.

Those contracts I handle build streets and bridges; provide services such as water, sewer, parks, and libraries; give grants to low income persons to buy houses and repair their houses; they fund congregate meal programs for the elderly; and, do all kinds of good things for the people living in this city. The Economic Development projects I work on bring jobs to the community. I'm proud of the work I do. Even when I hate my job, I love my job.

 

[Donovan]

Bet you'd be surprised to learn I agree 100% about the evils of NAFTA. Worst fucking thing we ever did to ourselves as a country.

 

[ThatSunrise]

Nice window! What kind of building is it?

 

[jack]

An office building, it would appear.

 

[Imperium]

Only one computer and monitor?

LAME!

 

[starguard]

What they don't seem to understand is I'm five years from retirement. I'm not quitting. If I quit and went somewhere else I'd have to start all over again and it would be 13 years before I could retire.

Don't say that out too loud. They may hear and try to use it against you

 

[eloisel]

Bet you'd be surprised to learn I agree 100% about the evils of NAFTA. Worst fucking thing we ever did to ourselves as a country.

Not really surprised agree. NAFTA is an admirable concept in some respects - in the way in which it was sold to the American public - but in actuality it is not an equitable trade-off. Good business requires it being good for all parties involved and NAFTA just isn't.

 

[eloisel]

Nice window! What kind of building is it?

It is an eight-story office building that looks a bit like a step pyramid built sideways rather than upwards.

The North side of the building is longer than the middle section, the middle section is longer than the South side of the building. The middle section houses the elevator banks, stairwells, bathrooms, interior offices, and hallways. Then there are offices with windows running along the exterior walls. Each floor has half glass exterior walls. My new office is in the shorter south side of the building just around the corner from my old workspace.

This building was built in the 80s and at the time was considered quite special for this little city. There aren't many highrises here in this forest and buildings with eight floors are considered tall buildings.

 

[eloisel]

Only one computer and monitor?

LAME!

I know - I'm old so I can only multi-task on one computer at a time.

 

[eloisel]

Don't say that out too loud. They may hear and try to use it against you

It is one of those wonderful situations where we need each other. It helps that the the people at the top are all older too and looking to retire in a few years. I imagine that in five years it will be a very different place than it is now.

 

[Kitty]

I know - I'm old so I can only multi-task on one computer at a time.

Most of us are typing on a minimum of three keyboards a time at once, now. jeez

 

[eloisel]

Most of us are typing on a minimum of three keyboards a time at once, now. jeez

One of the guys on my E-discovery team works on three computers at the same time all the time. When I physically go up to see him, I'll watch him for a few minutes then ask, "You're going to send me a report, right?" and he says, "sure thing." It works for me.

I've been in the emergency command room where all the important areas of the city are monitored. There are some cool toys in there - looks like stuff you see on TV and in the movies. I've asked them to let me play with the stuff for just a little bit but they won't let me. So, I asked them, "Why are you showing me this stuff if you won't let me play with it?" And they said, "you need to know where things are in the event of an emergency." At first I thought that was pretty cool that I'm on the "emergency chain." Then, I realized, if I'm the one that is manning the emergency command post, the city has been flattened, everyone is dead, and by some freak accident I've survived. We are totally screwed.