The Upsetting News Thread

[Alelou]

It's all painful, all right. Yeah, definitely protect your cemetery plot. If you can let the other stuff go, try to let it go. At this point just looking at it would probably be painful.

If I were you I'd also want to stay well clear of power of attorney for Grandma. That can be a real burden that you might reasonably come to resent in this situation. And judging from the way the whole thing has been managed up to now, you probably ought to stay safely clear of any legal connection to it. Who knows what shady business B has been up to?

[JadziaKathryn]

I'm sorry for your pain, Aquarius. To an extent I can empathize... I have nothing to do with my father or his family because they chose that when he left my mom several years ago. Even though I try not to dwell, it crops up now and again as this sort of wound that won't entirely heal.

This B sounds awfully like an opportunistic money-grubber. I hope you and your mom can make sure the cemetery plots remain yours.

[Asso]

I'm a lucky man, as for this peculiar life's side. But, exactly as a result from that, I feel sad because of your comprehensible pain, Aquarius, and I hope things will be okay for you and for your mom.

[Aquarius]

Thanks for the support everyone.

I talked to B today...and suffice it to say, I'm gonna have a fight on my hands. I probably shouldn't say any more for legal reasons, even though I have the anonymity of not using my name here.

This whole thing really sucks.

[evcake]

What a painful tangle. I hope things turn out OK for you, Aquarius.

[WarpGirl]

My niece just died. She wasn't even two yet, heart defect. I think I might be laying low for a while.

[Entilzha]

My condolences to you

[WarpGirl]

Thanks. It's not that it was completely unexpected, there was always a chance, right now I haven't processed it.

[justTripn]

So sorry, WarpGirl.

[Kevin Thomas Riley]

That's terrible news! My condolences.

[Alelou]

That's just awful, WG. I'm so sorry.

[WarpGirl]

Thank you.

[Linda]

I thought I would see retirement four years from now, but when I got back from a week's vacation I found out otherwise! They are eviserating the Data Center. Six of us - four operators and two schedulers are having their positions terminated on November 1. No, it is not a Halloween joke. They will be writing a new PD for one scheduler and trying to 'automate' or hand off the operator duties to system administrators (people who each have the care and feeding of certain systems and particular servers). I will not even apply for the scheduler job as that ethically should go to my co-worker who has been here longer than I have. Plus I want out if IT. There is a position in the graduate school tracking records and advising graduate students that I am applying for.

I was wondering if the fact that 5 of the 6 of us are over 50 and that 3 of us qualify for retirement benefits might have something to do with gutting our department as much as our functions becoming 'obsolete'.

Okay, I bounced back from the shock and am updating my resume - last used 26 years ago, LOL. Resume styles have changed and I can take my AGE off the old resume. As if they couldn't figure that out anyway with the long employment history! Surprisingly, I am excited about a couple of position descriptions which would be a lateral move within the state system. Excited about getting screwed out of my job? No. But I am in fairly good shape with retirement to fall back on. So I asked HR to work up my retirement package. If I fall back on that, I can always pick up a part time job, right? Part time employers LIKE older employees...they are more RELIABLE, or that is the perception. AND, most of them do not need extras like benefits because they only want this job to round up that miniscule cash short fall from their great retirement incomes. Well, in my case there is some truth to that. But I sure would have liked to finish paying off the morgage before I retired. And to pick the time when I retired instead of being forced into it. But maybe I will get one of these transfer jobs...

Nice safe civil service job, eh?

[Aikiweezie]

Linda - Sorry to hear all that. Do you work at a state College? I worked for 15 years at a community college in Student Affairs(doesn't Wisconsin have a different system, technical colleges, right?). Right before I quit we had a new president come in and he was an evil bastard. Several staff blood baths, so I know how just chaotic that kind of thing can be. Oddly enough, at our place, the only department that was consistently left alone was the data center.

I just read WarpGirl's post - I am so sorry, hon. Your niece and your family will be added to my prayers.

Louise

[Aquarius]

WG--that's such a shame about your niece. I'm very sorry for your loss.

Linda--Sorry about your job! I swear, nothing is safe any more.