Thursday, May 1, 2008

Beware, Bitch Fest Ahead...

I hate working out of town!!!! :(
I hate working in an office with other people in it!!!
I don't hate much, but my job is quickly becoming one of the minority here.

Recently, the company where I have worked for 8 years decided to get into mining. We have been an exploritory drilling company since I started, and although we were part owners of a mine situated in the middle of our property here in northern Nevada, we didn't actually mine it. Until last year. After the company that had bought part interest in the Hollister Mine decided they had gotten a raw deal, all of a sudden Great Basin Gold had a mine to mine. And they didn't waste any time; we went from being run by Hunter-Dickinson in Vancouver to having all our edicts coming from South Africa. This wasnt necessarily a bad thing, except that I dont think they realize how much different life here is than it is there. Anyway, I ended up hourly instead of contract, again not a bad thing, until they started talking about moving my office. Now just so you get where I'm coming from, I have worked here in Battle Mountain, 10 minutes away from my home, 5 minutes away from any one of the public schools, for over 7 years. My kids have gone through most of their school years with me r i g h t h e r e. My Mother is 74 years old. She has no other family to take her to the store or clinic or to pick up her prescriptions. She has friends, but she hates to impose on them more than she absolutely has to. My sister doesnt have the kind of job you can take ten or fifteen minutes any time you need to run an errand. So that leaves me, as I have had that kind of job. Oh yeah, and I have a 15 year old daughter, who if given enough leash will hang herself with it (to be fair, she has been really great lately!)
They have been working with me pretty good on this, knowing that I've been here longer than anyone else that works for the company right now, and knowing that I have responsibilities that no one else can shoulder. Until last Monday. 'They' said I will be moving all my stuff to Winnemucca, no more office in Battle Mountain; Tuesday, 'they' said I would be working 3 days a week in Winnemucca, and one here. I really think my new boss is trying to work with me, but I dont know how much longer he will hold out. *heavy sigh*

So, here I sit, in my office, all by myself. Which is exactly the way I want it, but it wont be for long.

My job discription is changing also, no more digitizing maps, at least not like I did; most of them will be done on-screen by a geologist. They have me doing a lot of graphic type things for them, working on presentations and the like, but since I'm not a geologist, I can't really say what needs to go in them, so it is just graphics. I do data entry, but who wants to pay someone the kind of money I make for data entry??? No one, and that scares me. What happens if they decide to save some money and hire someone who they wont have to pay as much? I have been working on a drafters salary, I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure it is a bit higher than a graphics salary.

Thanks for being the shoulder... I would really rather be spinning.

4 comments:

Kathy said...

I can sure see why you wanted to vent! I would not be as diplomatic in my "venting" as you are in yours. ;-)

And yes, I finally got the last bit out of that huge closet filled with wool! :)

Sharon said...

You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Family or commute??? That's a heck of a drive, especially in winter, and with the high gas prices, you will feel the pinch. I commute and I feel for you, but jobs don't grow on trees in the middle of Nevada. What a pickle!!

Michelle said...

I hope when the dust settles everything will stay as it has been. That may be a naive hope, but I also believe in miracles! :-)

Mim said...

I'm slow I just read this, commutes I feel for you! Jobs can't live with them can't live without them!