My New View: 06/01/2007

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

It Happened...

Yesterday, my boss walked into our offices expecting another stressful day... waiting to hear if we still had jobs at the end of the day...she put her purse down on her desk and popped her head into my office to say good morning and check on the status of a couple of ongoing projects...and she was tapped on the shoulder by the HR Goon Squad. A brief walk to HR and a half hour later - I no longer had a boss... she was allowed to pick up her purse and some other personal belongings, but after that she was escorted out of the building without being allowed to say good bye.

The HR Goon Squad came for me almost 2 hours later.

My official date of separation from the company will be July 6th... so until then I get to spend my time submitting my resume to companies and trying to schedule interviews... oh yeah, relaxing and enjoying each stress free day too. If for some reason I can't find anything by the 6th, then I get to file for unemployment and continue my stress free job search.

My one concern yesterday has been relieved this morning. I was horrified that TB would use this as an excuse to not sign the papers and end this damn divorce finally. However, according to my lawyer she still intends to sign the papers this week (he talked to her lawyer this morning). I know... I know... I'll really believe it when I see it, but she blinked when we threatened court... so I am hopeful... I think the money well from her parents is finally running dry...

I hope that you all get the opportunity to enjoy the view before you today... I definitely am going to enjoy my own.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Still Holding On

Wow...it's been a day or two since I last posted, huh?

Let's see...where to start filling you in...ok, umm...last time I wrote, I was waiting for some kind of response to come back from TB's lawyer. Well...I got it. Acording to my lawyer the response was "We'll sign the correct agreement, we don't want to go to court....what was the correct agreement again?" My lawyer responded that he would type it up and send it over for signature.

That was last Thursday...which also happened to have been the 10th year that I have been unfortunately married to TB. As of this morning TB is due to sign the papers this week. Once that happens, this nightmare will finally be over.

More news?? Ok...how about I may be out of work as of tomorrow afternoon? Yup, they're doing more cutbacks and my department is on the block...specifically, my role and my immediate boss' role are on the cut list. Anyone know of someone hiring in the Chicago area?? No?? Oh well, I'll find something if I need to...if I don't need to because my job is saved from the headsman's axe - well, then I've got time to look around with my newly updated resume.

That's about all that I have to say tonight. I'll be back soon...until then I hope that you will find time to enjoy the view before you, I'm doing all I can to enjoy my own.

Friday, June 08, 2007

Like Forest's Momma Says...

"Stupid is as Stupid does"...but that's not quite all I have to say today - after reading this, I'm sure that you all will have a couple of things to say too...let it out, you'll feel better.

Last weekend I went back and re-read all the documents that TB's lawyer sent over, I figured maybe I had just misread something and this fiasco could finally be over. Unfortunately the more I read the more I found that was wrong...additional changes that had been made to things already in place (like limiting my time with my Son to half what it currently is). Fortunately, as I read the papers, I remembered that I work with contracts all day every day - if I receive a bad contract I have the option to rewrite it and submit it back to the other party for approval and signature...so this was the path I elected to take with these papers. Monday morning I spoke with my lawyer and told him what I wanted done.

Instead of honoring my instructions, he wrote what has to be the single most brilliant letter ever written in any divorce case...my favorite parts are from his amazing opening paragraph:

"I'm not sure why you sent me a document you knew my client would not sign, but I passed it on to him for his review anyway."

and, from his prize winning closing paragraph:

"These are the same changes we have demanded since the beginning. Maybe you thought my client was stupid, or that I was stupid, but I assure you that is not the case."

This letter was sent to TB's lawyer yesterday...they have 10 days to reply before we go and get a court date.
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As further evidence of the genius that was Forest's Momma, I present the following conversation I had with TB last night as I dropped of my Son.
TB - "Did you receive papers to sign from your lawyer?"
Me - "Yes, I received something." (I felt like adding "I wouldn't have wiped my ass with those papers the way they were written, but I received them."...but I didn't)
TB - "And, what are you doing about it?"
Me - "Ah, apparently you haven't spoken with your lawyer today. I suggest that you call him tomorrow."
TB - "What does that mean?"
Me - "Just what I said...by the way, I'm kind of curious about something. Did you actually read the papers that you signed?"
TB - "Of course I did."
Me - "And you really think that I would sign something that takes away my rights?? Call you lawyer tomorrow."

and I walked away. Today I wait to see what kind of hell breaks loose. No matter what happens, I've decided that this ends here and now. I've been dragged through this for far too long and I'm not going to play any more. Either we get correct papers or the Judge ends this, but I will not keep just drifting and hoping that something will happen...I should have done this years ago.

I hope that each of you gets to enjoy the view before you this weekend. I will be spending some time with friends and just relaxing, so my pleasant view is almost guaranteed.

Friday, June 01, 2007

Time To Make Some Noise!!!

I've been silent too long! I've held my tongue for too long...I've got to get this out!!!

Since I posted last I've been intentionally keeping quiet because each time I write positively about this damn divorce finally coming to an end, Karma - the bastard that it is - rears its ugly head and kicks my butt. Well, I'm going to take the butt kicking this time (if I have to)...you see, since I posted last - I've known that my lawyer was waiting to receive signed final paperwork from TB's lawyer. Wednesday I got a call telling me that the paperwork was in hand and I needed to come in and look it over. I was in my lawyer's office this morning before 8 AM.

Yes, we have received signed final paperwork from TB's lawyer and most of the verbally agreed upon changes were actually correct. Most of them. Actually, I must be fully truthful here...they were all correct, one of the changes was only partially complete. The part that wasn't included might possibly cause me some financial problems down the road, but then again...it might not. I'll be spending the entire weekend debating with myself over signing the paperwork as written or handing my lawyer a $10,000.00 check on Monday to begin the trial portion of this fiasco.

I can finally see the light at the end of this long dark tunnel and know for certain that it is not a train (this time)...but I can also see the pit between me and the light. Spending the time this weekend trying to figure out if I can jump the pit or not is going to be...interesting...to say the least.

I hope that each of you gets a chance to enjoy the view before you this weekend; I'll try to find some time to do the same.