Life: What's next?

I have felt like blogging for the last few days but just haven’t had the chance to sit down at a computer. A lot has happened this last week.

Where to start… hmmm…

First of all, last Monday morning (6/13) I went to work as usual and we had our regular staff meeting at 8:30 am… Then, the Manager of the Credentialing Verifications Center got on the call and informed us all that we’ll be “co-sourcing” with a company called Ingenix. Most of their work is done in India. This leads to the fact that they’ll be consolidating the CVC sites and some jobs will become redundant and no longer needed… Well, guess what? The Salt Lake CVC is the one being consolidated, it will be dissolved, and all 33 of the employees (including me,) will be laid off within the next year. Yep, as soon as you’re job function is taken over by the new company you’re out. Starting in September 2011 they’ll start moving all the work to Ingenix, and updating the systems, and by September 2012 they want to be fully integrated and running with their new co-source. Whatever.

So what does this mean for me. After a ‘pulse-check” meeting last Wednesday we learned that we’re pretty much guaranteed our jobs until the end of 2011 since we were all budgeted in already, but starting 1^st Quarter 2012 jobs will start to go. The health plans that were managed by the Salk Lake site will be moved to Bismarck or Harrisburg, the file volume will also start going that direction too. The processers will most likely be the first to go, followed by the plan leads, the supervisors, and finally the manager. Yep, I’m being laid off.

I understand that people in India need jobs too, but what about us Americans? Where is the great plan to help our economy when good jobs are being sent over seas? Where is the sensibility in this plan?

I understand it’s all about the money from the large business perspective. But what about the little people like me who need a job to support my family? I guess I’m better off then others that I work with: single moms, huge debts, barely making it… but If I lose my job we loose the biggest part of our income. I can’t let that happen so I’m going to have to find a job before I’m put out in the cold. I hate job hunting. If anyone has any information about open jobs let me know. I’d appreciate any help I can get.

Now the question is what do I do? What do I want to do with my life? Do I want to look for a new job now? Or do I stick it out for a severance package, or maybe an opportunity to work from home that they say “might” become a possibility? Do I want to work in Credentialing anymore? Do I even want to stay in the medical field? Do I want to try something new? Do I want to try a brainless job somewhere? If so what is there?

I don’t want to work in retail. I don’t want to work in foods. I don’t even want to look for a new job. I like the one I have. This really is so unfair. I really love this job and the thought of it just being pulled out from under me is so frustrating. When I got this job at Coventry I decided that this was going to be it for a long while. I had thought and planned on this being *the* job that I’d stay at until I was able to really get on with my life with kids and a home and John with a degree and a good job.

How our plans do seem to go awry.

I agree with Depeche Mode, I do think that God has a sick sense of humor, and when I die I expect to find him laughing.

Work since then has been rather depressing, but the management, (even though they’re all pissed off too,) keep trying to remind us that until the end of the year it’s just “business as normal…” but it sure doesn’t feel like it. We’re all depressed, disappointed, pissed off and there is very little motivation. Can you blame us?

 

Whatever.

 

That same Monday night around 10:00 pm, I got a call from my oldest sister saying that her oldest son (step-son) had been kicked out of his mother’s house and needed some where to stay for a few days. Of course I said yes, because not only do I love my sister, but I kinda love all her kids too, but then I realized that our extra bed was covered in two feet of junk and there was only a tiny little pathway to the bed anyway. So I got out of bed and did what I think is the fastest cleaning of that room ever. I moved boxes, piled quilts, hung up coats, trashed junk and magically I found the bed, and most of the floor within a half hour. I was pretty impressed. After several texts I hid a key and went to bed. Bryon showed up in the dark of the night and has been there ever since.

It’s funny, John and I are up and out of the house by 6:00 am, and Bryon works late hours and then is out with his friends/girlfriend until all hours of the morning and we’re in bed by 10:00 pm, so we have actually only seen him a few times since he’s been there.

It works out well, he can come and go as he pleases, and we just carry on as usual.

I did help him find a more permanent place to stay. My mission companion, and friend Holly has been seeking a roommate for quite a while now that isn’t crazy, a thief, or unfit for human companionship, so I introduced her to Bryon. They’ve come to an agreement and he’ll be moving in with her July 1^st. That means that he’ll be lurking at my house for the next week and a half, but that’s okay, it’s nice having him around. Most of the time us here in the area don’t know where to find Bryon, but if he’s in my other bedroom than at least I know he’s alive. So, I found my Holly a roommate, and my Bryon a place to stay. Two outside problems solved.

 

The roof leaks. You wouldn’t think it would since it was replaced in 2007, but it does. We think the issue is around the vents that were installed in the roof during the shingling project. John needs to get up on the roof and see if he can seal it up a bit more to stop the leakage, otherwise the landlords will find themselves having to replace a large section of the roof because the wet wood will have rotted out. Nice. I just wish it would stop raining.

 

John has had the flu this last week. He missed a few days of work and spent the weekend in bed. What fun that is. Apparently his mom and his sister both had it last week too. I am hoping I have missed this fun round of sickness.

 

Speaking of John’s sister, Rachel, she hasn’t had her baby yet. We thought that maybe he was coming last Tuesday (6/14), but it turns out it was just Braxton hicks contractions and the flu combined to put her in the hospital for several hours with no baby as a going away prize. We’re still waiting for Cooper to make his appearance. He’ll either come sometime in the next few days, or it’s my understanding that she is being induced on Friday 6/24… one way or the other he’ll be here by the end of the week. I’m excited to see my newest little nephew.

 

I spent some time with Jessica and Toby this past weekend. Jessica helped me figure out the connecting stitch to this blanket I have been crocheting. I’m finished with it now. I’ll get a picture of it up so everyone can see it. I’m pleased with how it turned out, although my edges aren’t so straight, and I only made 6 strips instead of seven… but that’s okay. Sometimes a smaller blanket is better than a bigger blanket when it comes to babies. I have to give quite a bit of credit to Jessica on this one since with out her suggestions and help I probably would have given it up a while ago and it probably would have gone into the void of “liz’s unfinished projects.” Thanks Jessica.

 

I don’t think there is anything pressing taking up our evenings this week. This coming weekend is going to be pretty busy. John works Friday night (and maybe a baby.) Saturday we have a baptism in Saratoga Springs and then a 1^st birthday party back in Kaysville. I don’t think there is anything on Sunday, and then Monday is a dentist appointment. We’ll be doing a lot of running around.