They're definitely keeping us guessing

Having been put under a 40-hour cap Monday, yesterday the firm expanded the hours to 8 am to 8 pm for yesterday and today, plus 9-6 Saturday and Sunday. No word on how much this will carry over to next week, but suddenly we have overtime again. Because they told us Monday they wanted us here roughly 8 hours all 5 days, most folks weren't working the full 9.5 hour window. I was, because I was planning on being "sick" Friday and take 2 hours of sick time, take the day off. As a result, I am the only person already in overtime. Not sure how I feel about working this weekend, although Rule No. 2 argues for coming in at least some on both days. Anyway, because we probably won't have overtime next week, I guess I better take it. We obviously can't count on any kind of consistency here.

All good things gotta come to an end

. . . and it's the same with the wild wood weed. Today we got the word that the project that would not end is in fact ending on Friday. Oddly enough, I predicted this sequence of events months ago when the client got bought by another firm. This does not make me feel better about being right. The only thing I got wrong was how long it would take to reach this point. Anyway, we're done. Folks are rushing to use up sick days, since you lose them if you are gone from the agency for too long. Not sure how long too long is, but anyone with a brain (which does not include everyone on this project) is going to use a couple sick days this week Yeah, me too. Anyway, the scramble is on to find anothe gig. Life as a temp is always what it is: one day away from unemployment. Time to find a new gig, because all good things gotta come to an end. So I leave you with this:

Well, of course it was a federal employee who tried to fuck things up!

I love the smell of Doom in the morning

It smells like, well, um, Doom. Yeah, party's over -- today is the last day of the project. I'm in the unenviable but all-too-familiar position of having no idea what I'm doing next. Fortunately, that is partly because I have a number of options that haven't firmed up yet. Unfortunately, they haven't firmed up yet. It is good to have lots of options but not good to not yet have work. You say tomato, I say just fucking hire me. There is one gig in particular at this agency that is supposed to start this week and all of us on this project are in theory going to just move to the new project. Alas, no firm word on a start date (or any other details, like rate, hours, etc.), which led to this conversation this morning:

CA1: I just don't want to leave here today not knowing what's going on with the new project.

CA2: Tough shit.

CA3: You're just so warm and fuzzy, reassuring people. Like a Tickle-Me-Elmo doll.

On the upside, we are getting Barbecue of Doom today for lunch. So we've got that going for us.

What could go wrong?

So we're at the firm now, the sword of Damocles hanging over our heads. No worries, right? After all, it's not like they cut us off from the outside world, is it? Oh, wait. We're in a part of the building that you have to leave to get cell phone service. And we were told on day one that we could "check personal email periodically," but that "internet use can be monitored." Not that it is, mind you, just that it can be. Of course, everybody knows it "can be," but throwing that out there is just designed to inject paranoia. Combine that with the fact that internet use beyond checking email often results in "Page Cannot Be Displayed" only feeds the paranoia. So no cell phone, limited internet and the threat that just trying to go beyond checking email will be "monitored" leaves us where? Yeah, cut off from the civilized world. All in all, the only plus here is the associate from the firm stays in his office instead of sitting in an office a few feet away, so nobody really fucks with us. Weird, when you consider that he's still in the same building. But I digress.

So here we are, in an environment where we no longer really know what the rules are (sure, they can "monitor" our internet use, but do they care so long as we get our work done? Not clear. Is spending too much time in the kitchen, the bathroom, or whereever going to be a problem? Who's watching? Who cares? Not clear.) and no one knows what the consequences of breaking the unknown rules are. I hate this shit. And on top of all that, we have no idea whether Friday is the last day. So here we sit, trying desperately not to do anything to get fired when we have no idea what it is that we might do that might get us fired, and we might get fired in 48 hours anyway.