I'm sorry it looks bad to you, however I was a great employee.

I lost my job a month ago.
So I have been on multiple job interviews trying to find something. And here is the problem. When you go for an interview and have to explain why you are not currently working, they assume you were and are a terrible employee and that is why you were let go, why else would a company not keep you?
The problem is, I wasn't a terrible employee, I was a great employee.

• I got paid for maximum 45 hours / week. Monday to Friday 8-5.
• I worked on average 50-65 hours a week. I was in early every day, but did not get paid for it, and left late most days, but they refused to pay me a minute past 5, and spent my nights on the phone trying to get things sorted when the equipment was constantly breaking down leaving us short. 
• In the past 2+ years, I called in sick 4 times. Because I was sick enough that I couldn't move.
• More then once I was out somewhere and had to leave to after scheduling maintenance for a truck that broke down somewhere and I had to pick up the driver and get the trucks to the shop. And I was not paid for that time.
• I spent my days with a crazy woman screaming at me that I am worthless, and stupid, and I was lucky to even know her. But despite her harassment, I showed up everyday.
• More then once after one of her random outbursts I would sit at my desk trying to conceal tears, but despite this I was still working to make the office run smoothly doing my best to hide how I was treated from the people around me. And I was not the only manager being treated this way. We all spoke, she had no control over herself, and daily went out of her way to ruin everyone elses' day, it's what she was known for
• I was audited on 3 occasions and each time told by the government employee that they had never seen the office so organized, and that they had never had a manager in my position as on top of things as I was.
• I had 3 different people threaten me. 1 threatened to kill me (because she had serious mental issues and would randomly call and take her lack of medication out on me), 2 threatened to sue me (not sure why), and one guy throw his paperwork in my face, scream at me and storm out because he didn't bring the money to pay for the course he was taking even after multiple phone conversations and e-mails telling him he had to bring the payment prior to taking the course. When I reported this to my boss and the owner they just ignored me and pretended it didn't happen.
• A student would fail their road test, and immediately take it out on me, although it had nothing to do with me.
• My companies lack of care for the safety of their employees and the student in the school by putting them out in trucks they were told by multiple mechanics were not safe to have on the road, was constantly blamed on me. Even though if I had it my way the equipment would have been replaced long before. 
• I was there for over 2 years and was on multiple medications just to make it through the day, medication I was not on before joining the company.
• I was stressed out beyond belief.
• I spent my days off answering text messages from my crazy manager causing me to miss moments in my sons life I had booked the time off to enjoy.

However none of this matters to potential new employers because if I was a good employee, they never would have let me go, right?

Well here is what happened to cause my dismissal from this company.

I came into work and my phone had been going off like crazy all morning.

We have 4 trucks, one is not able to be driven due to no speedometer, and the transmission they had been told to replace by the mechanic at Atlantic Pacific 2 years ago, the mechanic at Lounsbury's a year and a half ago, and the independent mechanic we had recently hired 6 months before had finally given out.

We had another truck in the shop as it began coding and shutting off the Thursday before. When I reported this to the owner of the company, the head of repairs and maintenance and my boss this is the response I got.

From: Moncton Campus 
Sent: June-20-14 10:51 AM
To: 'Kristin
Cc: 'Megan'; 'John
Subject: AT18

Norm is requesting a jug of green anti-freeze for the truck. He said the level has dropped in the reservoir, there are no visible leaks.

Katie

Campus Manager

 Academy

From: John
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2014 11:54 AM
To: 'Moncton Campus'; 'Kristin
Cc: 'Megan
Subject: RE: AT18

Is the oil level rising and getting milky?

John

President

 of Canada Inc.

DRIVER SAFETY AND TRADE SKILL DEVELOPMENT

---

When I said no, I was told it was fine. They let it run for 2 more days shutting off randomly in the middle of traffic with people driving it who had never touched a truck before, before finally allowing me to put it in for repairs.

Since this truck was now out, and another one unable to be driven we have 2 trucks left right? 3 trainers. So we had to put into place truck sharing. 2 trainers have to share a truck. Shifts of 1.5 hours each. One pre-trips the broken down truck in the lot while the other one takes their students out driving in the "okay" truck. One trainer refused to share and sent his student home. His student who had his road test in 2 days. The other trainer got mad about this and mad about the change I had to make to the schedule (I constantly had to make schedule changes due to broken down equipment) and quit.
My boss got on the phone with each individual trainer and myself just her, me, and the girl from HR. The first HR personnel we had had in over 2 years. She asked me, what do you think the biggest issue is with the Moncton campus, and I told her "The equipment! It's old and not fit to be on the road, and your refusal to do proper maintenance which causes it to sit in the parking lot and makes the students and trainers lose hours upsets the students and the trainers, and since you're not right here, they yell at me. And you yell at me because their mad and nothing gets resolved. You need to buy new equipment that is less then 15 years old."

So they fired me. They fired me for not saying everything was fine. For telling the truth. For getting so fed up with their mismanagement and lack of care about anything but they're wallets that I just couldn't take it anymore.

The trainer that quit complained about the constant schedule changes and the fact that they would force us to take days off unpaid, and he was told that the schedule should never be changed, and they had no idea I was forcing them to take days off unpaid, and they had not approved any of that.
I did not have the authority to to allow people time off, and I'm not a fan of the forced days off either, I need my paycheck.

Another trainer who I thought was not only a co-worker but a friend, saw this opportunity and convinced head office that a trainer should be in my position. Not that he is, my job is being done by a few other people and he just sits at a desk. But a lay off for 1 or 2 trainers was coming and he knew it, so he was just looking out for number 1!
And he'll be fired as soon as they replace me. How do you think I got my job? I was replacing a man named Oren who did exactly what this man did to me to a woman named Joleen.

From: Moncton Campus 
Sent: June-25-14 1:11 PM
To: 'Megan
Cc: 'Jamie
Subject: Class 1 course next week

I just spoke with Jamie and it appears we only have 2 students starting next week. They are both 12 week students which means from July 14^th  until the 22^nd  will only have 2 students driving. And from the 23^nd until the 28^th we will not have anyone driving. The following week we will again be back to 2 students.

Katie

Campus Manager

 Academy

From: Megan Cunningham
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 2:15 PM
To: 'Moncton Campus'
Cc: 'Jamie Rowlings'
Subject: RE: Class 1 course next week

Which means we only need 1 trainer?

Megan 

 of Canada |

From: Moncton Campus 
Sent: June-25-14 1:17 PM
To: 'Megan
Subject: RE: Class 1 course next week

We will need 2, one in class and one in truck

Katie

Campus Manager

Academy

From: Megan
Sent: Wednesday, June 25, 2014 2:20 PM
To: 'Moncton Campus'
Subject: RE: Class 1 course next week

Do they know this yet?

Megan

From: Moncton Campus 
Sent: June-25-14 1:21 PM
To: 'Megan
Subject: RE: Class 1 course next week

No.

I was able to talk to Neil and terry yesterday and told them that we were hitting a slow period. At the time I thought we had more students coming for the in class so I thought it would only be a 1 week lull.

When Norm and Chris were in there were students around so I didn’t have a chance to speak with them about vacation time and a slow period coming up.

Katie

Campus Manager

 Academy

-Forwarded Message Attachment--
From: @.ca
To: moncton@ttcc.ca
Subject: RE: Class 1 course next week
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2014 14:29:29 -0300

K let’s not say anything today.

Megan

 of Canada |

So now, after being fired, despite the fact that I was a better employee then they deserved, people say "Why would they let you go if you were a good employee?"
What am I supposed to say? If I bad mouth them I look bitter and angry. Would anyone really believe that a company would run caring so little about safety. Should I tell them I had to be prescribed sleeping pills because I couldn't sleep at night because I feared an employee and student getting seriously hurt if not killed from our faulty equipment. This stress caused me to go into a deep depression, and on top of it, the faulty equipment was always blamed on me!! I have e-mails from head office saying it is my fault the equipment is like this, despite their constant refusal to pay for much needed repairs.
Now I am without a job, without a paycheck, struggling to get by, and the jobs I really want, the places I would love to work at, won't hire me because they think if I was let go, then I must not be a good employee.
Life is pretty unfair right now.
However when someone from that school does get seriously hurt if not killed from the faulty equipment, my conscious will be clear, because at least I spoke up, even if it did cost me my job.

Someone just reminded me of this, and it's really funny to me.

So many years ago I had a friend. He's still a friend actually.
Anyway. At one time we attempted dating. It didn't go well. I think we lasted 2 weeks, maybe not even that long. Unsure.
Anyway, we stayed friends after the fact and eventually both moved on. He moved on with a co-worker of mine, which was fine, for me. Not so much her.
She became very jealous of our friendship, because we had recently broken up. I tried to assure her there was nothing between us, and I assume he did too. Again, unsure, never asked him.
So it came to pass that he was no longer allowed to talk to me. This put allot of our mutual friends in a wierd position. We all usually hung out at the same bar, and if we were both there who do they hang out with. It was just weird!
She began bad mouthing me at work. Not saying the usual catty crap girls say, she diagnosed me with a mental disorder claiming she had worked as the receptionist for a psychiatrist and knew about this stuff. So eventually word got back to me through the guy I was seeing, who I am now married too, as we worked in the same building and people mentioned it to him after seeing him with me.
Really, they were looking out for him, seeing as he was dating a woman that had been diagnosed by girlfriend of her ex. Of course the diagnosis was fully legit.
It got bad enough that I eventually went to HR about her, not that it went anywhere, he was not interested in hearing this. Which is kind of fair as it's pretty high school in a way, but in another it's work place harassment.

This is where it gets funny.

Clearly as co-workers we had to be around each other from time to time. We worked in different departments and I could see her desk from mine. One night I had to go into the kitchen to use the phone. I looked, and she was no where to be seen. So how do I avoid her... I decided to cut through the bathroom to the doors that lead to the kitchen. Enter the first set, nothing, second doors, nothing, third doors almost run her over.
I was so on edge baout trying not to see her, that when I saw her I screamed and yelled "OH MY GOD!"
Seriously, not on purpose, it just scared the crap out of me when I opened the door.
Then began laughing, really hard because the entire situation was so ridiculous.
She did not see the humor, muttered something I can't remember and stormed off.

A guy I work with just opened the door and another guy was standing there and he screamed a bit, which reminded me of this, which made me laugh so hard I was crying. It's still kind of funny 12 years later.

I'm pretty sure I'm not on drugs.

On a regular day I usually have a moment or 2 that makes me raise my eyebrows, or eyebrow! The left one, cause I can raise that one independently.
Not the right one though.

Stupid right eyebrow.

Anyway!
This morning was like any other day. My alarm went off, and I had to decide between the snooze button or weeping quietly as I made my way to the shower.
I chose snooze.
I got ready for the day, massive amounts of make-up to try to give the impression to people around me that I have a clear complexion.
Ran out of time so my hair got put in a ponytail.
Wrestled with a cat to get him into a carrier to bring him to get his boys snipped.
Came to work.
This is when the moment happened that I was trying to figure out if I took a hit of acid before I left the house. I have wracked my brain and decided that I in fact did not take a hit of acid, nor did I digest any mushrooms of any sort. I think I would remember if I had injected or snorted anything, so I am pretty sure at this moment I am in fact in full control of my faculties.
A co-worker came into work and handed me something. What they handed me was something they did, that they were not supposed to do. They did it knowing they were not supposed to, and we had a conversation about it last night and it is not what was discussed.
So of course I ask why they did this.
He first lies about the timeline.
Whatever, lets move on.
Then he appologizes. I say it's okay and ask him not to do it again in the future.
You would assume conversation over, right?
Nope.
He continues appologizing.
I again assure him it's okay, please just don't do it again.
This happens 2 more times, then I just begin looking at him and he's appologizing and appologizing over and over, he's waving his hands widely, shouting "What more can I say I'm sorry, I already told you that!"
I'm just staring at him as this continues for about 90 seconds.
Then I again repeat "It's okay, don't worry about it." and he continues freaking out and appologizing over and over.
At this point I am trying to figure out if he is on drugs, because I am not really sure what is happening right now.
Eventually, he leaves in a huff acting like I was attacking him, however I wasn't actually saying anything just staring a little wide eyed because he was acting a little crazy.

So I am trying to decide what this was about.
What you should know about this particular person is this. A few weeks ago I took a day off. It was a Thursday, and this is something that rarely happens. While I was gone this person called my boss and began telling her things about me that were 100% untrue in an attempt to get me fired.
Why?
I don't know honestly. Unfortunately it didn't surprise me as much as it should have as our relationship is strained to say the least.
We had cameras installed a few weeks ago, and my back would have been to the camera while this was happening, while he was flailing and acting like I was attacking him. I honestly think it was a show for my boss so she would think I was yelling at him.

You are reading this thinking this sounds crazy, and it totally does. However in the past 2 years the amount of stunts this guy has pulled to get me fired or get me to quit because he thinks he will get my job if I am gone are too numerous to count.
And honestly, if he wants my job, he can have it. I give him a week. Enjoy the stress and the pay cut! Let me know when your done and I will come fix everything.

I don't know what I'm actually doing!!

 So back to school time was quickly approaching, for most people anyway. Not me. My son is too young to begin school just yet. Although he really thought he was starting school, and it took us a long time to convince him that he was starting next year, not this year. And also there was a period where we had to assure him no matter how much he said it, he was in fact 4 not 5 years of age.

 I decided to go on line to the District 2 website and fine the information about enrolling your child in school. I have faint memories of my sister not realizing you had to do it like a year in advance and rushing to the school a week before it was about to start and trying to get my neice a spot. I, like my sister, am also lacking in the school registration ESP other parents seem to have acquired over the years. So in being me and trying to be prepared well in advance!

Yes, I have begun my Christmas shopping already, thanks for asking!

 

 I begin searching the website, and I cannot find the detailed information on when or how to register, I do eventually find a registration form however, so I fill it out and send it in.

 I get a call about a week later from the school asking me to bring in his vaccination card, and honestly, although I should have thought about it a bit more, the only thought that went through my head was, "I have a year to get it in. Plenty of time!"

 So the day after kindergarten begins I come home and there is another message on my phone saying my son missed orientation, and they were wondering where he was.

 I called back and left a message explaining the error and appologizing. And thought that was that.

 Yesterday my husband who was home sick calls and tells me the school just called. Not only that, they called my parents house as well as they were listed as the emergency contact.

 I call the woman back and explain the error, and tell her I left a message last week and I guess she didn't get it and she says "No. I got your message."
 Which confused me as to why I was now having this conversation with her, but here we are just the same.

 So I explain that my son really wanted to begin school and was heart broken when he couldn't this year, so I ask "Can I just bring him tomorrow and he can start now."
 Honestly I have been saving money for a tattoo and I would have gone out last night and bought him all his supplies with that money!

 She said she was unsure, put me on hold, I assume asked someone, and came back and said no. I thought to myself, "His age has not changed in the last hour. If I hadn't said anything you would have taken him without question, so why can't he start now?" But kept my mouth shut and ended the very confusing conversation.

 What can I say, I am the queen at first impressions!

 

 

The customer may not always be right, but they aren't morons!

So once upon a time, the motto of pretty much evey company was "The customer is always right!" The issue with this is known by anyone who has ever worked in any company where they have had to deal with customers. Customers, are sometimes wrong, and they took this motto and felt it gave them license to be obnoxious assholes!
The motto itself has fallen to the wayside. However, now I feel that allot of times we are being met with customer service representatives treating their customers like morons when the customer tries to get fair service.
Yesterday I went into a store to purchase clothes for my son. They had shorts on super cheap and I had a coupon on my phone for an additional 20% off. So I was stocking up on a few summer items for next year. I picked out 3 pairs of shorts and a t-shirt and went to the cash. As soon as she began ringing me in I had the coupon up on my phone and showed it to her. When the cost came up I thought it seemed a bit high, but paid and left. My husband also commented it seemed high, and I took out the receipt and noticed they didn't give me the 20% off. I went back in and a different woman assisted me. I told her I had the coupon on my phone, but the discount wasn't taken off. She looked, said it wasn't then said "You have to actually show her the coupon before she rings it in you know."
I looked at her and said "I did."
Then the other girl turned around and said "It's my fault, she showed it to me, I forgot to add it."
I appreciated the other girl letting this woman know I had in fact showed it to her, but I couldn't believe that she immediately assumed I was just so stupid that I was in the wrong.
People really need to learn about customer service. It seems like no one cares about putting pride into their work anymore. Maybe she was just having a bad day, I'm not sure. I wasn't rude about it, I just went back and asked if I could get my discount, I was surprised by the reaction by the woman that served me.

yup...

Yesterday while at work I see a post from the SPCA saying they got 11 cats in their first 20 minutes of being open. So I decided that since it was payday that Darby and I would bring them some cat food. I pick Darby up from daycare and we go to the grocery store and I bought about $30 worth of cat food and some bleach and went brought it to the shelter. Darby walked  in carrying a bag full of food and a worker ,looked at us and said "Just put it in the corner." So we looked at the animals and left, Darby is now begging me for a kitty. We have a cat named Banshee, but Banshee sleeps with me in the bed, and Darby wants a kitty of his own that will sleep in his bed. He told me he would bathe it everyday and it could wear his Spiderman jammies.
So we come home to dog pee on the floor. I clean it, only after Darby steps in it, and we continue with our night. I remember there was a sale at a store and last night was the last night of the sale. I wanted to get some clothes for my son for fall so I asked him to come with me so he could pick out what he wanted. He chose a shirt with kitties on it, a skateboarding skeleton, and a Shark polo shirt. He was running around and playing, which makes it hard to too around, but I found what I wanted. A sweater, a t-shirt and some old lady earrings and we went to the cash. In the line my 4 year old sees some car toys. I ask him to put them back and when I go up to pay the tears begin. Then something completely out of character. He hit me, kicked me and attempted to bite me. This is new. I have never seen him act like this. So we are making our way out, he's crying and screaming because he wants me to buy him a toy. I refuse and we are at the doors and a man comes over, grabs my sons hands pulls them off the door, puts his hand on his back and shoves him and says "I'm closing this, it's time for you to go." I stood there in shock as the jerk shakes his head and throws his hands in the air and marches away. I get to the car, wrestle my son into his seat, also something very new, and call my husband and tell him what just happened. Within minutes he's at the store.The man in question was the store manager on duty. While my husband is inside dealing with him, I am in my car on the phone with head office.
Last night I barely slept. Mostly do to my dog's thunder anxiety, and my neighbor who desperately needs a new muffler idling his car for an hour.
Today I woke up unbelievably cranky.
I'm PMSing and it happens unfortunately!
Eventually I calmed down, took a nap, and we went to see a movie at the theater.
20 minutes until the end of the movie, the movie theater popcorn I love met up with my IBS. I think I may have to stop eating my beloved popcorn. :(
The moral!
Don't leave the house. Just stay inside and hide! This is why I don't go anywhere!

Inappropriate comments

My son wears glasses. He wears glasses because he needs them to see.
I am aware of this.
I was with him for the first appointment when he got drops that dilated his pupils and he couldn't see.
I was with him when we went to store after store to find green glasses, which he now refuses to wear because the second pair we got for free are Spider Man glasses.
I paid the very large bill because his prescription in each eye is different and the lenses have to be specially made and they cost $100 a pop! (yes, $100/lense... I know it's expensive!)
I was there when he went back to see if the prescription was correct.
And I was on my way to yet another appointment with him on Wednesday morning.
Unfortunately I had forgotten the night before I wasn't coming into work the next morning, and had the bank card on me, as well as a car full of office supplies I had picked up the night before. So I quickly stopped into work to drop this stuff off with my son before we went to the optometrist.
My co-worker, who doesn't seem to do so well with adults, is great with young kids. My son is extremely shy, but he had him talking and running around very quickly. Which impressed me quite a bit. Then he had to ruin it. He looked at me, with my son standing right there and said in front of 5 other people "He's blinking allot. That's not normal, he shouldn't be doing that."

1! He's not deaf

2! I didn't notice.. OH WAIT! YES I DID! I'M HIS MOTHER!!!!!!

If there is anyone in the world that is gonna notice that there is something going on with his eyesight it's ME!!! I noticed when he initially began squinting and blinking, although we really hoped it was nothing and just our imagination.
Also, in case you missed it, I took the day off to take him to the OPTOMETRIST!
I just couldn't believe a grown man would point that out to my 4 year old son, then say it's not normal. I mean come on dude! It's not rocket science.
So of course today he asks me how the appointment went, I say "Not great. he has to wear an eye patch for the next 5 weeks."
His response "I knew it! When I saw him blinking like that I knew there was something not right. Kids shouldn't be doing that if their normal!"
I just looked at him. Apparently with a pretty mean look on my face cause he got the hint and walked away.

I just don't get some people.