May 1, 2002
Dear Everyone:
One of the really fun things about going through a Merger is that it gives the Powers That Be yet another opportunity to play games with the Benefits. Health insurance. Life insurance. Savings plan. And, of course, everything has to be changed because leaving it the way it was would be too simple and easy for everyone.
Consequently, our mail boxes are being flooded with announcements, option plans, brochures, “exciting new offers”, and FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) that are so bland and vanilla that they don’t answer any but the most basic of questions. (Example: Q: “Who are you?” A: “We’re the new finance company that’s going to run your 401(k) for you.”)
And we have exactly 10 days in which to make all the decisions during the “open enrollment period”. Actually, the 10 days began last Sunday, so there’s less than 10 days now. We have until next Friday to complete this little assignment. Of course, they’re hoping most people will just throw up their hands and go with the “default” decisions, the ones that work best for the Company.
I finally gathered all the propaganda together and took it into the office, in hopes of spending a little quiet time trying to figure out what will happen to me if I do nothing, versus what will happen if I make any changes. Did I mention that things have gotten really, really busy at work lately?
Oh, well. It’s only money. Speaking of which, “Jeannie” and I went shopping last Saturday. I had a coupon worth 15% off anything I wanted in the store, and the coupon expired April 30th, so we needed to use it pretty quickly. The only problem was that there were so many restrictions that applied that we couldn’t find anything we wanted to buy with the coupon. So we left without making any purchases. At that particular store.
Instead, we went to another store where we found, lurking among the handbags and purses, an Italian bag that seemed perfect for my organizational needs. It had places for just about everything, and was very light, being constructed of high-grade vinyl and leather. Never mind that it was originally intended to be a combination laptop tote and briefcase. It’s a “purse” now.
As for the laptop, I’ll start looking for a proper case after I get my new (work) PC. This case will come with wheels and a handle, as dictated by our new supervisor, and based on the company’s policy of avoiding injuries at all cost. It’s almost like you need a little, red wagon to carry all these “helpful” devices around with you all the time. Honestly, between the cell phones, the portable email receivers, the handheld PDA’s and pagers, etc. I’m just waiting for some enterprising company to come up with a high-tech variation on the good, old-fashioned carpenter’s belt to hold everything.
Or maybe the phone companies will beat them to it with the soon-to-appear “all-in-one” phone. When I can watch the latest Star Wars movie on it, let me know.
What with the shopping on Saturday, (I also finally got a nice clock for the living room wall) and working in the office for six hours on Sunday, (that is, I worked, I don’t know what “Jeannie” did) we didn’t have any time for a movie last weekend. May not have time next weekend either, as it is haircut Saturday. But sooner or later, we’ll get back into the swing of things.
After all, the summer blockbuster season is just around the corner.
Love, as always,
Pete
| Previous | Next |