Monthly Archives: December 2007

Even The Losers

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Let’s see, where did I leave off last night? I was angry and a bit drunk, yes that seems right. Angry because I was told that the holiday bonus wouldn’t be given out until the second or third week in January. Ok, that would be a pain in the ass, but it would be doable. Not what I was expecting but apparently, that’s how they do things at BI-BOI. The luncheon that I arranged turned out to be a success and I was toasted by my superiors, which is everyone in the company. Of course I was sitting next to the fast talking cynic, Shemp Howard, and I don’t think he toasted my planning the luncheon. Not that I cared. As successful as it was and everyone else had a good time, I just sat there, ate and drank and didn’t really talk to anyone since everyone was talking about the deals they’ve been working on and I don’t know anything about their deals or bio-technology.

But I carried on being a team player and all. Even went to the after party which was even less fun, staying for two pints before leaving and dealing with the reality that whatever plans I had for the money were going to be held up. I obviously wasn’t too happy about that and I made my way through the holiday crowds, past people in Santa hats going to their parties, smiling and laughing, me with a grimace on my face. I spoke to Carla the receptionist and we made plans to meet up at the Carnegie Club where I was invited for a cigar holiday party. I dressed for that event this morning but as I settled in at work this morning, I felt uneasy and texted Carla letting her know I wasn’t feeling too good. She was cool about it and we made plans for next week instead.

Still felt uneasy as I did my work half heartedly. I decided to leave work early today since it was the last place I wanted to be at that moment. I spoke with Tom Chin, who is unhappy with my work and asked him if the company gives out end of the year bonuses. His reply? They give out bonuses in the spring. Maybe February or March. I thought I’d be able to hang in there until January but now it’s springtime? I was the living embodiment of being crestfallen and I walked out the office very upset and internalizing it all. Yes I was very pissed off but what can I do? Nothing at all. Last year I screwed myself out of a bonus by doing the right thing and it took a while to recover from that, the year before that I got half of what my assistant got for a bonus. I guess I should resign myself to the fact that I won’t be getting a bonus this year. Sure I’ll still go into work and do whatever they want me to do, but I won’t be too happy about it.

The only bonus I can expect will be from working at Farfetched this weekend. That’s something to look forward to. I ran into Julio last night as he was running around. He and Stine are flying to Denmark tonight for the holidays. He called me last night, he had a present for me but didn’t want to feel awkward since he didn’t have anything for Bill so he asked me to stop by his apartment on the way to work this morning. I did and he gave me a really nice pair of headphones for my iPod. They are nice, not my style though. They are in the ear buds basically. Form fitting so they fit in the ear canal comfortably. The thing is, when you put them in your ears, unless you have music playing, you can hear every breath you take (not the Police song) and every step you take (not the Bobby Brown song) which is unnerving. They are nice though.

I have to wear them around Hoboken so in case I run into Julio and Stine they can see I’m using the earphones. They try so hard to get me something. Last year they got me the Beatles LOVE cd, which I had gotten a few weeks earlier from Annemarie, Rex and Earl, so I don’t want to let them down. They’ll be back on January 7, so until then I can go back to using the really good headphones with volume control on the cable, that I bought last week from Radio Shack, back when I thought I’d have money coming in. I do love Julio and Stine and I thank them very much for the present.

Money Changes Everything

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Yeah it’s fucking Tuesday. I hooked up the company I work with, with their Holiday Luncheon. Funny how obnoxious people can get with a few shots of tequila in their system. And though I had a few shots of tequila, unwillingly, yet showed I was a team player, I’m not the obnoxious one. I’m pissed in both the US and UK versions. Pissed UK style from beers and shots and a pint or two, and pissed from the fact that the end of the year bonus that I was counting on, hoping for and needed won’t be given until January, which to me is bullshit. I’m the lowest paid employee of this firm, I’m in every day and even on days off I check my email and forward whatever needs to be sent out, but I’m very upset that I won’t be rewarded until January.

Go on, say it’s better than nothing, but what good is getting something for the holidays when it won’t be there until the new year when the bills come in? The luncheon was ok. I had a better time at last years party with McMann and Tate, aka Wolff Olins. Last year I arrived fucked up, totally whacked out of my head and just drank drank drank to maintain some sort of equilibrium. This year I was sober and my main companion was Shemp from the Three Stooges who is probably going to get fired in a day or two. Shemp didn’t eat, didn’t drink except for coffee and just sat there next to me while everyone else talked shop, which was about deals they had been working on for the past couple of months, things I know nothing about really. I’m pretty cynical but sitting next to Shemp the cynic from Chicago for a few hours, trying to smile and laugh at the right places while Shemp sat there stone faced wasn’t easy.

Larry Fine from the Stooges got some Cuban cigars which were nice and as we stood outside the after party on Second Avenue, that’s when I found out when the bonuses are actually given out. I know it’s down the line, but like I said I was really hoping to get it this year like every other monkey that works in the US. It’s not official. It will be official when I have to act ignorant and mention it to Tom Chin at my surprise that there were no bonuses given out this year. Then he is scheduled to give his line about them being given out sometime in January.

I also found out that Tom Chin is disappointed in my performance. I do plan on tightening things up next year, but that’s then, not now. Greg Stevens, Mr. Nice Guy slurred the info about Tom Chin’s opinion of me at the after party, when Tom Chin wasn’t there. Just disappointed basically. So whatever nice things I had planned on getting for Bill, for myself and for my bill collectors, well it’s going to have to wait since there is no bonus until the new year. Bill was going to split the cost of presents I got for my family, and I was hoping on saying “thanks but no thanks, I got it covered thanks to the bonus”, well that line will be delayed at least for a month.

I stomped my way back to the bus terminal, angry face on, which definitely cleared a path for me. People actually got out of the way of the 6’2” guy stomping down the street with a cigar in his jaw. I should try that more often.

Banksy
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