Two things for this category. First, remember Ego Man? If you don't, he's the blowhard who hijacked my sweet little writers group back in January. He's the one who wasn't interested in either giving or receiving feedback and has spent the last seven months telling us how awesome he is and how hopeless and doomed for failure the rest of us are (this in between "jokes" about wanting to steal my work.). He's really been a delight (sarcasm) but today, I received an email from him (well, the entire group did) saying he was dropping out of the group for the foreseeable future. I know this makes me a terrible person but I did a little happy dance when I read that.
Second, I received a note from my third beta, the third person in a row to make it all the way through Effigy (when it rains, it pours, I guess). In addition to Effigy, she also read the first three hundred pages of its sequel, Second Nature. I'm not going to include the entire note, but here are a couple of highlights:
I am in awe that you have created this world and these people.
and
Second Nature is awesome. We won't even discuss the tantrum I had about not having the rest of the book. You should be proud.
I am proud. And a little embarrassed, in a shy please-don't-let-the-spotlight-be-on-me kind of way. But, if you're reading this, E, thank you very much. Your timing was perfect.
The Bad
I had my annual performance review at The Store yesterday. I never look forward to them but this year seemed a particular waste of time since I'd been told about two months ago that I was no longer eligible for pay increases because someone in my position could only earn X number of dollars an hour and I was already at that point. And I'll admit, since that time, I may have half assed and even quarter assed a few of my shifts but the truth remains that even when I am quarter assing my shifts, I'm still more productive than most of the staff.
Anyway, it went about as well as I expected. Last year, I was marked down for not always wearing current product (seriously) and my occasionally bad attitude (I heckled the staff meetings. But only because they're rather ridiculous). This year, I was marked down for my occasionally bad attitude toward company initiatives. That conversation went like this:
My boss: You need to be more positive about company initiatives.
Me: But they're dumb.
My boss: (pause for grinding of teeth) Be that as it may, you keep saying you don't want to do them—
Me: That's because I don't want to do them.
My boss: Go away now.
Me: Gladly.
The Funny
I get a real kick out of the people behind the "How It Should Have Ended" series. My all time favorite so far is Twilight. But here are two I just saw for the first time this week:
Be sure to tune in Monday when I might actually get around to posting my July book review. Until then, have a great weekend...