Cinderelly

As a clever talking mouse once sang in a Disney production: "Cinderelly. Cinderelly. Night and day. It's Cinderelly. Make the fire. Fix the breakfast. Wash the dishes. Do the mopping." He then hands the song over to his female counterparts (notice the plural, he's a pimp): "And the sweeping and the dusting. They always keep her hopping."

That's pretty much how I feel right now. Not like the pimp mouse, but like Cinderella. And not cuz I'm a smokin hot blonde, dammit! It's cuz I'm working too much.

Lately the boss at work is riding me hard.

"Seabiscuit, get in here!"

"Yessir."

"Why isn't this done?! Why isn't that done?!"

"Um...maybe cuz you underpay me for what you expect me to do. And also you have no idea what's involved with what you're asking me to do."

"Well, that's what life is about isn't it? You know life's not fair."

"Yessir."

"So what's the problem?!"

"Um...maybe cuz you underpay me for what you expect me to do. And also you have no idea what's involved with what you're asking me to do."

"You just said that."

"I know. You're still not listening."

"I DON'T CARE GET THE JOB DONE!"

"....Okay...."

And the dilemma continues. The work keeps piling up, and it all is expected to be done yesterday. At this point I'd rather be working in the warehouse, at least those guys have a set job description.

I work for a small company, and am one of three "computer guys" that watch over a system for the entire company, so the work is vast and ambiguous. I fix problems when they come up, I work on databases, I run and edit reports, and I pretty much do whatever needs to be done on any level.

Obviously with that kind of responsibility things will get backed up, and especially when you know more about everything than everyone else, even though the other incompetents get paid more.

Multiple times a day from multiple people I get questioned about why certain things aren't done and what's taking so long to get certain tasks accomplished. Usually my answers vary between "Because it's the hosted network server, it's nothing I can control," and "I would answer your question but instead I'll just tell you that you're a fuckin' idiot and you should probably leave me alone before I give you a wild headbutt."

I work and work and work (and blog...so what??) and get nothing but disrespect. I guess it's the life of an IT guy, but most IT guys get paid twice as much as I do.

I've thought a lot about investing what little extra money I have, but am a lost duck on that subject. Usually when I come home from work the last thing I wanna do is sit and research and work more. I know I should, but I'm lazy. But then again that's the mentality of a poker player, isn't it? More money for less work...the life of a true professional.

Speaking of poker players, Darsky and Kirk are coming up to Santa Barbara tonight. Kirk's moving in a few weeks, so I figured we'd have a home game tonight and go out drinking on State St. tomorrow night. Cards...drunkeness...good times.

Unfortunately our home game has fallen apart, and we've since made plans to go to Chumash instead. It's been a while since I've played there. Last time I went to go play, the $2-5NL was dead, so I ended up +$2,000 at the $25 blackjack tables. WOO!

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<. Insert break for lunch time .>

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I just got back from lunch with the office manager. We ate at the Brew Co. (a nice little micro-brewery around here) and we finished lunch three beers deep. With all the complaining I do about work, it sure is a great place when the boss isn't around...

My check was waiting for me on my scattered desk when I came back. It was laying across the strewn papers, gently placed like a puzzle piece in the center of the four cups of office-brewed coffee I have half-full on my desktop (no Starbucks today either...), and somehow seeing it there in front of me makes the whole terrible work journey worth the every-day brain strain.

Of course this check is all bills, I won't see a single cent of it. But thus is life, and it is even more so Santa Barbara. After getting as much as I do per paycheck and still not being able to keep it, I only start dreaming of moving to Vegas again.

*sigh*

Until next time.