The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Woo-hoo! We're almost done with the online banners; hence, the downtime to blog.

And as soon as Bryan replies to my e-mail with the updates tomorrow, then that's about it. The ball will soon be in the client's court. Liza told me that the next big project will be in June; so, as a contractor, she won't be required to report for work in May.

I guess it's going to be lean next month. Better look for other sources of gainful employment. And speaking of employment, I haven't heard anything again from that prospective employer who called last week. I tried calling her, but I was always prompted to leave a voicemail. And when I asked her to return my call, she called my home phone. When I returned her call, she wasn't around. So, I left her another voicemail, asking her to call my cell phone. She did return my call, but she dialed my home phone again. After a week of playing phone tag, I guessed she gave up.

More Banners!

All the planned overtime and weekend work didn't materialize after all. The suits were having last-minute problems with the copy decks last week that it negated the need to work extra hours. But all those screen grabs had taken their toll on me.

My entire right arm sometimes go numb after copying and pasting the online banners on Word hundreds of times. Oftentimes, I feel a sharp pain on my right shoulder. Plus, getting four hours of sleep didn't help either. Fortunately, I was able to finish proofing today's new set of banners albeit slowly.

Goodbye, Patrick!

Another one bit the dust, and it's Patrick. Today is his last day. He's found a new and better gig somewhere. I would quit, too, if I were treated like crap by Jennifer.

Good for him, bad for her.

Just a Quick Note

Yesterday was the start of this big mess of online banners. Rob and I were expecting to work late, but we managed to submit everything on time and had to stay late for 15 minutes only. However, the entire staff might be required, except Julita, to work on weekends to beat next week's looming deadline.

According to Wendy, we're on schedule so far. But with the client's fickle-mindedness, we always end up rehashing our work. I'll probably end up working late tonight.

The Beginning of the End

It could be.

While taking a break from all these proofreading this afternoon, I checked my home phone if someone left some voicemail. Lo and behold, someone did! It was from a prospective employer for the e-commerce coordinator position that I applied for earlier this week. But from the way the caller sounded, it was more like a telephone interview.

The position is a far cry from my present one, but it's something I'm familiar with: online retail.

The Calm Before the Storm

I got a taste of what lies ahead of me later this week. Wendy had me updating the PDFs of the 30 English banners because of the revised copy decks. I spent more than five hours on those. It might have taken me longer than that if I hadn't thought of an easier way of making screen grabs of revised online banners.

Why work hard when you can work smart?

Heads Up: Busy Week

One hour into the workday and I got an e-mail from Bryan, the art director from Toronto. It's a link to an online presentation page containing more links for a client's online banners, all 60 of them. I already did 20 of them last week, which left me 40 more to do today. Bryan normally doesn't send them in one fell swoop, but he did this time.

It was actually an omen, a portension of things to come: Both Liza and Jennifer reminded me that I might stay late beginning Wednesday because of these banners. I guess I have to miss my personal and spiritual commitments this week — but not if I can help it.

Quiet But Stressful

Friday is turning out to be a quiet one. Client-related work is nowhere in sight for the time being. However, with the Dragon Lady running loose, unlike yesterday when she was at a workshop, my stress levels are up again.

I don't know why, but I dread seeing her. It seems like she's going to call me any minute and hand me some stuff to do that I have no idea about.

The other day, I saw her from the corner of my eye approaching me. I felt my heart beat fast. The instinct to fight or flight began to kick in. When she was in front of me, she handed me a souvenir pen from Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel. (Everyone got one, by the way.) All that cortisol for a stinking pen!

At the moment, she is holed up in an office talking to some suit. I feel safe — for now.

Now This Is Definitely Quiet

It's five past four and I haven't done anything that's client billable. This week's timesheet is going to be a bad one. But I took the down time to submit a résumé online for a content copywriter position. I don't know yet how it will work out.

I am also on kitchen duty today.

Another Quiet Day? Not Quite.

It looked like business was picking up again — for me, at least. Today's client chargeables was 3¼ hours. It's the most I've worked this week, thanks to a new batch of online banners and copy deck updates.

Another Quiet Day

It looks like another day filled with boredom.

I was hoping to do some meaningful work when Liza, as usual, sent me an e-mail about Nina's translation files. Unfortunately, it appeared that I already did my part on those files last week. There goes at least two hours of gainful employment.

Then she sent me another e-mail, wondering if I received training on tracking ID creation — whatever that is. I was no help to her again.

I'm beginning to think the suits are treating me as a hired help.

A Quiet Monday

I was expecting this.

A quiet Monday normally follows a quiet Friday. It's almost 2 p.m. and I haven't done anything that's work related or client chargeable except for the WIP meeting this morning. And if not for that meeting, Monday on my timesheet would be zero.

However, Jennifer's back from her workshop in Hong Kong. Her presence continues to stress me out even though she hasn't asked anything of me yet. (That's how bad I feel about her.)

So, what am I doing to while away the time? I'm working on my cover letter and résumé for that publications manager position.

A Quiet Friday

I felt guilty not telling almost anyone that I wasn't going to the after-office drinks last night. I knew it was common courtesy to say no, but I didn't tell a single soul, except Rob, who also didn't go.

Anyway, my guilt was pretty obvious with the way I avoided people. I didn't even bother talking to the suits, lest they asked why I didn't come with them. What also made me feel worse was that Jim was having a meeting with us for a creative review. I feared the use of the word "review," as in "job review."

Plus, the last time Jim was here, he let Vassil go. Fortunately, the meeting was simply a recap of what the company had been doing creatively for the client. So, it was safe to say that they weren't shipping and shifting our work to Toronto and that Rob and I still have our jobs. Thank God!

And thank God it's Friday.

It's Quiet. Really.

I knew it's going to be one of those quiet and boring days when I opened the door. It's almost 8:30 a.m. and the lights were still out. And neither Wendy nor the suits were already in.

I opened my e-mail and there was nothing urgent from Liza or anything from the Toronto office. In fact, the only office e-mail I got so far was from the IT guy, Mark, who said that he was going off site for the rest of the day. I wished I could do that.

The funny thing is, now that I have plenty of time in my hands, I'm longing for gainful employment.

By the way, drinks tonight at 6 at a flashy restaurant by the harbour. I won't be going even though Jim is around today and tomorrow.

Started with a Bang, Ended with a Whimper

I hadn't warmed up yet for the day when Liza, as usual, wanted me to do screen grabs and a PDF in a hurry. I was done more than an hour later, but I kept going. I continued to update the new banners that I proofread yesterday. I tried to prolong the task by pounding the keyboard slowly. Alas! I was finished way before lunch time.

So, I tried answering a questionnaire that was a requirement in applying for this managerial position at a public corporation. I tried fitting my experience for that job opening. I hope they buy it.

Anyway, it looks like I won't be busy for the entire afternoon.

I Was Right After All

Deb dropped by this morning to do some contract work. She also brought her famous white-chocolate cranberry fudge, which I had for dessert. Yummy!

She also gave me some advise in dealing with Jennifer's office bullying. Deb only confirmed what I wanted to do when the Dragon Lady asked me to work on her PowerPoint presentations:

• That I can refuse to work late just because she does;

• That I can tell her that I have no idea what she wants me to do because it's not my line of work;

• And if she insists that I work on it, that I demand assistance.

Deb reminded me that I have every right as an employee of the company to do so.

Monday Blues

I came in 15 minutes late today, thanks to the heavy rain and traffic. Although it's spring, it was still cold, wet and gloomy.

I arrived just in time for the WIP meeting. It was a short one though — around 15 minutes — because Jennifer, Jim and Tonie weren't around. Wendy said that it was simply the calm before a storm. I thought I heard them talking about the beginning of May as the start of another round of projects, which I didn't mind, of course.

It's quiet, too. All of the suits went out for client meetings. However, Liza gave me a heads up on the remaining French online banners, which I needed to proof. After that, I might help Nina with her files again.

I'm Chillin' — For Now

After a crazy-busy morning, with Liza panicking because of some body copy that wasn't supposed to be there in the online banners, I'm now taking it easy for the rest of the day. (The absence of Jennifer also helps. She's on her way to Hong Kong to deliver 17 PowerPoint presentations to clients.)

Anyway, after screen grabbing all 20 animated banners, pasting them 100 times on Word and converting the file into PDF, everything was good. Liza was now more relaxed. With no e-mail and phone calls bothering her, she even enjoyed her lunch.

Most Hectic Week on Record?

Finally, some down time. This has been the most hectic week so far. Liza and Patrick has been bugging me since Tuesday regarding their client's online banners.

I thought at first that this week was going to be a slow one, so I volunteered to help Nina with the rest of her translation files on Tuesday. Finishing at 4 p.m., I was planning to take it easy for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Patrick thwarted my plans; he wanted me to do proofread and screen captures of some banners, and wanted them by the end of the day.

My first reaction was: "You've got to be kidding me!" I also wanted to say that to him via e-mail. However, I kept my cool and concentrated on the task at hand instead. I was done a little past five. I walked to the bus stop contented, knowing that I once again rose to the occasion.

But I couldn't help but think that the suits were sending last-minute work to me on purpose. Micro-managing Jennifer is notorious for that. Patrick looks like he's becoming a male version of her. And Liza, well, she tried yesterday to make me stay and do a PDF of online banners again. This, after I was already on my way out of the office. Instead, she asked me to come to work early tomorrow, which I did today. (She could become a female version of the Dragon Lady.)

Tom and Tummy Trouble

Yesterday afternoon, Rob and I met with Tom and his wife and kid at a coffee shop a block away from our office. He was no longer freelancing with us because he got a job offer from the advertising firm where Doug, our former copywriter, now works. We wanted to see how he was doing and how he was finding Victoria.

I had a medium-sized mocha with Belgian dark chocolate and cream. Unfortunately, it didn't sit well with me. An hour later in the office, I felt my stomach grumble. Thirty minutes later, I was in the washroom. I thought my bout with an early morning tummy ache was over after two trips to the toilet and taking one Imodium. I guess the caffeine and probably the whipped cream triggered the runs.

They're Ganging Up on Me!

It all started last Thursday at 4 p.m. Jennifer approached me for another project of hers that she wanted me to do for her team. As usual, it was something I knew nothing about, such as brand positioning, brand pyramid and the like. How would I know those terms when I am simply a proofreader who's trying to be a copywriter?

Anyway, I tried my best to decipher the marketing jargon she used with the little backgrounder she gave me. I probably spent more than two hours working on the project. Of course, I was forced to work late again.

The next day, the Dragon Lady followed up on the status of my work. I told her that I was working on it until Liza gave me something to proofread, which was more important. After lunch, she called me and wanted to see my work. There was no avoiding the office bully this time.

Like always, the stuff I did was wrong. So, I asked her if she could give me a pattern that I could use and follow. Unfortunately, none was available. Even the stuff she gave me the day before was wrong, too. Worse, even the work her team did was also wrong. If everyone was wrong and she was always right, she should do it herself then.

True to form, I tried to redeem myself by revising my work. An hour into my revision and Patrick and Liza started to bug me if I was done with it. I wasn't known to hand over half-assed projects, but they were asking for it. So, I gave my unfinished job to them and let the suits worry about it. (One thing that also pissed me off was when Patrick asked me to do some research for his part of the project. I said no.)

Nina did her part of bugging me, too, but she was more considerate and respectful. She wasn't the type who just barges in with a request.