We has it.
Lala got laid off yesterday. Bleah. Her company blamed it on the economy. I blame it on them not realizing what they had right in front of them. Of course, I’m the wife, and I’m ready to scrap and fight for her, but there’s not much to do now. At least she’ll get a good reference — her immediate boss knows how versatile and talented she is. The Corporate Weasels, well, they don’t and it’s a good thing they’re not in the same room with ME, that’s all I’m saying.
We will make do, of course, and I am lucky enough to work in an industry that usually has overtime to spare. I’ll be picking up OT and oncall pay, which will be good. Beans, rice, and cheap wine. We have all the yarn/books/instruments/video games anyone could ever want, and now that Lala can rip vinyl to her computer, we’re set for YEARS of music at a quarter an album.
But hey, if anyone in the Bay Area has a paying gig they’d like to talk to Lala about, she can be reached at lala at smartyboots dot net. Wait! You need her resume! Here it is:
- Lala is good at doing everything on the computer. Specifically, she is what they call a Web Developer. She is also very good at web design and is not a crazy person, as I believe lots of web designers are.
- She does other very computery-sounding computery things. I kid you not.
- She makes any website look good.
- She makes any CHAIR look good. If you have an ugly chair you need to cheer up, put Lala in it. That’s what I do.
- She wears clothes exceedingly well, especially western gear, although now that she is into jazz (don’t tell her I told you!), she is going to have to start wearing more polyester.
- She is a good knitter. Although she doesn’t do it anymore.
- She would be probably be good at papier mache, although I have no real evidence to back this up.
- She can make the BART train leave. It is her superpower and awesome to behold. Harness that whatever way you can.*
- She can play any instrument set in front of her. Really.
- She can drink the HELL out of a cup of a coffee.
- She is the best.
Hey! She doesn’t need a job! She needs to stay home and be my house-boy! Hooray! I’ve always wanted one!(Or perhaps she would prefer that you read her real resume. It hasn’t been updated yet, so I suspect it’s out of date, but there you go. Not as much fun as mine.)
* My superpower, on the other hand, is to make BART arrive. So when we take BART together, we split the difference and usually end up waiting only a few minutes. (Have I told you this a million times already? I have? Sorry.)
EXTREMELY RELEVANT LINK. Lala just sent me THIS. She thought it was a joke. HA!
AWWWWW….Damn. Well, she has a GREAT resume, and the support of a fab wife and kids…..this too shall pass (unemployment that is, not the fab wife and kids..).
So, so sorry. Unfortunately, we haz it too. Husband has been cut back twice (salary cut in July, then salary to hourly last month). We’re doing everything we can to cut back until things pick up again. What I’m saying is, I hear ya’ sister.
Boo-urns. The Corporate Weasels will deeply regret their mistake in time. I really wish I had an ugly chair or a cup of coffee for lala to help out with.
Sorry to hear about the lay-off. But good news is that you will have someone so talented sitting in your ugly chair and cheering you up. Not everyone is that lucky.
Mental picture: woman sitting on a chair at the Bart station, knitting but the train just left… I wonder if that’s what Whistler’s Mother was up to that day.
Wishing I had a paying gig to suggest, but I think house-boy for you and those pets is a pretty serious job until one comes up!
this post is hilarious, despite its bad news. you are a very cute wife. π
Here is a link to a job opening at Peralta Commuity College District- It is for a Software Analyst.
http://www.peralta.edu/apps/recview.asp?P=JobVacancies&T=JobVacancies&D=Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Persist%20Security%20Info=false;Integrated%20Security=SSPI;Initial%20Catalog=Platform;Date%20Source=.;&Q=454
She should also check the surrounding College Distric websites-they are always looking for good computer people.
Best of luck
Shit, that bites. I’m sending you guys new-job-soon vibes.
I’m sorry she lost her job, but she couldn’t have a better advocate than you! Oh, and having a SAHS is a good thing – at least for the first month or so. My boyfriend moved cross-country to be with me and left a great job behind. In this economy, he hasn’t been able to find a new one. However, the benefits are many:
1 – Someone to prepare meals
2 – Someone to take control of domestic management
3 – Someone to be a SAHD to a brand new baby puppy (Remind me to send photos at some point of our 25-day-old puppy. He might not seem interesting to a veterinary dentist at first, but he has sprouted some teeth since we brought him home!)
Not all benefits are of the domestic type, but that’s where I fail and he succeeds.
Good luck!
Oh, boy. That sucks. If I can figure out a way to throw her a little freelance work, I will do so.
Lala sounds extremely employable, using either resume. If she can’t do, perhaps she can teach. Won’t the government be holding retraining programs?
My husband has been out of work since January. He’s a sider so we’re hoping he can pick up some renovation work this summer. We are also okay, in spite of the stress, and it is nice to have someone else doing all the house work!
sorry about this. we are having a rough time too! we will survive!! *hugs* to you and lala
λΌλΌ νμ΄ν !
Well, that’s sucky. I hope she enjoys the hell out of her free time and may it be short-lived.
Boo. Recession. Think of all the fun DIY spring projects that can get done now. Whooooooo!
I know we’re going to be hearing way more laid off stories and I’m sorry that it happened to Lala. But you both will weather this storm, as we’re prone to do, and come out the better for it in the end. It’s just the sucky bits in between that blow.
And yay for beans, we’re all about the frugal living since January 1st ourselves in preparation for the unknown/inevitable/fill-in-the blank.
big hugs, as always, from Arroyo Grande!
Sorry to read this. Have nothing else to offer except hope. Take care.
I’m sick of the economy. Sick of the recession. And sick of stress happening to good people. Why can’t the stress happen to the jerks????
Bleah is right.
I see that La went to college right next door to mine! (I went to WSU). I wonder if we know the same people.
Sorry to hear about the laying off…no fun at all!
My bf has been out of a job for a month and a half now, so I certainly can commiserate. He’s a programmer with over 20 years of experience (he worked in the White House during the Clinton administration!)and *still* hasn’t managed to find anything. And since I’ve been a hausfrau for a few years, well, we’ve got NOTHING coming in. It’s bleak out there and really, really scary. I hope the job search goes better for Lala than it has here. (But fingers are crossed… he has an interview in the morning!)
Oh dude – the three following references:
* Vinyl
* Jazz
* Polyester
combined in my head to create a brief yet surprisingly vivid version of “R. Crumb” starring Lala in the title role.
Please don’t do that again. It was disturbing. I was disturbed.
Anyway, now that Lala is a stay at home dog and cat mom, I think she should add CHICKEN MOM to her list of duties. Think of all the dough you’ll save on eggs! The real question is, can you afford NOT to?
Well that does well and truly suck. May Lala land a wonderful new gig and soon. I send you both hugs. There’s a lot of making do out here, fer shure, me included. Much love you all.
Dude! That sucks. I assume she’s filed for her unemployment already since that shite takes 6 weeks to kick in…Damn that woman is talented.
I have get-a-job super powers and have sent them your way.
Does she work with lowly bloggers who are trying to get their typepad blogs on to dreamhost and make them look cool for reasonable amounts of money? If so, I’m hiring.
Oh lawd, this made me chortle: “Now that she is into jazz… she is going to have to start wearing more polyester.”
I’m into 18th century northern Italian opera. Should I break out the trunk full of dusty panniers?
I’m sorry about Lala’s job. Sending you guys lots of hugs and good luck vibes!
damn, she knows Perl!?! she is fancy. and also she made a joke about HTML tables on her resume that made me giggle. thinking good thoughts for you both and I hope a fabulous job comes her way very soon.
She should apply for the Ravelry job!!!
Aw, rats! I’m sorry to hear it — that well and truly sucks.
My hub has been laid off since early February, and I have to say, it’s amazing to find out how little we really need to get by . . .
Also, has she already applied for unemployment? If not, she should do it right away! π
I can’t believe La is finally into Jazz! I remember trying to make her listen to A Love Supreme by John Coltrane all those years ago (but lo – there is a John Coltrane church in SF so she can get her soul saved yet).
It sucks sucks SUCKs! That she got laid off. I too was laid off three weeks ago so she’s in good company. . .And more to come I’m afraid.
Hi Rachael:
I hope Lala’s unemployment will not last very long and that a stimulating new position will soon materialize for her. Supportive and friendly thoughts to both of you. xoxo
Giulietta
Yeah, happened to me too. Another web developing, coffee drinking knitter. Fortunately I don’t think we’ll be competing for jobs!
Best of luck with the hunt.
So sorry to hear about Lala – will keep fingers crossed that something comes along soon. On a different note, my brother sent this, and you need to go see it (even though you can’t eat Cadburys, you can watch one get smashed). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrCb_fNmSTA
Yuck, yuck, yuck! I’m sorry Lala got the big L-O. I got it a month ago too. I didn’t particularly like my job and had been looking before it all went down so I’m seeing this as a mixed blessing. I think the key will be networking. Stay positive and be strong! This is a challenging time but I’m gunning for Lala (and for me and everyone else who’s had this sucky thing happen to them)!
“She makes any CHAIR look good. If you have an ugly chair you need to cheer up, put Lala in it. That’s what I do.”
<3, <3, <3!!!! Lucky Lala.
This may sound dumb of me, but I’ve been reading the blog for a while, and just realized (by peeking at the resume) that Lala is Lala’s name. I guess I thought it was a pseudonym. What a cool name!
Good luck through this.
Boo. Me and The Boy have not been hit by such things yet, but I’ve got a few friends who have been laid off. I’ll cross my fingers that Lala finds a nice chair to sit in and an even better job…
My company just announced layoffs but won’t tell us who until mid-April. Gah.
Companies aren’t hiring permanent workers but may be hiring contractors – especially for web development and IT. Lala could try getting her name in with one of those temporary placement agencies, but one specifically for her skill set.
My husband is a SAHD and it works great for us (if I keep my job that is).
Loved the comic.
Peace and positive thoughts.
That sucks! I’m in the same boat with a recently unemployed SO, so I sympathize.
Sending hugs and sunshine…
We know who loves Lala! π Very best wishes to Lala on finding a new position that is best for her.
{hugs} to you and LaLa. I sincerely hope that this is just a door to an even better job with a minimum of Weasels. One never knows. May the interregnum be short and the least stressful possible.
And that cartoon made me snortgiggle.
Miserable for Layla – but there are a few companies still hiring and specifically hiring minorities….and they still consider women as one. Not sure what anyone has in your area but know Raytheon is hiring. Big.
Have Layla drop me a line if she wants info – I’m IT too and not sure I have new info, but sometimes just good to bounce ideas…
Best resume I have ever read! I’m sure Lala will land butter side up. Hmmm, butter!
We are happy to feed you if you can afford the gas to our house.
Kisses to you and the misses.
Bummer. π Tell Lala she needs to join the SFWoW (women on the web) list here:
<http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/new-sfwow/>
Great community full of cool women, networking opportunities, and other fun.
That sucks about the job loss. Craig was laid off last June and I have to say the house-boy option should be considered–we love having him at home to cook for us, and do housey stuff and to spend time with (job he left was a job he really wanted to leave).
I hope something comes along soon. Lala is super so I’m sure she’ll find something.