Wolf in the Hen House

I'm waiting for the Tomczaks to officially take all of their stuff from 302 into 305. The place is a mess what with our stuff and the rest of their stuff together. I know they have busy lives, but if they expect us to pay for anything (utilities, rent, or otherwise), We're gonna need a house to live in. 

I'm already not happy that we have to leave the rabbits at 302 while Mariel and I stay at Delia's and Kevin's half an hour away. They offered to house the rabbits, but it's more of a mess than we want to burden them with.

I'm ready to move in and I'm also ready simply settle down. Staying with Delia and Kevin is great and they're very hospitable, but we need a place of our own and we're getting pretty antsy at this point.

---

Heard from an old co-worker of mine, Danny. Jennifer, a newly-hired supervisor that came in right when I left, is apparently quite the "wolf in the hen house".

"Dude, you have no idea what I found out."

"Tell me."

"You can't tell anyone there. I left to work at Henry Ford Optical. On my way out, I got told shit I'm not supposed to know. That Jennifer is a complete monster."

"What were you told?"

"For starters, I found out they really didn't want you to have to go. But Jennifer- first off, do you talk to Sue still?"

"Lol what? No? Wait, are you telling me Jennifer was part of the reason why I was fired?"

"No, but she wanted to be the one to fire you as a test run for a list of people. A list she presented that she wanted to fire when she found out they were letting you go. Then she complained that she was being treated unfairly because she wasn't allowed to be the one the fire you directly. They tried telling her that firing people isn't something that they promote enjoying and she responded that they were being too nice to their employees and they 'needed to be a dictator, not a leader'."

"Uhh... well... they sure let a wolf into the hen house."

"And on the list she presented were tenured union employees and they were like, 'dude, you don't just fire these people'."

"Wow. That's really, really fucked up."

"Then she told admin that they need to get rid of peers."

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Then she filed a racial complaint against the organization because they had to tell her that if she doesn't stop, they'll be forced to let her go."

"What a fucking psycho."

"She verbally attacked Sue."

"what the fuuuuuck."

"They can't get rid of her now because her racial complaint has to have due process before they can."

"Wow"

"Yeah, supervision is thinking she's a fraud."

"Yeah, no shit."

"I heard Kim and Sue sat together reflecting on what they missed about her in the interview. No red flags. She interviewed perfectly. I told them that's how anti-socials work. Good luck with that. My first impression with her body language is that she's never done this before."

"Wow."

"Jennifer got off on you cleaning out your desk. Because she wanted to be the one who told you that you had to." 

"Oh, that's nice."

I'm trying to move on because none of it matters anymore. I think I've still got some integrating to do regarding it, but I can't help but feel such a terrible sting. I already don't trust businesses and organizations as it is. I'm really, genuinely trying to feel otherwise. But this really, really hurts.

---

Driving in North Carolina is more difficult than driving in Michigan. Grid system? Gone. More like broken glass. The driver's? Crazy. Everyone drives twenty over or twenty under. Lanes end for no reason or suddenly merge with another. Raleigh roads in particular are more narrow than other roads, especially compared to Michigan.

If I had one gripe about living in North Carolina, this would be it. But literally everything else is a dream come true. It's the best parts of southeast Michigan, but all over. And the food is better... and the culture is better...

---

The peer support application packet has been mailed. I'm told I'll hear back in 10-15 days.

My plan is to get a job as a peer support, pay off debt and go to school for horticulture. Right now I'm leaning towards a major in horticulture with a minor in plant pathology. Or I'll just make plant pathology my major. I'm still really interested in permaculture so I think I'll be going for a permaculture design certificate.

After this and other related news about my old job, plus the strong resistance from some people with degrees (peers deal with that too), I'm just not feeling peer support as a long term path for me. I also don't want to forever and ever have my past used as a tool. I don't enjoy bringing it up. I feel like it's all just a bunch of trauma dumping with a cherry on top.

I feel like peers get used and thrown out once they've decided not to do what they're told, no matter how insignificant the choice may be. On the other hand, had that not happened, I wouldn't be in North Carolina right now.

---

Just like when someone's knees start aching when a storm's a brewin', I can feel when I'm entering "songwriter mode" again. I'm looking to see if, when all the house stuff is put away, I can make part of the sun room a music studio. I miss playing guitar and piano, I miss songwriting and singing. That's always been a sure sign that I'm feeling some general turmoil or some dust is settling.

Trevor.