So Neglected

I cannot allow two months to go by without a single post (although technically I guess I have); this blog is so neglected. But posting anything interesting requires my actually doing or experiencing something interesting to comment on or digging up some mental energy to make the mundane worth reading about. Unfortunately neither my professional nor personal lives give me either of those things, so here I am talking about nothing.

The organization I work for is due to do a mid-year review next month, which is hilarious because we haven’t done a formal start-of-year work plan. None of us know what we are being assessed on this year especially since HR is apparently revamping the key performance indicators and the review forms; all par for the course.

Oh, I guess there has been a change at work I should talk about. I’ve been promoted. It comes with a small increment which, as my colleague (who was a level below me when I started but got promoted twice since I was hired, becoming my boss last year, and pushed for my promotion this year) said, a few years of regular adjustments for inflation and we’d reach this level anyway. It also comes with a new title, but no meaningful new responsibilities, just more administrative work.

I am grateful to my ex-boss for pushing for my promotion; there was no way that despite my strong performance (I was told I was ranked the best performer in the organization last year) I would have been promoted if the decision were left to the rest of management. But I will not forget that management (now my peers) screwed me over last year, and even my ex-boss decided to hire at my new level last year instead of pushing for me then. That communicates a lot to me about how they (don’t) value my effort and contribution.

I remain committed to an exit strategy; however, given all the turmoil in the world and the cost of living crisis, I no longer feel like I can just walk out without a better offer. I’ve been applying for jobs, and seem to be in a no man’s land because academia doesn’t want me (understandably, I haven’t published an academic piece in years) and the corporate world doesn’t want me (I think I’m not using the right buzzwords for automated screenings – I’m working on it – but in any case I don’t have the right networks). So I’m fully cognizant that despite my disgruntlement where I am is about as good as where I’m ever going to be.

Ugh, I don’t want this post to just be whining about work.

I’d do a Severance review as I had planned long ago but unfortunately I have forgotten all the little details I wanted to talk about and I’m not going back to rewatch it just for this blog. It is smart but it is also dark and it would take up way more mental energy than I can spare.

I have finished season two of Girls5eva and it was as delightful as I expected. The songs (especially BPE (NSFW) and Bend Not Break) are better than season one, in my opinion, and the comedic lines come fast and hard. There are some references that I didn’t get, which were revealed in interviews, and the nod to Hercules is one of my favourites. I’ve used the VIN-DI-CA-TION line from Brookyn Nine-Nine a few times in everyday life, and DIS-A-PPOIN-TED is going to be added to the repertoire.

Next up on the watchlist, She-Hulk!