Other than work

So I thought I better stop writing about work. It just turns off people and makes me look like a real whiner and loser. Besides, the indignities are daily, so they're not news anymore. Man biting dog is now normal, so why report on it?

I still expect to be let go by December or January.

Above is a picture of Alyssa and her friend Paige. Paige is holding the toy horse.

Paige and her family recently moved away and Alyssa was devastated. She stayed home "sick" for two days after Paige left.

Both girls are doing well in school. Elspeth got major kudos for her work on a model of the Keewatin, a local Great Lakes passenger vessel that is now permanently docked as a museum. She and some classmates made a cool model of the ship for their social studies class. Elspeth drew a picture of the vessel that is being used on the invitations for the community of the history projects.

Jayne wrapped up her performance in "The Odd Couple" at the Red Barn Theatre. She was fantastic!

Elba

My exile from work has been completed by my supervisor.

I have been moved from my home office (which I was told I had to set up immediately in January after my demise) and twice-weekly appearances in the main Holland office, to the Allegan office. As far as news gathering goes, I am the only editorial person in the huge building. I sit in an isolated area with no natural lighting and ceiling tiles stained brown from leaking water (small trails like smudged tears run down the wall!).

The people who are in the Allegan office are very nice and have been a way for me to stay sane as my 20-plus year career is purposely destroyed.

I have been told not to come to Holland on any but the most extraordinary occasion -- or when I work weekends and holidays, of course.

I have been neutralized so I can no longer help my co-workers or even talk design with the desk people I once supervised. I expect I will be terminated by the end of the year if not sooner. It will be easy because no one will remember who I am.

Napoleon had his 100 days after Elba. I expect nothing of the sort. I will not even have the courtesy of a Waterloo.

The Vortex

I've decided to start calling my workplace The Vortex because it sucks in all the logic, common sense and creative enthusiam into a giant black hole.

Now, I am lucky to have a job and am grateful for it, as I say over and over, especially after Ann Arbor decided to shut down its priont edition, fire all its workers and go online only. I must say, however, just because I'm lucky to have a job doesn't mean I can't say I'm happy with it. It's like being in a bad relationship -- saying you're happy to be with someone even when he or she is abusive or self-destructive seems odd to me. That's where I'm coming from.

Anyway, what inspired The Vortex label was an e-mail sent to me last week in which I was named the new agriculture reporter! I was immediately assigned to drive 50 miles away to a six-hour trade conference on fruit handling. Do you hear the sucking sound?

Also, I was told by my boss that I don't know how to write business stories (what do you think agriculture is!) and that's a reason why I was removed from my job and was not considered eligible for the newly created assistant editor position (my old job!). The Vortex.

There are so many more examples of the giant sucking sound, but I'll save those for later.

Just showing up

Woody Allen said 80 percent of success is just showing up.

I think that sums up my career (not that it's a success) and why I will be removed from my job, maybe by December.

I was hired at the paper as the weekend editor, a job few people sought, because there were only two candidates. The then-editor said she would never, ever hire the other one, so I got the job by default, not ability.

I moved to the night desk because no one stepped up to take the job. I had several reasons for doing it, but I got it because I showed up, not ability.

When I finally got the job I wanted and liked because I happen to be in the building at the time, I was happy. Then, after about six months, a new boss told me how bad at it I am, what a rotten leader and terrible example I am (yes, that's what I was told). I was demoted, told to leave the office and work from home so I was out of sight. I have the Saugatuck reporting job not because of ability but because I live in the area -- I show up in the community by default. If I lived in Holland Township, I would have been let go.

Now, I'm being told to work more out of the Allegan office, even farther away and out of sight than my home.

So, I'm not allowed to even show up anymore!

Woody Allen is right on. People I used to work with seldom speak to me, I hear many bad things about myself from my superiors, when they even bother to communicate with me. I should be laid off or fired by December, maybe into the first quarter of 2010, depending on the economy. Sooner is always a possibility too because I am old and not part of the in crowd.

With the loss of my bike column, my name will fade from public view pretty fast. I'll be "just another reporter," so the uniqueness of me showing up will be gone.

I have been marginalized to the point of professional nonexistence.

Riding into the sunset

My bicycle column has been eliminated by my supervisor.

I was informed today that I am now to cover all the court activity in Allegan County because our police reporter has too many other things to do than worry about the courts. Also, it was not worth her time to drive to Allegan to cover cases. So, my time is worth less than the police reporter's time.

I like being treated like dirt. I have job, so I am grateful.

I told my supervisor that I couldn't do all the things being requested of me, so she said to eliminate the bicycle column.

So, after about seven years of writing, of building an audience and an identity at zero cost to the newspaper (remember, I am salaried and took my own photos and submitted no bills for this), another piece of my identity has been ripped away.

Here's good timing: Just tonight I was stopped by two people independent of each other. The first one said, "Hey. Aren't you the guy who writes the bicycle column for the paper?"

"Yes," I replied.

"I enjoy those. Keep it up."

Then later, a man I'd never met before but who knew my face and name from the column, called my by name and asked if I'd been riding yet. I was impressed because he was a local fire chief whom I had not met before.

It's a shame that all I have enjoyed about my work has been cut away from me, like I'm being forced to quit by being submitted to more and more indignity each day.

Thanks for reading. At least someone is listening.

Home office

Thought I'd share a shot of how I've set up my home office space. Baby, you've come a long way.

Note my little helper by the window. That's Louie the cat. He likes to walk on the phone while I'm conducting interviews and cut off attorneys, corporate leaders and government officials.

To the right is a stuffed Perry the Platypus doll from "Phineas and Ferb." Just remember: He's a platypus. They don't do much.

That's my new motto.

Missed marks

Above is a picture of Elspeth in the car. We were waiting on Tuesday for her sister to get out of school.

Elspeth spent the weekend up at a friend's house in Manistee. She had a blast. We didn't have to drive all the way up north -- we met the family about half way in Whitehall. Luckily, we dodged a snow storm (we got about 12-14 inches of snow on Saturday) and lake effect aftermath.

Timing is everything.

Speaking of timing, I missed a friend's birthday over the weekend. Happy birthday, Dug!

Also, I passed by 18th anniversary at The Sentinel. Quite pitiful. That equals $722 cut from my paycheck for each year worked. Now that's a reward for dedication, or is it paying the dues of stupidity?

But I am grateful to have a job. Being demeaned, ridiculed and belittled for money is what the American dream is about.