100th Post!

I had big plans for this post. It was going to be uplifting and inspiring, all about Stake Conference last weekend and how wonderful the talks were by the General Authorities, Elder Bednar, and Elder Monson which were broadcast to all of the Nevada Stakes. Wonderful things about the importance of revelation, how important the gift of the Holy Ghost is and how to keep it with you always, and making our own temple bodies a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of glory and a house of order.

But it is not to be. I find I cannot write about such things with economic woes hanging over me at work. No, I haven't been laid off --- yet.

Tuesday the Transportation Lead Ken (for a picture, u might want to scroll down to the bottom of my train post) called an all-hands transportation meeting. We were informed that major (his words were "deep", all that's left is a "skeleton crew") cuts were going to follow this week. He is very frustrated with Jacobs (the HUGE publicly traded company that bought out the MEDIUM sized company Carter Burgess I worked for). The news had come down from corporate that our office had to make up 1.6 million dollars by April 3rd. Our management suggested salary decreases, reduced hours, work share with other offices, and convenience leave but it was not enough. Jacobs doesn't operate that way. The company wants to report earnings and project growth to the stock market in April (credit to Marcia for pointing this out). Marcia also mentioned that Jacobs has NEVER reported losses.

The REALLY bad news is that this major project we have been pursuing comes due the middle of April with the project being awarded in the beginning of May. With half the staff gone at the beginning of April.... Jacobs is shooting itself in the foot.

Rumors are flying despite an email from our Office Manager asking everyone to keep it down. Right.. please put those black cats back into the bag after they have bloodied everyone in sight and nobody can find them. We were told we would find out who was effected at the end of this week, but it looks like it won't be until Monday. Right now everyone is assuming 1/3 of the office will be cut. This means about 10-11 people's (out of the 28 in transportation) last day will be April 3rd.

I have been trying to be fairly calm about the whole thing and this is the first night I have had trouble sleeping. I suppose I have been using some of the things I learned in Stake Conference last week :-). What happens will happen and once I know I will be able to make decisions. Worrying now will not help, even though as time wears on it is getting harder to feel this way.

I will keep u posted. I thought I could spare you hearing about all this drama because I was planning on writing today of certainties rather than speculation. But u will have to wait until Monday.

At least this weekend I will be VERY busy getting ready for my sisters to come next week. I am so excited! No economic woes can make me less excited for that. It just makes me kinda tired :-).