I even make a remark to a colleague the day before Q4 started—which also happened to be the day before the “big news” to everyone—that I was mentally bracing myself for another wave of layoffs.
It was like I could smell it in the air in the weeks leading up to that day. Though, in retrospect, that might’ve been the mouse nest I later found on New Year’s Eve up in the ceiling of the closet that is in my office 🐭
🤣
😬
🙃
🫠
Anyways, so the “avalanche of weird 💩
” in our lives of the final third of 2024 continued onward.
It just felt like everything around us was breaking down—the miscarriage, our alma mater deciding to “kinda-sorta” outsource the IT department in a roundabout way & thus leading to chaos in my partner’s work, chaos in my own work, etc.—and how these breakdowns were destabilizing various plans we had set in motion or were on the verge of setting in motion.
TBH I wasn’t surprised by the layooffs because my spidey-sense about those kinds of things started tingling back sometime in the late spring (if I’ve observed someone long enough—like 5 years—I pick up on things in facial microexpressions, body language, vocal intonations, pitch, speech rate, pauses, filler words, word choice, writing style, etc.).
I even make a remark to a colleague the day before Q4 started—which also happened to be the day before the “big news” to everyone—that I was mentally bracing myself for another wave of layoffs.
It was like I could smell it in the air in the weeks leading up to that day. Though, in retrospect, that might’ve been the mouse nest I later found on New Year’s Eve up in the ceiling of the closet that is in my office 🐭🤣😬🙃🫠
Because, unbeknownst to me at the time, 4 days after that there was about to be some 💩 about to hit the fan in my own work life.
Silver lining: my partner wasn’t going to be alone in the boat of work chaos? I just didn’t know it at the time
Anyways, in retrospect, talk about some awkward comedic timing amirite? I still can’t stop laughing about it to this day TBH.
Couldn’t have written it better myself, dear universe 🤣🫠
TBH I wasn’t surprised by the layooffs because my spidey-sense about those kinds of things started tingling back sometime in the late spring (if I’ve observed someone long enough—like 5 years—I pick up on things in facial microexpressions, body language, vocal intonations, pitch, speech rate, pauses, filler words, word choice, writing style, etc.).
But, ✨
the universe💫
has almost as twisted of a sense of humor as me 🤣
Because, unbeknownst to me at the time, 4 days after that there was about to be some 💩 about to hit the fan in my own work life.
Silver lining: my partner wasn’t going to be alone in the boat of work chaos? I just didn’t know it at the time
Anyways, in retrospect, talk about some awkward comedic timing amirite? I still can’t stop laughing about it to this day TBH.
Couldn’t have written it better myself, dear universe 🤣🫠
4 days after my 5 year anniversary, the sea ee oh even reached out to me to congratulate me on the milestone. It was unexpected, but a pleasant gesture.
But, ✨the universe💫 has almost as twisted of a sense of humor as me 🤣
Then, a brief glimmer of respite amongst the “avalanche of weird 💩” in our lives: my 5 year anniversary at $former_employer came on September 23, 2024. It was a milestone that kept my brain grounded for the most part—a whole half-decade!
It made me reflect on all the awesome people, places, things, and experiences I had connected with along the way in that 5 year journey. So many good people, good memories, good energy, good teams, good experiences that gave me that “warm and fuzzy feeling”.
4 days after my 5 year anniversary, the sea ee oh even reached out to me to congratulate me on the milestone. It was unexpected, but a pleasant gesture.
That was another stressful “can of worms” for us, and for so many of our close colleagues there—colleagues who we both had grown-up alongside over the past 14+ years from being students at the IT Helpdesk many years ago to being professionals today. So many folks there are kind of an extension of our family.
Then, a brief glimmer of respite amongst the “avalanche of weird 💩” in our lives: my 5 year anniversary at $former_employer came on September 23, 2024. It was a milestone that kept my brain grounded for the most part—a whole half-decade!
It made me reflect on all the awesome people, places, things, and experiences I had connected with along the way in that 5 year journey. So many good people, good memories, good energy, good teams, good experiences that gave me that “warm and fuzzy feeling”.
Mid-September 2024, my partner found out that the consultant agency the university hired a couple years ago to review & suggest improvements of each department made the recommendation that the consultant agency take over the university’s IT department. Basically, all the IT dept employees would be transferred to the consultant agency & would be employed by that agency but still do the same work for the university 🤨
That was another stressful “can of worms” for us, and for so many of our close colleagues there—colleagues who we both had grown-up alongside over the past 14+ years from being students at the IT Helpdesk many years ago to being professionals today. So many folks there are kind of an extension of our family.
But, that’s not all!
Mid-September 2024, my partner found out that the consultant agency the university hired a couple years ago to review & suggest improvements of each department made the recommendation that the consultant agency take over the university’s IT department. Basically, all the IT dept employees would be transferred to the consultant agency & would be employed by that agency but still do the same work for the university 🤨
So, subconsciously, the month before the “Honestly-Unsurprising-October-Surprise of 2024” happened, I was already in an exhausted place mentally from just that experience alone. Plus the lingering work-related burnout.
But, that’s not all!
Natalie