"Oh my God, they fired Jenny! YOU BASTARDS!"
Woke at 5AM, an hour before the alarm would bid me to return to work from a week's vacation. Brewed some coffee, and would have had some breakfast if I wasn't still full of lobster and crab from last night's birthday dinner. I arrived at the factory to learn that there were numerous layoffs while I was gone, and more to come. Everyone was demoralized and nervous. – Well, not everyone; getting laid off might actually be a positive move for me, as blasé as I feel about my job. Around 10:00 my boss confided that our own department was being reduced by half. Two QC techs, a research chemist, and (most important to me) my assistant didn’t make the cut. By 2:00 she was on her way home. Historically, she tended to cry (a lot) over a change of position, but I guess today she was emotionally prepared. I felt like crying, myself; she was the best damn assistant I ever had, and I’ll miss her as a friend over and above workload considerations.