Staycation

Yesterday, I did something I've never done in my life.  Something I never even thought I would do, up until about two weeks ago.  I quit a job without giving notice.  I've been looking for a while, some weeks harder than others.  On the 8th, though, they fired the receptionist who had(s) a drinking problem and wasn't taking advantage of all the opportunities they gave her to find help.

The doctor who owns the practice had already interviewed someone and she started on the 15th.  However, he did this without even telling the office manager.  Which we all thought was weird and strange until he fired her on the 22nd.  Not that we had any problem with that.  We all called her Pinto behind her back.  The office manager who hired me had put in her notice, and the gal that the doc had found to take her position was so inept that we were hoping it was like when your car dies unexpectedly, but you aren't in a place financially to buy another car, so you get a $300 Pinto to get you from A to B until you can save a little more.

But he didn't have anyone tucked up his sleeve.  He could have saved himself a headache and fired her after she did payroll, though.  Everything turned out fine; we all got our checks deposited, but it was an insane start to the week.

There were very few opportunities for the new girl and I to interact one on one, but the first opportunity she had, she asked if I liked it.  I felt the first inklings of being a heel when I said, "If I didn't, I wouldn't stay."  What I should have said was, "I like it here about as much as I'd like working anywhere."  Which was pretty true.

The reason I quit was because I found a job doing what I didn't realize was my passion: reception in eyecare.  I had an interview on Friday that I was nervous about making to on time.  But once I got there, I aced it, and felt pretty at home there.  My resume for that position has to be unique in that I have specific, recent experience in eye care.  The interviewer even gave me a tour of the office and I got to meet one of the three doctors.  Turns out, she went to the same school as two of the ones I worked for previously and knew one of them pretty well because she was only a year behind him.

At the end of the interview, I was told "We'll let you know early next week."  Easter weekend was filled with all sorts of anxious feelings (my immediately family neglecting to call me didn't help things) as I contemplated what would happen if I were to put in writing "my last day will be May 3."  The girls up front had told me stories about people putting in their notice and the doc essentially dismissing them immediately.  I didn't see that in the two cases I had seen since I started in October, which made me realize just how much instability there was in that office.  I don't know that I had been able to put a finger on it, but of the dozen non MD employees, only 3 of them came close to ten or more years at a practice that had been open for 20.

I found myself leaning towards a "today's my last day" plan rather than a notice.  When I thought about how the two other receptionists acted and treated people, that plan was set.  The girl who had been fired, K, had called in the week before her dismissal, and N texted her to say she was worried she would get fired.  K, well known to have emotional issues in addition to a drinking problem, replied with an insistence that N didn't need to worry about her.  N's response was a text saying "I'm not worried about you.  I'm worried about all the work I'll have to do if you're gone."  And then N wondered why K was mad at her.  I was ready to hard pass all that drama, but it did encourage me to reach out to K.  (Which reminds me, she called me today around lunch, I'm assuming at the beckoning of the ones left, to try and figure out what all happened.)

I ended up choosing Wednesday.  Thursday, today, was my scheduled day off, anyway, and this gave them a full day to figure out how to cover the rest of my shift this week.  That seems like a crappy thing to do, to shove a Saturday a.m. shift on someone, but the alternative was to not have anyone there to open the clinic.  I was scheduled to open next week, and that's worse overall.  Also, I only wish that I cared about the inconveniences my actions caused them; I don't actually care.

Monday was awful.  Between the waiting and the manager getting canned and working evening clinic (which was thankfully slow) and then getting something other than a taco salad when I ordered a taco salad at the local Mexican place.  (I didn't care enough to trek back and it was delicious, just not what I wanted, but I think it is what I paid for.)  But I had a message on my a.m. break on Tuesday.  I stepped in to the conference room to return the call and accept the offer.

I start May 6.  My new office manager suggested that day so I could give notice.  My plans are to finish my Camp NaNo, finish unpacking, and rearrange my room.  I may also finish Dharma & Greg on Hulu, my sister's wedding blanket, and the first season of Quantum Leap that I picked up today.  My staycation also includes a trip to the zoo, an oil change and a trip to my last eye doctor, although I may cancel that.  It was supposed to be today, but the doctor was sick.  I'm due for one, but I get them free at the new place and only have to pay cost for materials.  (Which is more than before, but less than it would be if I were staying.)  I think I probably will cancel.

Unless HMJ has my scheduled day off.  There have been some things that I've been meaning to talk to him about, and 3 hours in a car would be the perfect opportunity.  He didn't have to work today, and planned on coming with.  HMA also had the day off, and we've been jonesing to go thrifting together, so we did that.  I had never been to the Goodwill warehouse before, and that was an experience, let me tell you!  Some other time, though.

I've been at this write in for 90 minutes already and haven't even opened the doc.  Although, I did lose some time to a forced update.