So, just when you think life’s starting to really go well again, you get thrown a massive curveball. My one year anniversary at Mirim was supposed to be this Tuesday, but I got called into Linda’s office yesterday afternoon and was unceremoniously laid off. Three months ago they told me I was up for a promotion, and yesterday I became the most expendable developer in R&D.

I just got home from signing my termination paperwork and cleaning out my cubicle. It seems like the whole process was designed to be as demeaning as possible. They even assign you a “packing buddy” from HR to make sure you don’t steal anything. Then you get to walk out of the office with a box containing all your stuff, while your co-workers watch you, thinking, “Better him than me.”

I realize that my attitude has been bad and my attendance sort of spotty, but it’s not like I didn’t tell my supervisor that I was being treated for severe clinical depression and had acute tonsillitis to boot. They didn’t even give me a chance to turn it around. I had been thinking about looking for something else for a few weeks anyway, so I guess this is the push I needed.

Jennie, as always, has been more supportive than I could have hoped for. She stayed until I went to bed last night, and she woke me up this morning and went with me to get a residential permit for Helmut (I also lost my parking space in the company garage). I’m not very good at telling her how important she is to me, but she reads this page sometimes. Jennie, I love you. As crappy as some things in my life are right now, I think our relationship is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.