So Spherion (Dell’s temp agency) had their end-of-quarter lay-offs last night. There were too many temps in Matt’s quad, so he got axed. Since he could build more computers than me and I have seasonal temp work with the IRS beginning on Monday, we asked our two managers to switch us– to keep Matt and to lay me off. During the three hours it took them to arrange that, Matt came to the overwhelming realization that he didn’t want to work at Dell ever again in his entire life, that the thought of working one more day in that awful place would bring him to tears. So we told the managers “No, thank you.” They were very sweet and switched us, but we declined in the end because the Dell Human Meat Factory is too terrible.

We finished out the shift for a few reasons: 1) our managers were very sweet to do everything they had to do to switch us, so we stayed to help them make their numbers; 2) to leave on good terms in case we do ever have to return there; and 3) that’s just the kind of people we are.

The day is beautiful. The birds are singing. The wind is pleasant. We’re so happy.

And Matt fixed my computer last night and the processor seems to be okay. I didn’t fry it, which I thought for sure I had.

Ah, happiness.

My computer died last week, and I miss it terribly. Since we have two dogs and a cat, the inside was covered in fur and dust. Matt cleaned out all the computers, including taking the heatsink off of the processor and cleaning the heatsink (it was really nasty). We didn’t have any of that heatsink thermal bonding stuff, but we thought “What the heck! Let’s take it apart and put it back together without that and see what happens.”

And my computer was unhappy about the whole thing and will now not even reboot. We went to Fry’s two days ago before work to buy the thermal bonding stuff, but Matt hasn’t had time to fix our computers yet. He hasn’t turned on his computer because he’s worried the same thing will happen. He wants to wait until he puts the bonding stuff between the heatsink and the processor before he tries his computer.

On the up side, he said if I fried my processor from turning on the computer without the heatsink working, then I have to get a new processor and motherboard! That’ll be fun. I told him that if I get a new processor and motherboard, then he has to too. We have matching his and hers computers and it’s kind of fun. So we have to keep the same processor and motherboard in each one. So we may be getting an upgrade soon. Of course, he wants to upgrade the processor and motherboard in the computers sometime this year anyway, whether my computer can be fixed or not. He just wasn’t planning on upgrading them right now.

What a boring entry. Nothing funny, nothing emotional, nothing exciting. Just boring computer talk.

I do miss my computer though. I’m using the server to check my email, but it doesn’t have any of my stuff on it.

Never have I hated a place as violently and as completely as I hate Dell. We are disposable and worthless to them, and they treat as such. Austin is in such an economic slump that there are hundreds of people lined up to take any job they can at Dell– to earn any kind of income. So if you do get a job as a temp in the Dell Manufacturing Plant, they work you to death, give you no benefits, treat you horribly, tell you to be happy that you at least have a job, and remind you that if you don’t do exactly as they say, there are 40 people waiting to take your job.

And you do it… you do it because you have to. There are no jobs in Austin. So you get thrown into the Dell Human Meat Factory, do hard labor for 70 hours per week, and cry when you get home because you are helpless.

We worked 66 hours this week. And we are scheduled to work 11 hours on both Monday and Tuesday as well. This is without a weekend break.

…. and there’s nothing we can do about it.

It’s awful.

I hate Dell.

I met a German lady today who has lived in Texas for the past 10 years. She said she considered herself to be a true Texan when she knew where “over yonder” was. Hehe. :-)) She said that not only does she now know where “over yonder” is, but that she actually has to park there sometimes.

I hate my new job. I think it was because I was a spoiled housewife before and now I have to work. Of course, Matt hates it too and he isn’t an ex-spoiled housewife. Maybe it is the mindless tedium of building computers on an assembly line hour after hour, day after day. I wonder how long we will have to do this.

And I never have enough time to do things anymore. I have emails to write! I have a Great American Novel to write! I have a house to clean!

Someone ordered off our webpage the other day. It was our very first order! Very exciting.

Matt is waiting for me…. Not enough time…. I have a journal to update….

I haven’t updated this since last year! Hehe. :-)) That joke is made a million times every new year.

Matt is playing Grand Theft Auto and I’m having a hard time concentrating on this entry. I keep leaning over to watch him play and completely forgetting that I’m writing a journal entry. He’s doing the Sayonara Salvatore mission and keeps getting Wasted! You know, I could be wrong, but I think Maria and Asuka have a thing going. *wink*

Joanna (or Jarna of the Jungle) visited us for a couple of weeks. It was really nice to have company. I think I like living with lots of people. And we got her hooked on Grand Theft Auto. Bad Woodings! Bad bad Woodings!

We also started “working for the Man!” — that man being Michael Dell. We work in the Dell manufacturing plant building computers for $9.35/hour. Our requirement is 13 computers per hour. Matt is up to 12 computers/hour and I can do 9 computers/hour. Our fingertips, feet, and backs hurt after shift. And we wear steel-toed shoes and name badges. I haven’t heard anyone say “Badges?! We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!” yet.

Well, this is a totally random update. But that’s what happens when you keep getting distracted (mid-sentence, mind you) to watch your husband play GTA.

I think I’ll give up on the update. Obviously GTA is much more important at the moment. Toodles.