The cat announced that it was a beautiful day and why wasn't I up to feed her, at about 5:30. I mumbled something like, "Go away before I feed you to a bear!", turned my head so I wasn't facing the sunshine streaming in the window and managed to squeeze in another 35 minute nap before she insisted that starvation was imminent.

Well, we can't have famished cats, now, can we? No argument possible on that score. I slouched downstairs, fed the cats first, then put on a pot of coffee. Survival is only a few minutes away; just hang on.

The pot is done. I have wrapped myself around a few sips of the brew and am feeling halfway human again.

Turned on the computer, cup of coffee at my elbow, checked the Weather Bug. For the last six weeks the predicted high has been an all-purpose 85. No matter that the actual temps have ranged from mid 70's to high 90's, 85 is the prediction. I get the feeling that it's not being posted by a real weather person. Maybe by a student, or maybe by the computer.

Computer generated would make the most sense, since 85 is noted as the average summer temperature for Los Angeles in the atlas*. The real person who used to predict the temps by analysis has probably been laid off or fired.

Speaking of laid off, we just laid off 2400 support staff. I feel terrible for those people, one of whom works for me. I wish there were something I could do. I have given her a list of suggestions. Since she is bilingual in Hindi and English, she may be able to find work within her own community. You know, the kind of jobs that never get advertised but are found by word of mouth.

We don't expect the position to be filled by a person with higher seniority (and therefore not laid off), because the hiring freeze is also a transfer freeze. So guess who will be doing all the clerical stuff when the other office person is not at work due to her 10-month reduced schedule.

I don't really mind, I guess. I can be pretty tough about what is most important and gets accomplished and what was less important and if you refuse to pay me overtime, won't get done until the next day--or at all. I'm retiring; you can't coerce me with threats of being fired or never being promoted. Go fish.

My problems are minor, however, compared to those of the poor soul who is out of a job. She's a minimally satisfactory employee, but no one (unless totally incompetent) deserves to lose his job like this.

Everyone has been affected by the budget crisis: furlough days for everybody, reduction from 12 month employment to 10 month employment, layoffs. No one has gone through this year unscathed.

I will be glad to see the back side of this year.

*check Wikipedia entry for Los Angeles.