So today we got sight of the axe. Big meetings scheduled throughout the whole company. Our dept and one other were grouped in the first meeting.. not a good sign. You know they tell the worst hit first, right?

We are being centralized to Manchester. Our jobs are going automated (how nice to know they can just whip up a program that makes me disappear..) so the jobs that move over will be changed, de-skilled. Probably paid less. They're also going to run them on shifts, seven days a week. There will only be 20 of these permanent positions. We'll all have to reapply for our jobs and go through the interview/appraisal hurdle.

There will remain one court coordinator at our new branch. I expect we'll ALL apply for it. How awful.

I feel like shit. I hate looking for work. It makes me feel useless and invaluable.

And on a slightly different note.. Lou and I were sitting in the livingroom last night. It has been terribly windy here lately so we weren't surprised to hear bits tapping down the chimney. The damper is always left closed so any rubbish that is dislodged will strike that and make noise.

We were only in there for about 15 minutes when the noise got louder, closer. We'd been discussing having the chimney cleaned when the volume and rhythm of the noise made us realize there was something IN the chimney.

Panic stations!! It had to be a bird. It couldn't be left there, but neither of us had the nerve to try getting it out... so I knocked on the neighbors door. The lovely Brian readily came to our assistance. He pushed back the damper, reached in and pulled out... not some tiny sparrow but a fucking gigantic wood pidgeon!! I swear, I couldn't have been more surprised if he'd pulled a whole turkey out of there!

At first I thought it was a massive crow or raven, it was that covered in soot. Brian set it gently in the backyard for us and we all congratulated ourselves on having saved the bird.

Except this morning, it was still there. When I saw it, she was huddled on the ground, dishleveled feathers filthy. I put out seed and water and went to work. Lou called me later, she'd see the bird lurching around the yard. I asked if she'd call the RSPCA , see if they could help.

They came out around lunchtime. Lou said the man was very nice, picked the bird up carefully and checked her out. He said she had been really damaged, that she was an old bird and would most likely have to be put down.

Today I cried for two old birds.

No I'm not crazy,
maybe melodramatic,
definitely hormonal.