Depressed

So this morning at about 9:15 or so I get a call from my bosses telling me I'm taking an 8% pay cut. No ifs, no buts, no nothing. Honestly if it helps my company stay in business, I'm all for it. I have worked for this company for the last 14 years and 6 months. I have been there during a shut down and 9/11. I have worked my behind off to help the company get where it is today. I have been treated unfairly as well, but I'm a grown up and can handle it. I come to work, do my job and take the crap for it. I never get my COLA raise on time (in January). If I get it, it's always during the summer. I pay over $250 every two weeks for insurance. I get calls 24/7. One time I got a call at 1:30am from a guy in crew scheduling asking me about a guys medical that wasn't even due for another 5 days. I was on vacation for a week in April. I stayed at home. I got called everyday I was at home. I even got emails while I was in China.

Now having said all of this, I am sick and tired of pilots thinking that they are due the world. They are not the golden child of the airline. If it weren't for me, they wouldn't fly. If it weren't for the mechanics, flight attendants, dispatcher, ramper, reservationist.... and the list goes on they wouldn't fly. They are mad because upgrades are going to take longer, they are made because the company wants them to take a pay cut, they are mad well just because they are. They want the retired instructors to be terminated because they don't like them. They think they are to hard. They think that when they show up for training that you shouldn't be required to know things like, how many engines are on the plane that you fly (that's not really a question I'm just being cynical :))? That's too hard of a question for people who fly an automated airplane that gets you from point a to point b.

I have read different places where junior first officers have actually said they would rather be furloughed than take a pay cut. They can't live off of what they make now so a paycut would hurt them even more. I read one guy post that he already cut home phone service, negotiated a different cable plan and took one vacation, but he won't be able to afford his second vacation. Ah poor baby.

I'm sick of it. I really, really am. I have been trying to find another job, but haven't had any luck. I'm just tired and frustrated and depressed about the whole thing. Everyone in this country is having a hard time right now. It's taking me just a little longer than I thought to finish my scrapbook, but I'm almost finished. When I do, I've decided I'm going to take a week off from the computer. No emails, no blogs, no news, no forums, no nothing. I need it. I need to go outside and play with my girls more. I need to just go outside more. Maybe I'll get out my sewing stuff or my cross stitching stuff or something to keep me off. I'm just going to get away from reading all of this crap because I have a feeling that things are going to get really ugly and I just don't need an ulcer or anything like that. I have my own house and worries to take care of.

On a happier note, we went outside and played today. The girls rode their scooters and I played with the settings on my camera. I love the way the butterfly pictures came out.