Well, they did it. The ax dropped today. My desk is cleared out and I'm on my way home.

It's odd. I figured I would have until at least Friday before being told of termination, which I've expected for a while now. Why? Because we are short-staffed due to two (count them, TWO) people on vacation, we have a a brand new manager who's been here for less than three weeks, AND the temp PSR we have had helping us since we're short-staffed has Friday off. Friday is one of our heaviest workdays because we have at least five doctors who work only on Fridays. That's on top of the two or three docs who are there more than one day per week. Friday would have been a zoo even with me there. It's going to be a bleeping nut farm now for sure.

And the boss two levels above me, who is a female version of Dilbert's pointy-haired manager, did this to herself. The loose filing is backed up halfway to the ceiling (did I mention we're short-staffed?) and it will be coming in in droves over the next two days.

And now we're -- oops, I should say THEY'RE going to be short *three* people. During which time I hope my ex-two-levels-above-me manager curses herself roundly for firing me a few days too soon. She couldn't have timed this worse if she'd sat down and PLANNED a way to ensure that my departure would be disruptive to the workflow.

I feel sorry for the new manager, my former immediate supervisor, who is a genuinely good person and doesn't deserve to be stuck in the middle of this. To her, to her predecessor, to the records room employee, and to some of the doctors (MAM and GYD spring to mind), thanks. To the spiteful ones, doctors and non-doctors alike, My goal is to forget your names, what you looked like, and the havoc you've wreaked on my physical, mental, and emotional health for all these months.

Tomorrow I'll file for unemployment.