Employment Blues

I've been working at an office temp job for over a year. It's been made clear to me that the company has no desire to ever bring me on as a regular employee, nor is there any chance for advancement or a raise. I've been pretty diligent and thorough in looking for a better job, but there really isn't anything out there. The few things that are open or either things that I'm "overqualified" for or the company has no interest in me. Anyway, two weeks ago I was informed that I was being downgraded to working two days a week "until things pick up". This despite the fact that the company hired a new high school graduate on full time. Nothing against her, but I could do all of her work probably in half the time she does it in. But I digress. This Thursday I go in to work. It was one of the two days I was scheduled. I woke up earlier than normal and there were no trains, or tractors, car problems, or unusually long waits at the stoplight at the construction zone so I actually got to work five minutes earlier than I normally do. There wasn't any orders on my desk, but that's no big deal because there's not always something there on my desk, so I immediately begin filing some paperwork in the to-be-filed tray. About ten minutes later, my supervisor walks up and says, "Tom, didn't anyone contact you?"

I said, "No. Contact me about what?"

She says, "Well, we called the temp agency yesterday afternoon and this morning, but we don't need you today. There's nothing for you to do." As she saying this the recent high school graduate is sitting behind me stuffed up to her eyeballs in envelopes that need to be stuffed to be mailed out.

"No. No one contacted me," I say.

"I'm sorry," she says and turns around and disappears.

What I wanted to say was, "No. No one contacted me. What the $*?#! If anyone contacted me and told me that I wasn't needed here today, do you think I would be standing here right now? Do you think I would have gotten up at 6am and taken the time to drive over here just so I could $*?#/$% stand here for ten minutes to have you tell me I wasn't needed today?"

I've got the almost unemployment blues.