Getting it all sorted

I got some small bit of comfort yesterday when I got a call from a former coworker of mine. He told me that he had been informed, by an inside source,that the primary reason for my dismissal from my job was that they simply could not afford me. After we filled the reporter's position - finally - two weeks before I was ousted, apparently the editorial payroll was too high. They did not offer me a reduced salary. Thing is, I would have accepted the job at a lower pay rate than they offered me in the first place. Of course, no one asked that. I've already been replaced, and my replacement is someone whom I know for a fact despises the publisher. In fact, his wife used to work there as an ad rep and quit just a few weeks ago because she could not stand working for the publisher either. He is, to put it shortly, a complete nightmare. Although I know the person who replaced me was also putting in ridiculous hours at his former job, I'm still amazed/stunned/baffled that he would actually go to work for the paper there. He's well aware of what the conditions are like. However, he might not have to put up with for long. His timing is better than mine was. The publisher might be sent to Chicago shortly for another assignment. Oh well, I hated the job anyway. Well, not the job, just the conditions.

I've been doing all the paperwork required for unemployment, but because of the irregularities of my job shift from one paper to another, it appears there could be some question of my eligibility. Wouldn't that just take the cake? I spend seven years working for those people with no benefits and no wage increases, despite constantly moving "up" into positions with more and more responsibilities - then I end up getting screwed out of my unemployment payments. Well, I completed my paperwork for government benefits today too. I've never had to do that before. I'd probably be disgusted with myself if it were any fault of my own, but I don't have any choice at the moment.

I've got an assignment tonight covering a city commission meeting. The agenda and associated paperwork is 78 pages! But at least it will make easy reference material for writing the story when I get back. It's an easy gig, really. I've done this kind of thing a thousand times before and usually with far less reference material to go on. Really, all I'll have to do is sit through the meeting and write down a few quotes - everything else is already in the agenda packet. I still don't know what my pay rate is for that paper, but I guess anything's better than nothing, right?

My organizational skills are getting a workout as I sort everything for the necessary paperwork - keeping track of invoices and the like. But I certainly can't possibly put in more time and effort than I did for my last job, so I can push through it. Paperwork's a pain in the ass, but it's a necessary evil.