Thank you to all who listen to what I consider whining.  I am usually the glass is half full.   It is not better, actually this stupid job made me have to get out and just .. cry at lunch.  I have never had a job that made me cry.  It is a do as I say, not as I do environment.  I have to do one thing, and was told "everyone does this" where NO one does.  I can't explain here, but it is just so unethical!  I applied for 4 jobs on Monday, and Tuesday morning already two rejections.  I think  they were automated because I don't have a college degree so the application process automatically rejects you (which is so unfair I have years of experience)  It was from the same program and had the same wording and format.   I wish I had money and could just quit... walk out... forget my ethics.  Then they would see just how much I do and how much extra effort I put in.  I am not sure there are as many stupid people like me that work from 7 am until 6  pm with no OT, most days no lunch just to keep up  (and I don't work slow.. or i don't think so, they have me second guessing my abilities)

So tired...

I do not trust my boss in the kleast bit!  Actually I do trust her to look out for herself, lie to your face and change her mind when she feels like it.  What kills me, is I am not exaggerating, not disgruntled (yes unhappy) it is the general office consensus.  Hahaha I read my posts and I am turning into a negative nelly!   Must... See the good...

Last week one person was out on vacation.  She is always the world hates me, doom and gloom, so it was a nice break.    I really do try to be optimistic, it is hard but even though I dread and dont want to just go in everyday, when there I do try to be cheerful and helpful.  I like to think positive thinking is contagious, the problem is that all the negative energy is MORE contagious :-p.  I think I want to strike out on my own.  Not "virtual assistant," like projects, reports but find 3 to 4 companies to partner with and concentrate on their social media.  Not just posting updates but working with their marketing/sales to achieve results.   We have alot of start ups in the area, that maybe a niche to contact.   HOW to do this, or even HOW to start is still a question.   At least it gives me something to strive for.   I am a single mom so can't really just up and quit so this will be a slow process.   We shall see how it works out.

Thanks for all the positive thoughts.

It is Sunday night and I have my weekly dread to go to work.  My stomach starts feeling bad, my head starts to hurt and I just dread tomorrow.  (that is an understatement, I can't put in words my heavy feeling of.. I have to do this again over and over???)  It is like this every week.  I have had this job for just over 6 months and it doesnt get better.  I only hate it more and more, my professional self esteem goes down more and more.  It is a dead end job with no placed to go, if anything my skills are regressing and my co workers are very selfish and into anything for their own benefit and will throw each other under the bus (including me).  I have never been so un happy in my life and it is affecting all aspects of my life.  A year ago I was in a much happier place in my life and realize I am not.   Only "I" can make a change, but I can't afford to quit, I have been on three interviews with no luck.  Every Sunday I just get so down I can cry for just not wanting to be where I am right now.  I am usually such the glass is half full type of personality.  I really feel this job is going to get me sick in the long run if I don't find something new, but I look and look and nothing.  I am at wit's end.  Only I can do something, I just don't know what.  I feel like I am sucker punched in the stomach every Sunday.  Time to put my false face of happy happy joy joy, everything is good to the world and muddle through another week of stress. 

I am not sure if the UK visitors see the same ads as the US, but there was a banner at the top (gone right now) for Livescribe pen.  Has anyone actually used one?   It looks SO cool!   That would SO help me for meetings.   I would love to hear if it really is as cool as it looks.

Alice you said it all!  I can have 4 or 5 things going on all at the same time.  Like Gee, I do the best I can.  If I could have an extra set of hands, I would get it to filing my backlogged filing projects while I juggle everything else!

You know, I really don't know what cloud computing is.  I think it is software that you use off the internet (yes download an app) but dont own.. disk?  I know it is a hot topic and I "should" be aware on it, but so far I don't.   So with that answer, I am not sure if we use cloud or not at my company.  Some of the sales staff use  safesforce.com.  I actually think that is a cloud product?  I would love to know more about it.

I was paying the bill, it was my own credit card.  I would submit a claim and  get reimbursed once a month.   There were times it took over 2 months to get my money back.   2 months ago I was finally issued a company credit card.  Now they pay it.

I think it is different depending on the size of the company and the company culture.  I have worked at a start up where I purchased everything from light bulbs, to computers and was reimbursed (I even brought in toilet paper at times!)   As the company got bigger, more procedures were put in place, we developed contracts with vendors and looked for corporate discounts.  I have also worked for large companies (a national bank) where if I was to purchase something for work, I was on my own.  No reimbursing and it had to be for me.  No software, no equipment.  At my current position, most of the people can't purchase items and get reimbursed but due to my position and who I work for.   I just was issued a company credit card so wont have to expense anything any more.  There were times I would pick up bagels or donuts for a meeting, or if we were at an offsite and needed poster board paper, if a visitor needed a taxi, I would put it on my credit card.

I too have bought potting soil and new pot!  This poor plant's roots were so cramped! 

I had to actually type a letter out today.  It was the first "letter" I have typed in a very long time.  I was just wondering if it was our company/my boss or is that normal?  I am tending to think it is job specific and others must still type and send snail mail all the time.  I figured I would ask here to appease my sense of curiosity!  With email, voice mail, memo's, inter-office routing slips, how often do you actually send out a formal letter with a stamp!  (We do send out tons of mail, but those are invoices, bills, collections, not "letter" type mail).

It does work, I stopped drinking soda and changed to water, milk and two natural juices a day (v-8, orange, that type, not "snapple" or those type) and it took just about 3 weeks to not think about that can of Coke in the vending machine.  I didn't think about it at the time, but yes it was just about three weeks.   If I had to pick a new habit to try and change, it would be at home to put my car keys in one location!  This morning it took me 5 minutes to figure out where they were.  But then I was running late and my mind was all over the place. 

I get a ton of email that is for my boss, but not really junk.  Links to articles, links to news sites that have data he can find useful.  We are recieving more and more every day.   I am trying to think out of my own personal experience on how to manage, links and attachements on email that arent junk.  Attachements I can print out, links, I can't.  I am feeling blinded by my own routine so thought I would post what would you do.  There is probalby a really simple and easy method to keep all this organized and I am just not seeing it. 

Two years ago I asked my current manager if I could specialize in meetings and events.  Because I asked I was given more meetings to plan, two years later I am still the EA but also the corporate event planner.  I get to plan board meetings, offsites, a confernce here or there, smaller events.  If I hadn't thought about "what do I want to do when I grow up" I wouldn't be in the job I am now.   I know every job doens't have the same opportunities and support I had, but there are some out there.

I have cat foot prints on a few of my presents from the silly kitty!

We are about the same as Katie!   I think each boss makes up the title.   With that said, I do think your description is pretty accurate.  It is how I would say it.