In the "what's God up to?" file, my start date with IBM has been delayed by a week. I talked with my new employers, CDI IT Staffing, today to find out what was happening with my new gig at IBM and it turns out that I will be starting on the 12th rather than the 5th. IBM's cutting back on hours for employees and their current plan is to tell all the contractors that they need to take 6 unpaid days off between now and the end of the year. So, rather than have me start on the 5th and then have to take 6 days spread out throughout the year (which would be fine with me, actually), they just decided to have me start 5 days later and get it all out of the way up front.
Going on this scenario, it sounds like I would get an extra day that some others won't get (only having to delay five days instead of six), but Five Dollar Friend has asked me to play a show with them in Houston on the 16th. Thus, on my first day of work, I will be asking for that Friday off. CDI thinks that they shouldn't have any problem with that (seeing as I'll have just started and also have - technically - one more day that IBM wants me to take off), but you never know and I hate to tell FDF that I'm in and then have to shank them the week of saying I can't get off work in time to get over to Houston for the gig.
When it rains, it pours, I guess. But it's good to know that I'll be back working soon - I hope. That would kind of suck if a succession of delays ends up just being a non-starter. It seems I'll have to file yet one more unemployment request before I get regular employment. Then again, what fun would a rollercoaster be without ups, downs, AND corkscrews, eh?
