Nature

I was in an exceptionally foul mood yesterday. I really should have blogged yesterday. My work environment has gone a little sour since they replaced the manager who hired me with a girl who is nice, but very very by-the-book. The girl who hired me was easy breezy and big on "let's have a comfortable environment". This one is, "if you have time to lean, you have time to clean". Whatever works.

It doesn't bother me but it's sending my co-workers into fits. They are all twenty-somethings (store supervisor and shift managers), and a few in their late teens. Two have confided in me they they use drugs (happily confided, I might add, with no apparent shame in their games). I'm saying they don't like the new supervisor. They'd rather by more laid back than diligent. So would I, but regardless what Ticket-Cop has to say, I'm not lazy. I like to do a good job and walk away from my shift knowing I held my end of the deal up.

So yesterday, one of the shift managers was in a bad mood and it bled out on me. She disrespected me in front of a customer. She may not have known it. And of course, she immediately sensed the end of my good mood and saw it as me giving her attitude. Thankfully, she addressed me on it at the end of my shift, because I wasn't going to say anything at all to her. I didn't trust myself. But it was her job, not mine, and she did it. So I got a chance to express how she made me feel, and I also got a chance to apologize for my anger. (I'm very passive-aggressive with mine. I seize up, and if you get an eye contact or a smile from me when I'm angry at you, then you're GOOOD.) She expressed what she was going through yesterday as well (manager concerns and the stress of being ill, etc.) So I forgiave her, she forgave me, and thus my blog is way less angry today than it would have been yesterday.

But what started ME off in a bad mood for the weekend was Friday when I "interviewed" for the office in Jersey. The building is beautiful. The location is awesomely convenient. It's a direct drive across the George Washington Bridge plus a half hour of snarly traffic if the time of day is wrong, but again, convenient.

Then the lady tells me that Licensed Professional Counselors do not get accepted by insurance companes and that I had to sign on under the group practice to get clients. Thereupon, they would take 50% of what the reimbursement rate was from the insurances. PLUS I would pay $50s a day for their office. (Now, if I could get my OWN clients, I could keep the whole amount paid to me, but if THEY get me a client under their group, I have to pay them 50%.)

Wellllllllll, that set me back, let me tell you. Paying for the room is fine, but also giving them half of what the insurance company would pay me? HALF?? My Soon-To-Be-Doctor friend said it would be a good deal just to start out. Making something is better than nothing. (See, this is why he's almost a doctor. He knows how to get his grind on, okay?)

But what was worse was this news that insurance companies didn't accept LPCs. WHAT?? After all this planning and plotting and waiting, and my license means nothing??

Well, I checked today and found the dear woman is incorrect. They take my license and will pay me directly for my work. As I thought. Therefore, I get to keep 100% of what I make when I'M the provider, even if I rent there office.

That improved my mood today 100%.

100%.

I strated the process already. I accepted the Jersey people's deal, right after I registered with my first insurance carrier, using the Jersey people's address as my professional office.

I know a little something about grinding my own self. :-)

Now I hope I can convince the court of that tomorrow when I go to beg for more time to pay them this rent money. I'm going to haul my professional business cards in, the brochures for the NYC place where I'll be renting, and the card for the Jersey people. I'll show them my license and fully state my intent.

I'll tell you how it works out when I get back.

Me at 12/20/2004 11:26:00 AM

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