Mama’s snack, change is coming

Several weeks back Mama bought some pumpkin spice flavored chips to use in a recipe for a dessert for RU. It turned out okay but I was not a huge fan of the pumpkin spice flavor of the chips so the leftover pieces of the dessert sat around for a while before Mama finally threw them away. I think she was a little disappointed that I did not like them more – since I like pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, etc.

For our FBI class last night Mama made pretzels dipped in those chips. Victoria had come up with the idea so Mama got out the little crock pot and melted the chips and dipped pretzels until she had used as much as she could of the softened chips. The ladies at the FBI class really liked the combination – salty pretzels with the sweet pumpkin spice chips. It was not until very late in the evening that one of the ladies in the class stuck her tongue out at Mama that they all discovered that the snack had turned each of their tongues a pumpkin orange color. Then everybody was sticking their tongues out at each other. It was one of those moments when grown women become little girls for a few minutes.

I was pretty quiet on the short drive home and Mama knew why. I am thinking about what lies ahead of us this week. My boss was in Dumas and Perryton yesterday and will be in Elk City, OK today conducting layoffs with each of those groups. One of my ladies got let go yesterday and it was not a quiet, respectful dismissal on the part of the employee. But it is what I had told him to expect. Tomorrow he will be back in this office to let go those of us selected for such a dismissal. I am resolved to it but not anxious for it. It will change many things in my life.

For several years now I have kept this blog going by writing it first thing in the morning – when I arrive at the office long before most of the office staff. That is about to change and I am not sure how I will be able to continue in the short run.  I have no access to the internet at the house and will lose my job, my work computer, my daily internet access and the early morning routine that has kept this going for many mornings in the past. It has been a pleasure to write my thoughts daily and I will look for a routine that will allow that to continue but it may be some time before I come up with a solution to enable me to continue.

Today, if nothing has changed, will be my last full day in the office working for ConocoPhillips. Tomorrow it will be my turn to talk with my current supervisor and our HR representative for my exit interview. I will be laid off. It is not all bad. It is not all good. But there is a balance that, in the short term (several months at least) will allow me and Mama to cope with the loss of income while I pray about and look for another job. God really is in control and I can trust Him to take care of us.

I have communicated with all the ladies in my group - which will be reorganized tomorrow – what things to look for going forward; what has not been properly planned, what things have no backup plan at all in place, what processes are going to be so short-circuited that they will cease to function and how to resolve those issues. I have laid as solid a foundation as possible for each of them to continue in their respective roles for many months ahead.

I feel good about what I have done and what I am leaving behind.