Random Thoughts: My mind is blank

I find that my mind is truly blank this morning. I really can't think of anything much at all. Of course, you're probably wondering what thoughts someone would put to digital paper when their mind is blank. I'm kinda wondering that too.

Actually, one thing of note, I think I am getting a cold. What's worse, I think my wife and baby are both getting the same cold all at the same time. Usually, either I or my wife will get a cold. This works out well because the baby gets sick second so the healthy one can pay more attention to the baby. Of course, the reason the baby gets sick is because she doesn't know enough not to put her hands in her own nose or mouth or a sick person's nose or mouth. So, I'm not too sure how this is going to work out. I don't have that physically depressed feeling that I usually get at the start of a cold, so maybe it won't be too bad. I guess we will see.

On another note, how do you go from bitch-slapped to bitch-slapper? I just had my performance evaluation at work. A little background... The performance evaluations, or PRSs (that's what 'they' call them) are a complete and total joke. You have to write up goals that are so generic that anyone can meet them because you have no control over your own tasking. Then, you have to say how you met those goals, which is more of an exercise in creative writing that task accounting. Finally, a couple coworkers without time or desire have to 'multi-rate' you where they are forced to point out some strengths and deficiencies, but all anyone cares about are the deficiencies. All that gets compiled into a nice package of paper which you never get to see, then it is boiled down to three sentences of what was said by all parties. Finally, all that is disregarded and your bosses and their boss sit down and discuss which check-box (1-5) you deserve. Three months from now, based on what I currently get paid and that check-box I will get a raise which will likely be 1-2 percent lower than the going industry rate.

That is all well and good. Now, my problem, other than this huge waste of time, has to do with those deficiencies. Last year, I got, "Needs to be more available off-hours." At the time, I was working on a project that required interaction with people who worked in Minnesota and people who were working three shifts and the only one who complained about my off-hours work was the guy who never gave me the slightest consideration in planning test support even though he sits on the other side of the cube wall. This year, I got, "Needs to multi-task better." Right now, I am working on a project that has everyone tasked around 150-200 percent of their normal work week with four different major focus areas plus a bunch of minor areas.

How do you respond to something like that? Working long hours isn't good enough? Juggling ten different things at once isn't good enough? Maybe I should take the hit and deliberately work to what 'they' think of me. In my younger days, I probably would, but now, with a wife and family, I think I only have three options to get out of this cycle. I can ignore it, I can suck up to everyone, or I can find another job. For now, I think I will go with option 1. Whatever.