Estoy Nueces

Just reread the last few days entries and I never got back to the "firing" of Cotton. He had told me on the phone that day that "they will say I quit, but I got fired." I told him at the time that that was pretty big distinction and he better go back and clarify it because it would make a huge difference when it comes to the matter of severence and unemployment compensation. I got to work and everyone had different snippets of the story.

It sounds to me like early in the week they had had a meeting about the morning show and Cotton made some unwanted suggestions for the betterment of the show. Granted, his observations were accurate, but he works with two men that have done this for a long long time and they are set in their ways and their way has had success off-and-on for 15 years so they are not going to take suggestions from their underling. They didn't appreciate his input. Cotton was frutrated that the Weasel didn't support him in his suggestions either. Well, how could he? He may be their boss, but he understands that they are set in their ways, too, and there is no point in pissing them off. So, now Cotton has his ass in a crack with the team.

Apparently, too, he took the old man at his word when he said he didn't want the Fat Man coming in to join their show. So, Cotton, emailed (kindly, he says) the Fat Man and asked him not to come in so early. The Fat Man (he says) took it well and said, no problem. But then the Fat Man forwarded the email to the old man or asked him about it and the old man disavowed any knowledge of having said that he didn't want the Fat Man on the show. So, Thursday morning, the old man started calling Cotton a "fucking liar" and as his blood pressure and heart rate were increasing, Cotton called a replacement to come take over for him.

When the Weasel was at work later, Cotton went in to see him and said he couldn't do it anymore and the Weasel said, "Oh, okay, then give me your key." Is that quitting or is that firing? Then Cotton made a huge error in judgement when he went down the hall and stuck his head in the door of the general manager (who had guests in her office at the time) and said "I'm sorry I didn't get to know you better, but I just got fired." He also said something to her about being verbally abused, and then he walked out of the building.

Last time he did this (and I looked it up, it was January) the dust settled and he came back and all was well. This time, the HR girl emailed me asking me to help gather his things for him and the Weasel came to ask me to handle the weekend schedule for the time being. The wheels have turned and they are looking for a replacement. I emailed back-and-forth with him a bit in the afternoon and then that evening I called him about some of his stuff in the office to see if he wanted it. And he cried! I felt so bad. We don't have the kind of relationship where I was prepared for him to cry! I haven't talked to him since. I just don't know what he'll do now.

I did talk to my old good boss seeking advice on how NOT to take over too many responsibilities. He gave me good advice on just waiting and seeing what happens and, if offered or asked to take on more, ask to have some time to think about it and, if I don't want to do some of it, frame it that I don't want to let the boss and the station down and I know my limits, rather than that I am lazy and comfortable in my ways and don't want to take on new work.

Already I have had to do more than I'd like to, but I do feel a responsibility to make things work. The football game lasted extra long yesterday because of a rain delay and I had to contact the board op to put more music in the internet stream (because it can't carry the game) and then I dropped by the station to help her find room for all the commercials that had to run that were pushed back because of the game.

I did have a trip to Waco yesterday to see the boys and family while my friend Grace met about diamonds with my brother-in-law. Rain and storms hit Waco once we were there and then they were ahead of us for the trip home, so we were lucky there. We talked and watched the football game while they met (and met and met!). Then she and I had a nice dininer at the Elite before the quit trip home. It was a fun diversion.

I was worthless when I got home, though, and didn't accomplish anything. Now Sunday is slipping away from me, too. Mark is having a migraine and is napping right now. That's his second this week, poor thing.