Streak of Bad Luck

Well, not much as bad luck but I've been really busy this week.

Other than it being the deadline of two major time-consuming reports, everyone at work seems to just come to me for everything. I think since it's my first decent job for a while, I was too eager to prove myself and it results to a general acknowledged competency which in turn built a trust with a lot of people, so when they have some tasks that they want to accomplish, they come to me. The moral of the story is - it's best to act dumb. Other than that, I belong to a lunch club where 9 members each cook twice a month for the others, so we don't have to buy lunch outside. We have a pretty well equipped kitchen and we're surrounded by nothing but fast food for blocks, so it only make sense to this. Inadvertently, I have become quite famous for my cooking and whenever there are some activities that have something to do with food, they come to me. So I've spent the whole day last Sunday baking for Valentine's day candy gram at school for 60+ people, prepped for a class that I taught on chocolate, making chocolate truffles, chocolate covered this and that. More prepping on Monday, taught on Tuesday, cooking for lunch club on Wednesday. All the while working on my deadlines and other things that got piled on me. So I got sick.

I have learned to say no, but an old habit die hard. We're supposed to have a staff development day on Tuesday and they want me to make lunch for 15 people. I said no. Especially when the budget is $50, I mean what can you do for $50? They specifically said if I go over I'll have to chip in and I'm so tired of cooking at this point. I've said no. I'm sick. But a few people talked to me about it and sending me emails and stuff and I feel pressured. I don't want to become the Asian servant that everyone comes to for menial tasks and I don't want to be the one who had to sacrifice his days off doing these things while I'm already putting in 10 hours a day while others go on with their lives or their second jobs. I also don't want to chip in while I have to work at it already, I don't get paid enough as it is.

I'm sorry, I'm not particularly in a good mental space right now. I just paid $300 federal taxes because I worked two jobs this year. I was somehow expecting some money back for working so hard but it's not necessarily related. Mitt Romney got to pay 16% while people like me who worked 2 jobs get shafted. On top of that my state ID had expired and I found out that I might have misplaced or lost my green card which means that if I want it replaced I'll have to shelf out another $600. Everything is so discouraging. At least I have a job, right?

Sorry for the rant. On the bright side, I've learned that after a ranting session, things usually turns brighter. So here's to hope. I'll spend the rest of my long weekend thinking what I can do with $50.