This is the last week of employment. I may cut out early, but I am debating. I sent a nice little diatribe this morning to headquarters. Here is what I said:

"First off, I would like to say that anyone who has worked with me over the past year and a half will vouch for the fact that I am not known as someone who likes to stir things. However, this whole episode has awakened something in me that I feel needs to be put in writing.

After much deliberation and consultation with many folks internally and externally, I have decided that I am not going to sign the attached "authorization for recoupment" form, as I find it offensive that you should try and strong arm me into doing so. I feel like I am being treated poorly for a mistake that was essentially yours. You are making me feel like I am stealing something from you when the reality of the situation is that the money and time I "owe" you is due to no fault of my own. I respectfully submit that you write off the amount equal to the eleven days.

If you take a good look at the inefficiencies in other departments that you oversee, I'll bet you could find errors that are more egregious than this one. And if you look at my work record compared to some of my peers, you will find that the additional expense was worth it, to have someone who is competent, reliable and efficient on your staff for the price you've been paying. So the choice is yours, be punitive to send some kind of message, which will undoubtedly circulate among the others on the staff here at xxxxxxxxx and affect morale, or do the right thing by acknowledging your mistake and write it off like you would any other accounting error. I look forward to your reply."

I am not holding my breath. In fact, I am waiting for inadequate response now to give me enough cause to log off and take off, not looking back. I have had it with this situation. Couple this with the petition against the 56% rent increase that my wife and I face, I'm about at my wit's end. But I am about to go on tour, leaving a week from today. I'm hoping the hearing for the apartment doesn't take place while I'm gone, for my wife's sake. But I don't have any control over that.

I'm reading that Franken book right now. It's interesting how he pointed out Clarke before Clarke himself announced his frustrations with the Bush administration. I'm thinking Kerry can win this so long as he doesn't fuck it up.