Neglected to mention the other meetup on Tuesday, a "state of the company" meeting with our production manager. The main announcement was that the sale of our building has finally become official. We've a one year lease with an option to stay another year. Not really something that concerns me, I thought. What I hadn't considered is that for the longest time--longer than I've been here--they haven't had to pay any rent on the property. That has changed with this sale, and now the monthly rent is added to our bottom line. The first year won't be as painful, as they negotiated a sweet lease, but still that's more profit that we are now required to produce. And nothing was said, but I truly doubt that the million or so they got for our property is going to be applied to our bottom line. (That's too bad, since it would have been nice to have this Sunday's company picnic in Acapulco or something.) Our PM also mentioned how the shop's performance is being evaluated on a monthly basis. If this month doesn't measure up--the grief comes down. Which explains why in the slow months we play musical hours and jump from 7-hour to 9-hour shifts as the workload fluctuates. As I dwelt 'pon it all after the meeting, I wondered why the halibut we keep doing it, working for money guys who obviously don't give a rip about our lives or our craft. Of course, that's no great mystery. Some are trapped by the good salary, others by lethargy. I also wondered what it would take to change things. To wrest control of our lives, our jobs, or even our industry. Is the cost too high, or is it just a matter of faith and perseverence? But then ennui set in and my ambitions returned to their baser level--profit from the job as long as it lasts or until the first avenue of escape opens up. It's a lot easier to be part of the problem.