EI-EI-Oh no!

I may lose my job.

Company restructuring means that my position may be eliminated. This is worse news than I originally thought. We suspected the options would be: A. Give the business another year to get off the ground, or B. Shut us down completely. However, it seems that there is now a more likely option C. Trim the fat. This is probably the worst option I can imagine.

I would not consider myself "the fat". In fact, I'm employee #001 and have been with my company since its inception, before we even had an approved logo or even a potential location. I have done everything from unpacking boxes until 4am to copywriting to being a driving force behind product selection and visual merchandising. The thought of the company that I helped build from the ground up being torn from me feels like I am losing a child, only to watch it grow in some other mother's arms. OK, I'm being dramatic. But it sucks. It really, really sucks. 

I won't know for sure until tomorrow or early next week probably, but I have a pretty good sense that I'm on the chopping block. I'm trying to remain optimistic: two desirable positions within our parent company are currently open, and if all else fails, I think I qualify for severance and EI to get me through the next few months. I'm not ready to move on, but I have learned a lot, and maybe this is a good chance to analyze my career. Should I have a 5-year plan, even? *shudder*

The worst part - Alex finds out tomorrow if he too still has a job. His company is undergoing serious lay-offs at the very same time. Dire straights in the Winter household. Time for some (further) tightening of our belts. My mother invited us, somewhat jokingly, to come and live with her, but (sorry Mom), I'd rather live in a phone booth than move back in with my folks.

So, yeah, help wanted? I'm in the market for a retail buying or visual merchandising (or exotic dancer or Starbucks Barista or hambuger filpper) role. My jill-of-all-trades resume could help or hamper - either way, I must qualify for something.

Oh, Sweet Thing, please write hits. Please.