My head is all full of thoughts on a dozen different topics recently. Sadly, but as to be expected, few if any of them are business-related.

I think about them on company time anyhow.

I got a thingy from Nestle, announcing that they're still interested in giving me my payout from my antique Ralston Purina 401K, so please tell them if I'm really the me who used to work for Keystone and they'll send me info.

I'm actually me, so I'm looking for a notary today. And a copy machine, so I can photocopy my drivers' license. (How ignorant is it to work in an office that doesn't have a copy machine? What's the point of working if you're not in an office that has an abundance of handy machines and equipment you can use for personal business?)

If I remember correctly, I had about $64 in benefits when I left the company so with the various stock market shenanigans since that time, I probably have $37 now, but considering what the Bush Administration hit squad has done to my already meager savings in the last five years or so, every $37 I can lay my hands on is probably going to be needed.

Sigh. It's a question of information and intent, isn't it? I was raised with the understanding that Social Security would take care of me when I was old. Yes, you should have a bit put aside beyond that, but as long as you had Social Security, you wouldn't be destitute. Now, of course, the current crop of federal lunatics are claiming that they've been forcibly raping my paycheck for the past 30 years but that there's no promise, implicit or otherwise, that they'll be inclined or able to provide the benefits I was supposedly contributing toward. It was, apparently, all a big gotcha!

We got all the money in the world to slaughter people in Iraq but we can't afford for the government to keep its commitment to us.

Grrrr. No. Not. Getting. Political.

Bernie was supposed to be in yesterday but at 11:30 I got a huffy e-mail from him bitching me out because I hadn't called him at home for some information we were supposed to discuss first thing yesterday morning. When I pointed out that he'd told me he was going to be in and that he'd never told me otherwise, or to call him (I didn't worry that he wasn't in by 11:30 - he shows up whenever), he offered a brief apology and disappeared from the internet again for three more hours.

We had one of those Talks on Monday. Not a cometojesus sort of thing, but another talk where he made it clear that he's tired of doing all of this and wanting to quit. Basically, if one of the latest "deals" doesn't come through, he's planning to leave in October or November. (Which isn't a shock, since our current contracts only go through December anyhow.)

He more-or-less suggested that Buehler (primary owner of this little hoe-down) might be interested in keeping this company's operations going for the $200k or whatever they bring in in a year and said that maybe I could stay around to handle all of it.

(eyeroll

I mean, no matter how disenchanted he is with the company, the insanity of turning things over to me to run?

Boggles. The mind.)

On the other hand, if one or both of the two latest Big Deals do come through, then the company will once again be split, doing two nearly unrelated things (which causes schizophrenia in his (only) employee), one of which he's interested in and would hang around for.

He offered to let me work with him on the stuff he's interested in, or to essentially hand over, again, the current clients, and leave me to it.

On the one hand, the current clients are all crazy and he's offered them services we don't know how to provide (he's hired a part-time contractor, which strikes me as an insane leg to rest the health of your entire business on) and that I'm not really enthusiastic about. But I wouldn't be working closely with him, which is a plus.

On the other hand, the other clients, the ones he wants to work with, aren't as crazy, the work would be more focused and fit more in with my skills, and there would be more money in it. But I'd have to work with him, and he's crazier than the clients.

It's all very confusing and I decided to think about it another day.

Besides, it's all also pie in the sky at this point. And, I should point out, one of the current crop of crazies is Hollywood-related and Bernie got starstruck over the contact list they sent us, so if they decide to expand, he's likely to stick with them, regardless of anything else. Aside from Robert Redford I've never been the type to coo over actors myself, so I'm less than indifferent. (Yes, I'm a "media fan" but I'm not an actor fan. I fall for stories and characters, and don't care so much the people behind them.) (Well, except for Aaron Sorkin and Joss Whedon.)

Anyhow. Bernie may or may not be in today. Let's hope he's less crabby if he is.

There are other things jumbling around in my head as well, but I've probably tried your patience enough for one day.