Thursday, November 18, 2004
Wanna hear about my day?
Wanna hear about my day?This morning I spent 2 hours updating calendar stuff. I had to remove a couple of people and add a couple of people to the 2005 meeting schedule. I noticed, in doing so, that something is still or again screwy with a meeting I set up on the boss's behalf. That means next month, just like this month, she will have a cow about not being able to see some information. Yeah. And even though I have explained to her every month for the past three months what happened, I will get to explain it again. She doesn't remember, chooses not to remember, or somehow thinks I should be able to fix this issue. Even though it was all her fault since she decided one day to start screwing with her outlook. Which made my outlook go out for 3 days. Fun times. Anyway, about mid-December I will start getting emails regarding this issue. I will try to explain, via email, why the problem still exists. She will send me back semi-condescending emails about the issues and then make some smart add comments about TSG and technology. Though she is the one that caused the problem in the first place, somehow TSG is to blame.
Once I was done doing that, I had to create a separate document listing all the 2005 meetings for her. Please note that I already created a monthly calendar for all of the same meetings. But this time she no longer wanted the calendar view, she wanted everything in list form. Right. So even though I have put all of these meetings on her personal outlook calendar and created a month by month view, this morning I got to create yet another version of something with the same information. Oh, and by the way, it's all online as well, in a beautiful list on our collaboration sites. Yep.
After creating this document, I got to update her whiteboard with the same information. Cause having it in 4 other places wasn't enough.
Then I went to lunch.
When I got back there was a message from someone else's executive assistant with a new meeting day and time for one of the meetings. Yeah. Now I get to update all 5 places with this new and improved information that I didn't know about this morning when I did all this to begin with.
After that I surfed the web because I don't have anything to do and god forbid I actually get meaningful work... since I'm looking for a job I used this time to my advantage.
Then the new guy stopped by with a nice sized copy job for me to take care of. Yeah! It took me about 1/2 an hour to complete. Now that it's done, I am seriously thinking about just going home.
Evilness Abounds…
Evilness Abounds...I have mentioned a couple of things about my floor, the weird people, the strange occurrences (the vase & bowl of JoAnn's splitting in two for no apparent reason) but after hearing the following story I have decided that this floor is decidedly evil.
There is a woman who sits in my cube row. She's older, 55 or so, and is pretty harmless. Sometimes in conversations she gives too much information. You end up hearing things you don't really want to know about her, but it's nothing offensive. She's an outgoing person, load and spunky. All in all, she's not a bad person. I'm not always the best judge of character... but this lady doesn't seem to be the hurtful spiteful type. Also, she hasn't worked at this company her whole life. She's been here about a year, doesn't really like what she is doing, but tries to make the best of it regardless.
Yesterday she stopped by to "check in." She does this with me every now and then, to see how things are going and let me know that someone cares (I think she feels a little sorry for me since I don't have a lot of co-workers around.) A week or so ago she had stopped by to tell me about a new job she had just gotten. She was very excited to be making the change and I was happy for her. It sounded like something she really wanted to do, I am always happy for people who get what they really want in life. Good for them.
Anyway, her news this time around was not so happy. It seems that someone on our floor accused her of making racial slurs. The worst kind too. The slurs were "overheard" and not directly made at anyone. She was also told that the slurs were cooberated, meaning that two people had "overheard" them. She has been told that she cannot move to her new position for 90 days, that she is on probation and could lose her job, and she has been advised to seek legal council.
I've sat near this woman for 6 months now. Never have I heard a hateful word come out of her mouth. She gets irritated, as do we all, and sometimes bitches in general, but I have never heard racial slurs, or anything regarding race from her. I was totally floored when she told me this.
The hard part of it is, I am pretty sure I know who accused her. I know why that person would do such a thing and I just can't believe it. I don't think that person has any real clue what she has done. None at all. I think she thought it would be a good way to get back at the other woman for some petty slight. But the woman's working career could be over in a heartbeat from something like this. It's horrible. And it's happening near me.
I got to thinking. What would I do? I don't think of myself as racist, but I have made comments. Generalizations. But what would I do in a case like this? I would have to get a lawyer for sure. It's scary to think about, but very real. The workplace can be a dangerous place for a person's psyche.
And this is an evil, evil floor. There are way too many people here who are resentful, hurtful and just plain mean.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
fridges
Lori (a co-worker) and I cleaned out the floor fridges last week... Here's a little pictorial
Stinky Fridge Chronicles
Warning: These are all high resolution pictures, so if you are on a slow connection it will take you awhile to see this....
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Okay
OkaySo I know that I have been totally uncreative in my posts as of late. It seems that when ever a really good thought pops into my head I am stuck in a meeting, or walking somewhere and then I never get a chance to sit down and write about it. I am hoping, with my new computer at home, that I will get in the habit of writing more at night. Now if only I had MS word... That would be so helpful!
Only a few more days before I take off for Colorado. I am very excited to be heading home for Thanksgiving. I have missed my grandparents so much this last year. Not sure why that is, but I can't wait to see them!
Okay - so - about today...
I was super lazy this morning. I didn't want to get out of bed. I had found that sweet spot - you know the one. Where you are so comfortable that you don't ever want to move. Ever. And the blankets are in just the right position, you aren't too hot, not to cold, the cat isn't sleeping on your head. Oh it was wonderful. Due to this sweet spot I neglected to catch the Express I was shooting for. I ended up at the bus stop waiting for a local. I walked up, realized I had just missed the bus, and sat down feeling rather dejected. As I was walking up I scanned the area, I try to always be aware of what's going on, and I noticed a couple of guys with papers for rolling cigarettes and other things. I wasn't completely sure about what they were doing until they proceeded to light up and I got a cloud of smoke...You're kidding me right? At the bus stop? In broad daylight? One of the guys let out a huge cloud of smoke right before he got on the bus. I have a feeling I shouldn't have been surprised by it, but I was. Just me I guess.
As I was coming up the escalator to work this morning a guy from my floor looked at me and said, so you bus in? I couldn't figure out how he knew or even guessed that I bus, but I said yes. Then he started asking me all these questions about buses and traffic. It was strange. I saw him a bit later in the day and he asked me if I had just had a birthday or if my birthday was coming up. I had that strange feeling again, um, how would he know that? It was funny. He said he was a Scorpio too. I just looked at him - and asked how he knew that. He laughed at me, pointed at his lower back and said, you were showing a little skin. HAHAHAHAHA - he saw my tattoo. It was weird for a moment though. I forget that the pants I wear now are slung a little lower.
I got a ride to Chipotle today for lunch. That was an experience all on it's own. I love Chipotle. I went with a few ladies from work. The gal that drove has gotten into a few accidents over the last few months. I didn't really think about that when I agreed to go, I was just excited about Chipotle. Then we get to the garage and I realized who was driving and thought to myself... should I be worried? I decided not to be, which was a good thing. We had fun getting out of the office and eating. I think I am still full from it!
Huh. Since I am not feeling overly creative, that's it for now. I'll think of more at the wrong time in the wrong place
Monday, November 15, 2004
The sweet smell of Dial-up success!
The sweet smell of Dial-up success!What's that smell? Ah, yes, that would be Elizabeth on her new computer, using dial up to reach the world wide web! Can you say yahoo? I sure can! Crap this keyboard is crazy small! I may have to be getting me a new one of these soon. Ah, well. Perhaps MS Office will come before that though... I don't even have Word on this machine! But I can access the great www! Whohoo!
And that folks, is just one of the great things that happened this last weekend! Not only did I get a new computer, I went to a VERY interesting not so puppetry puppet show. I had one too, well maybe two too many drinks... I ate cake and got two (yes two) lava type lamps. One is a glitter lamp - they are both pink and they both rock! I got a shirt that says "I'm blogging thins" cause you know - I'm blogging this...The highlight? You would never guess - Rick got me a Strawberry Shortcake figurine! It even smells like her! I was beside myself with excitement! Strawberry shortcake ROCKS. I was totally in love with her as a child and now...Now I have a figurine! How totally cool is that?
Anyway - I can't make this too long, cause I'm on dial up - and even though the server is on the same block - I'm still on dial up. Ack! Happy Birthday Elizabeth Who Hoo!!!!
As you wake in the morning
What do you feel?
Does a rush of happiness
wash over you when,
Suddenly, you realize you are alive?
