Thought someone might have identified me through another link somewhere else - and I erased a post just in case it led back to me. You can never be too careful.
"Don't mettle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
Pretty much sums that one up.
Am I a spineless wonder or am I just trying to tone down the drama in my life? I'm toning baby, boy am I toning. It's too small a world not to.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Bunny Boiler
Riding on a local race circuit is fun. It is FUN. I repeat. It Is FUN!
It should be nothing more. What is wrong with people??
(Names of people, companies, stores changed to protect the – innocent and stupid.)
Recently I quit the Generic Corporation cycling team to race with another more competitive team next year.
It did NOT go over well with the "team captain" who I also thought was my friend. She took It personally, made It all about her and how I had betrayed our friendship. All because I wanted to race on another team.
This Isn't the Olympics, right?
Anyway, below is a brief account of what just went down:
Barbie asks If I'm available for "coffee" yesterday and I say of course. I meet w/ her late in the afternoon which Immediately Is suspect but I give her the benefit of the doubt. So we sit down and she says, the reason I wanted to meet with you is two-fold. One aspect is from a friendship perspective and the other is from a team captain perspective.
She said, I've had time to think about everything (And I'm thinking oh, good. She's come to her senses) and I really feel betrayed by you. You betrayed me. Because you were my friend you got things on the team that others did not. (This is absolutely FALSE! But even if it wasn’t, what type of friend keeps tabs on things they do for their friends??) Couching an insult, she goes on to say, I understand not everyone is meant to be a leader. Not everyone knows how to set an example. (Not sure what therapist told her to say that. But I was seriously trying not to laugh.)
This whole round of conversation is really just a repeat of a previous conversation, where I get called names and she climbs up higher on her pedestal of quicksand – so I am extremely uninterested.
I think that about sums it up - there was more said but that’s the gist of it. I don't say a word and she hates it. So she says is there anything you want to say? I said, no not really. Nothing for me has changed. I am still operating from the same place I was when we talked last - a place of distinct separation of friendship and team stuff. We were friends. I thought you were funny and enjoyed hanging out with you. We don't do that now. That is your choice.
She was not pleased with my response - not sure what she was expecting.
Then she moves on to the second phase of the conversation (which was really the ONLY reason she wanted to meet with me.) She slides some photocopied thing across the table - something written up in some two-bit Generic Corporation newspaper or something and says, have you ever read this?
I read it and it says something about Generic Corporation employees can't sell Generic Corporation stuff for profit, etc. I was unimpressed and slid the paper back and said so?
She explodes with; you've NEVER read this before????!! Like it’s some kind of manifest that all employees have read and hold sacred - kind of like, thou shalt not kill. Whatever.
Then she goes on to say, it has come to my attention that a Generic Corporation kit was for sale at Sporting Good Store. I said, yep, I went and sold my old kit a couple weeks ago. Just like I did LAST year and It wasn't a problem! She goes on to say, I called the store and they described you perfectly. To which I say, so what? I just told you I sold it. What's your point?
She says, It Is ILLEGAL for you to sell that kit. WHY did you sell it? And I said, the same reason everyone else does - because kits are expensive and I use the money to go toward another kit. At this point she is quaking and she went on and on about how wrong it was etc. Basically she made me out to be some kind of criminal who knowingly sold stolen goods to Sporting Good Store.
I just looked at her blankly and said, what do you want me to do about it Barbie? And her response was, I want you to go to the store and buy it back. I looked her dead in the eye and said, no, I'm not doing that.
Ok. Then her head really does explode and she is shaking. I said, did I or anyone else on this team sign something that said we wouldn't re-sell these kits? I don't think so. I'm not going to buy it back. She said, well then you are going to have to talk to Asset Management and believe me, you DON'T want to do that.
At this point I'm thinking, you know what, you just backed the wrong person into a corner and also, I think you're bluffing. I'm calling your bluff. And I said, oh really? Who do I need to call? She says, oh they will call YOU. And you and your manager will have to meet with them. And this has nothing to do with your manager does it? I said, no, it doesn't. Who do I meet with?
To which she responds, look, I am trying to give you the nice girl way out. I will give you some time to think It over. You really don't want to go down this road. You have put me in a very, very bad position and I do NOT appreciate it.
I said, well Barbie, you see, I am taking you out of that position. I will handle this myself. Who do I call? She forks over the name. And before I leave I say, you know Barbie, it's very interesting how you tend to make everything about YOU. When I quit the team it was all about YOU. And now this kit thing is all about YOU.
I left the conference room and promptly called the Asset Manager contact - left him voicemail and went home. Then I rang a coworker who knew all about it and went and drank Guinness!!!
The next morning I called the Asset Management guy again and he was friendly as could be and said come on down. Here is the result of that:
Before I even began explaining the situation he said, let me just tell you there is no need for anxiety.
So I gave him the facts and he said there are NO legal parameters around this kind of thing - that I broke no laws and did nothing wrong. He said, you paid $500 for a kit and got $90 back when you re-sold it and that explains intent as well.
He then went on to say that after speaking with Barbie it seemed that she has an emotional attachment to this thing and so I enlightened him by saying yes she does and the reason is because I quit the team this year. Well, I could virtually hear all his cogs clicking into place and then he said, oh, I understand now.
Also he went on to say that Barbie said she feels HURT seeing the Generic Corporation logo being sold in a USED clothing store. Holy crap!! HAVE SOME MORE KOOL-AID, BARBIE! -- And oh by the way, nice way to lay it on thick. Unfortunately it didn't work - now the guy just thinks you're crazy.
He let me know that when he received my voicemail he promptly called Barbie and let her know that he and I would be taking care of this. There was no need for any further involvement on her part.
Anyway, he was a really nice guy - rides bikes a little - showed me a map of where he rode in France, etc.
END of STORY.
Seriously, WTF??
What a bunny boiler.
It should be nothing more. What is wrong with people??
(Names of people, companies, stores changed to protect the – innocent and stupid.)
Recently I quit the Generic Corporation cycling team to race with another more competitive team next year.
It did NOT go over well with the "team captain" who I also thought was my friend. She took It personally, made It all about her and how I had betrayed our friendship. All because I wanted to race on another team.
This Isn't the Olympics, right?
Anyway, below is a brief account of what just went down:
Barbie asks If I'm available for "coffee" yesterday and I say of course. I meet w/ her late in the afternoon which Immediately Is suspect but I give her the benefit of the doubt. So we sit down and she says, the reason I wanted to meet with you is two-fold. One aspect is from a friendship perspective and the other is from a team captain perspective.
She said, I've had time to think about everything (And I'm thinking oh, good. She's come to her senses) and I really feel betrayed by you. You betrayed me. Because you were my friend you got things on the team that others did not. (This is absolutely FALSE! But even if it wasn’t, what type of friend keeps tabs on things they do for their friends??) Couching an insult, she goes on to say, I understand not everyone is meant to be a leader. Not everyone knows how to set an example. (Not sure what therapist told her to say that. But I was seriously trying not to laugh.)
This whole round of conversation is really just a repeat of a previous conversation, where I get called names and she climbs up higher on her pedestal of quicksand – so I am extremely uninterested.
I think that about sums it up - there was more said but that’s the gist of it. I don't say a word and she hates it. So she says is there anything you want to say? I said, no not really. Nothing for me has changed. I am still operating from the same place I was when we talked last - a place of distinct separation of friendship and team stuff. We were friends. I thought you were funny and enjoyed hanging out with you. We don't do that now. That is your choice.
She was not pleased with my response - not sure what she was expecting.
Then she moves on to the second phase of the conversation (which was really the ONLY reason she wanted to meet with me.) She slides some photocopied thing across the table - something written up in some two-bit Generic Corporation newspaper or something and says, have you ever read this?
I read it and it says something about Generic Corporation employees can't sell Generic Corporation stuff for profit, etc. I was unimpressed and slid the paper back and said so?
She explodes with; you've NEVER read this before????!! Like it’s some kind of manifest that all employees have read and hold sacred - kind of like, thou shalt not kill. Whatever.
Then she goes on to say, it has come to my attention that a Generic Corporation kit was for sale at Sporting Good Store. I said, yep, I went and sold my old kit a couple weeks ago. Just like I did LAST year and It wasn't a problem! She goes on to say, I called the store and they described you perfectly. To which I say, so what? I just told you I sold it. What's your point?
She says, It Is ILLEGAL for you to sell that kit. WHY did you sell it? And I said, the same reason everyone else does - because kits are expensive and I use the money to go toward another kit. At this point she is quaking and she went on and on about how wrong it was etc. Basically she made me out to be some kind of criminal who knowingly sold stolen goods to Sporting Good Store.
I just looked at her blankly and said, what do you want me to do about it Barbie? And her response was, I want you to go to the store and buy it back. I looked her dead in the eye and said, no, I'm not doing that.
Ok. Then her head really does explode and she is shaking. I said, did I or anyone else on this team sign something that said we wouldn't re-sell these kits? I don't think so. I'm not going to buy it back. She said, well then you are going to have to talk to Asset Management and believe me, you DON'T want to do that.
At this point I'm thinking, you know what, you just backed the wrong person into a corner and also, I think you're bluffing. I'm calling your bluff. And I said, oh really? Who do I need to call? She says, oh they will call YOU. And you and your manager will have to meet with them. And this has nothing to do with your manager does it? I said, no, it doesn't. Who do I meet with?
To which she responds, look, I am trying to give you the nice girl way out. I will give you some time to think It over. You really don't want to go down this road. You have put me in a very, very bad position and I do NOT appreciate it.
I said, well Barbie, you see, I am taking you out of that position. I will handle this myself. Who do I call? She forks over the name. And before I leave I say, you know Barbie, it's very interesting how you tend to make everything about YOU. When I quit the team it was all about YOU. And now this kit thing is all about YOU.
I left the conference room and promptly called the Asset Manager contact - left him voicemail and went home. Then I rang a coworker who knew all about it and went and drank Guinness!!!
The next morning I called the Asset Management guy again and he was friendly as could be and said come on down. Here is the result of that:
Before I even began explaining the situation he said, let me just tell you there is no need for anxiety.
So I gave him the facts and he said there are NO legal parameters around this kind of thing - that I broke no laws and did nothing wrong. He said, you paid $500 for a kit and got $90 back when you re-sold it and that explains intent as well.
He then went on to say that after speaking with Barbie it seemed that she has an emotional attachment to this thing and so I enlightened him by saying yes she does and the reason is because I quit the team this year. Well, I could virtually hear all his cogs clicking into place and then he said, oh, I understand now.
Also he went on to say that Barbie said she feels HURT seeing the Generic Corporation logo being sold in a USED clothing store. Holy crap!! HAVE SOME MORE KOOL-AID, BARBIE! -- And oh by the way, nice way to lay it on thick. Unfortunately it didn't work - now the guy just thinks you're crazy.
He let me know that when he received my voicemail he promptly called Barbie and let her know that he and I would be taking care of this. There was no need for any further involvement on her part.
Anyway, he was a really nice guy - rides bikes a little - showed me a map of where he rode in France, etc.
END of STORY.
Seriously, WTF??
What a bunny boiler.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
WTF?
I just visited an old forum haunt I used to frequent when I first started pedaling. It was fun - a lot of the women who contribute are new to two wheeled adventures - some are very experienced, but not many are racers and like to beat their bodies up. Those who do seem to rise to an awe-inspiring level and are given lots of encouragement by other posters to share their stories and knowledge. It's a great thing for cyber space but at the same time, where's the reality in the situation?
It reminds me of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite. "You're just mad because I've been chatting with babes all day!"
Good for the people who have some how managed to find a way to bridge their social woes and can find other people to chat with. But in all reality - are they really serious and can you really find peace and harmony over the web?
Take E. for instance. She started racing a year after I did and subscribed to the same forum. Suddenly she was thrust to the top of the cyber-space ladder and is a guru on all things related to bikes. I found her submitting comments to my light hearted stories about her experiences and how Shimano Ultegra brake levers and shifters help to have lube applied, etc. etc. Ok, well maybe she finds it worthwhile to submit this type of information, but seriously! Who gives a shit?
Ok, that sounded a little harsh, I'll admit. Good for E. for finding a way to connect to the world. Out of curiosity I visited the forum today and queried her posts. She's a frequent flier with over 1,800 posts to date. Um... NERD!
Maybe I'm missing the boat on this...
It reminds me of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite. "You're just mad because I've been chatting with babes all day!"
Good for the people who have some how managed to find a way to bridge their social woes and can find other people to chat with. But in all reality - are they really serious and can you really find peace and harmony over the web?
Take E. for instance. She started racing a year after I did and subscribed to the same forum. Suddenly she was thrust to the top of the cyber-space ladder and is a guru on all things related to bikes. I found her submitting comments to my light hearted stories about her experiences and how Shimano Ultegra brake levers and shifters help to have lube applied, etc. etc. Ok, well maybe she finds it worthwhile to submit this type of information, but seriously! Who gives a shit?
Ok, that sounded a little harsh, I'll admit. Good for E. for finding a way to connect to the world. Out of curiosity I visited the forum today and queried her posts. She's a frequent flier with over 1,800 posts to date. Um... NERD!
Maybe I'm missing the boat on this...
Thursday, October 25, 2007
One way street.
My little sister is 6 years my junior and the baby of the family. As a result she has been taken care of her whole life and hasn't had to deal with some of the trivial things the rest of the world deals with. She's nearing 24 years old and still lives with my mom, going back to school for her second art degree, and in constant search for a boyfriend. She's talented, beautiful, smart - yet can be entirely selfish.
Today is just a small example of this behavior. A little background - I've been trying to get her to do something - go to the gym, climbing, drive down to Oregon to visit family, etc - and she's bailed on me each and every time. Yesterday I noticed she was wearing a nice pair of slacks - and I looked this morning for another pair I had that were identical to hers. Then I asked her about them earlier today and she said they're hers, but funny they were super long on her and were dragging on the ground more than before. I thought maybe those are mine - mixed up in the laundry from when our basement flooded and we used my mom's laundry for a week or so. She said she might find time to check later.
Then she came in and asked me what I was doing later today. Thinking she might ask me to go to the gym or something - I got my hopes up. But no, she wants me to install her fenders and tune up her bike. I told her I'd do it if she brings my pants back. Then she stormed off in a huff. "Geez!" I can't believe, like, someone would, like, make me do something for them when I just, like, asked them to do something for me! This is a one way street!
I love my sister but she can be self centered at times and likes to push people away. It's not fun to be around someone like that so when they start asking for favors without reciprocating .... I mean, I know she's my sister and all... but something has got to give every now and then.
Today is just a small example of this behavior. A little background - I've been trying to get her to do something - go to the gym, climbing, drive down to Oregon to visit family, etc - and she's bailed on me each and every time. Yesterday I noticed she was wearing a nice pair of slacks - and I looked this morning for another pair I had that were identical to hers. Then I asked her about them earlier today and she said they're hers, but funny they were super long on her and were dragging on the ground more than before. I thought maybe those are mine - mixed up in the laundry from when our basement flooded and we used my mom's laundry for a week or so. She said she might find time to check later.
Then she came in and asked me what I was doing later today. Thinking she might ask me to go to the gym or something - I got my hopes up. But no, she wants me to install her fenders and tune up her bike. I told her I'd do it if she brings my pants back. Then she stormed off in a huff. "Geez!" I can't believe, like, someone would, like, make me do something for them when I just, like, asked them to do something for me! This is a one way street!
I love my sister but she can be self centered at times and likes to push people away. It's not fun to be around someone like that so when they start asking for favors without reciprocating .... I mean, I know she's my sister and all... but something has got to give every now and then.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Caution: the following story is not fictional!
I met Angela three years ago during my first year of cycling. She was helping the leader, Joyce, develop a women's cycling team. She was very inspiring - especially to someone like me, who was super eager to learn everything and anything about the sport. Angela had gotten into the sport later in life, similar to me, and had run with it from the gun. Three years later she was on a pro cycling team and attending NRC events. I thought she was amazing.
Well as it turns out, over the next three years of my cycling adventure, I would find out more than I wanted to know about Angela. At first I didn't see that she would use people to better herself in any way she could - I thought she was genuine and was in it for the affect you can have on new comers. But then as time passed, and the rumor mill of the peloton grew, so did Angela's reputation. I got straight up first degree burns from this a couple of times - as did other people who fell into her spider web of me, me, me talk.
The reason I bring this up - out of the blue she contacted me yesterday. She keeps a blog as well and I regularly check it to see what she's up to lately. As far as I knew she was gone to Europe and was going to be there a while. Funny, I received an email from her. Here's what it said:
What's up? How are ya? Jeremy said he saw you last friday. Were you racing? How is it going? Are you racing this week?
I have a huge favor, if you have time. I am wondering if you would be able to help me w/ timing. I am doing a 3k effort on Wed and need lap times. I'd like to do it before everyone shows up for racing.
I'd be happy to burn some of those WC Cds in retrun for this great favor!!! And, I'd be happy to return the favor any time.
Well, let me know what you think, I hope it's not asking too much.
Later Tater
Innocent enough - but I did not fail victim to her prey. Simply put, I'm busy today and don't want to make an unnecessary trip to the track. Sorry Charley, but it's time you found another sucker.
Well as it turns out, over the next three years of my cycling adventure, I would find out more than I wanted to know about Angela. At first I didn't see that she would use people to better herself in any way she could - I thought she was genuine and was in it for the affect you can have on new comers. But then as time passed, and the rumor mill of the peloton grew, so did Angela's reputation. I got straight up first degree burns from this a couple of times - as did other people who fell into her spider web of me, me, me talk.
The reason I bring this up - out of the blue she contacted me yesterday. She keeps a blog as well and I regularly check it to see what she's up to lately. As far as I knew she was gone to Europe and was going to be there a while. Funny, I received an email from her. Here's what it said:
What's up? How are ya? Jeremy said he saw you last friday. Were you racing? How is it going? Are you racing this week?
I have a huge favor, if you have time. I am wondering if you would be able to help me w/ timing. I am doing a 3k effort on Wed and need lap times. I'd like to do it before everyone shows up for racing.
I'd be happy to burn some of those WC Cds in retrun for this great favor!!! And, I'd be happy to return the favor any time.
Well, let me know what you think, I hope it's not asking too much.
Later Tater
Innocent enough - but I did not fail victim to her prey. Simply put, I'm busy today and don't want to make an unnecessary trip to the track. Sorry Charley, but it's time you found another sucker.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Note to self: Never join a board again!
Giving back to the community is important. It lets the society around you know that you care and want to establish something that will hopefully last a generation or two. But sometimes you run into a grumpy old fart who shouldn't be a part of something and they just need to severe their ties and call it quits.
For example, I'm on a board. We contracted some duties to be done through this grumpy fart who gets paid a pretty penny to do nominal tasks. He often complains that he's over worked and stretched too thin. He has a hard time delegating and thinks that every volunteer associated with our organization will in some way let him down. He has some serious control issues and yet is unwilling, now, to put in the time necessary to complete any of the tasks he is getting paid for. Yet, he hasn't performed at all on the short time I've been on the board and I'm wondering why we're paying him?
Rereading my post - I just had a light go off in my head. I've been able to avoid dealing directly with him up until this point and knew better than talking with him. Well suddenly he has thrown himself into my path -and I'm reacting to his negativity. I just need to remind myself to stay the hell away from his grumpy ass and all will be better.
Last week he announced he's stepping down. Suddenly, things started to get a little brighter. The gloom will be gone and we'll actually be able to start functioning without a constant pessimistic presence. Fantastic. We'll see what evolves as time goes on. My buddy thinks that the grumpy old fart won't be able to cut his ties and will come back to haunt us in some shape or form. Let's hope not.
For example, I'm on a board. We contracted some duties to be done through this grumpy fart who gets paid a pretty penny to do nominal tasks. He often complains that he's over worked and stretched too thin. He has a hard time delegating and thinks that every volunteer associated with our organization will in some way let him down. He has some serious control issues and yet is unwilling, now, to put in the time necessary to complete any of the tasks he is getting paid for. Yet, he hasn't performed at all on the short time I've been on the board and I'm wondering why we're paying him?
Rereading my post - I just had a light go off in my head. I've been able to avoid dealing directly with him up until this point and knew better than talking with him. Well suddenly he has thrown himself into my path -and I'm reacting to his negativity. I just need to remind myself to stay the hell away from his grumpy ass and all will be better.
Last week he announced he's stepping down. Suddenly, things started to get a little brighter. The gloom will be gone and we'll actually be able to start functioning without a constant pessimistic presence. Fantastic. We'll see what evolves as time goes on. My buddy thinks that the grumpy old fart won't be able to cut his ties and will come back to haunt us in some shape or form. Let's hope not.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Where's the team in I?
With great remorse I decided to be the one person out for the team time trial happening in a few weeks. I don't know why I did but no one else was willing to budge and I can't stand waiting in turmoil. Sometimes you have to take one for the team I suppose.
The more I think about it, the more pissed I am. WTF was I thinking?
The more I think about it, the more pissed I am. WTF was I thinking?
Friday, August 3, 2007
Rant: nothing to rant about!
Apparently my life is going pretty good right now because I have nothing to bitch about. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
Nope.
Nope.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Airplane Flying
You'd think that the early morning flight would prevent strange things from happening. But I suppose what happened really wasn't strange - but more so just the ordinary happening really really early in the morning.
I left on a 6:30 am flight headed for home on Sunday morning. Most of the plane fell back to sleep - all except the two little brats and their father in the seat behind me. The kids were probably 7 and 9 - and not too bright if you ask me. And of course, because their little munch kin legs couldn't reach the ground they instead decided to kick my seat. At first I thought maybe their father would tell them to stop, but no. Twenty minutes later and at the end of my fuse I turned around and told the little shit to stop kicking.
Did that stop him? No. Next time I have a little kid in the seat in front of me, I'm going to kick the shit out of their seat. That'll show them.
In all reality though - who gives a shit? I just needed to vent it.
I left on a 6:30 am flight headed for home on Sunday morning. Most of the plane fell back to sleep - all except the two little brats and their father in the seat behind me. The kids were probably 7 and 9 - and not too bright if you ask me. And of course, because their little munch kin legs couldn't reach the ground they instead decided to kick my seat. At first I thought maybe their father would tell them to stop, but no. Twenty minutes later and at the end of my fuse I turned around and told the little shit to stop kicking.
Did that stop him? No. Next time I have a little kid in the seat in front of me, I'm going to kick the shit out of their seat. That'll show them.
In all reality though - who gives a shit? I just needed to vent it.
Monday, July 16, 2007
Grainy photos
It is so nice to have a therapeutic blog. It helps all of my angst and pent up feelings come out - and let the world know how I feel without really cluing them in.
And now, without further audieu - my rant of the day.
Why is it when you do a sporting event and photographers are there taking photos and you are suckered into buying them, they turn out to be worse than a camera phone picture? You'd think if something was trying to take photos professionally, they would at least let you know the proper resolution for ordering a photo. But not this one. Not only were the photos super grainy, but they were also labeled incorrectly. How ridiculous.
I sent them an email letting them know how disappointed I was - and have not heard back yet. They're probably thinking, gotcha SUCKA! You just paid $46.00 for grainy mislabeled photos. Ha! Well guess what? I think I might just contact the BBB and let them know what a shady operation your running.
Mofos.
And now, without further audieu - my rant of the day.
Why is it when you do a sporting event and photographers are there taking photos and you are suckered into buying them, they turn out to be worse than a camera phone picture? You'd think if something was trying to take photos professionally, they would at least let you know the proper resolution for ordering a photo. But not this one. Not only were the photos super grainy, but they were also labeled incorrectly. How ridiculous.
I sent them an email letting them know how disappointed I was - and have not heard back yet. They're probably thinking, gotcha SUCKA! You just paid $46.00 for grainy mislabeled photos. Ha! Well guess what? I think I might just contact the BBB and let them know what a shady operation your running.
Mofos.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Neighbor's Shit
I know, I know. The dandelions in my yard look as though I don't really care about its appearance. But yesterday I did mow them down - despite their dry and haggard appearance. I even mowed the part of the yard I usually skip due to the sloping hill.
And then I went down and did the stripe by the street. Which is apparently being used by my neighbor's shitty little dog as a toilet. Do they care? No. The fucker isn't going on their lawn. Instead they come over and take a crap in mine.
Of all things - dog shit really gets under my skin. Especially when I don't like the dog.
So I mowed the patch - avoiding stepping on the land mines. And then I went and grabbed a shovel and shoveled their shit right back into their overgrown yard. Like they'll even notice. I hope they step in it.
And then I went down and did the stripe by the street. Which is apparently being used by my neighbor's shitty little dog as a toilet. Do they care? No. The fucker isn't going on their lawn. Instead they come over and take a crap in mine.
Of all things - dog shit really gets under my skin. Especially when I don't like the dog.
So I mowed the patch - avoiding stepping on the land mines. And then I went and grabbed a shovel and shoveled their shit right back into their overgrown yard. Like they'll even notice. I hope they step in it.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Tales from the water tank
This is a long one - so bare with me please.
Over a year ago, our long time office secretary decided to move on. She had worked here for 9+ years - and we had gotten quite used to the ins and outs of how she worked. Once her position came up - I offered the job to a friend. He was hesitant, liking his no work/student/living with his girlie-friend - but his girlfriend/soon to be wife/paying all the bills - insisted he jump on it and take the job. It's part time - with very low stress and not a lot of tasks to do. Read - self motivated/entertained people need only apply.
There was a little learning curve at first - like watering of the plants. (This was his first office job, in his defense, so he had a couple of basic ideas to learn.) We have some plants outside the building that are not on the sprinkler system so they need to be hand watered. If they are not, then they die. It costs us money to replace dead plants. Simple solution - water the plants. On a couple occasions, I had to check and make sure the plants had been watered - even though we had explained the importance of watering the plants. I felt bad calling him after hours to check and make sure he watered one day. Was that a breach of our friendship?
Anyway - life continued. He got heavily involved with school and was able to fill his spare time with studies. Our office is a small property management office - and on occasion we have little emergencies come up that need to be addressed immediately. If you are asked to do something for work, it is assumed that you put that on priority and school work will have to wait. Unfortunately the inevitable happened and the ball was dropped a few times in lieu of making a school deadline. A couple tenants got pissed - a couple issues put on the back burner when they were boiling, etc. Water under the bridge though.
We were pretty understanding - school is super important. But we are not paying you to be a student, we are paying you to maintain your office duties, which are very minimal. I had to give my friend the "talk." It was hard to come up with the appropriate way to address it - so I ended up finally saying, "how much do you want to keep this job?" Right then and there he knew I meant business. He shaped up and quit pushing the envelope for a little while. He even admitted he had been absent mentally from work and asked for another chance. Chance given.
Then, one day, after a couple suspicions, I came in early to see if he was here on time. The clocked ticked by - then he strolls in 45 minutes late. No reason - he lives 10 minutes away. Busted. And unfortunately I had suspicions this wasn't the first time either. But that's not what matters. He was given another chance. Strike two.
The plot thickens. He graduated school - with not a clear exit strategy. Instead he told me he would think about what he wanted to do with the job and let me know soon. All I asked was that he give a two week notice so I had enough time to find someone and have him train them. Two months went by - and then he had to take a couple of days off for vacation. Not a big deal though - I told him so long as he gives me advance notice it wouldn't be a problem. He was extremely vague with his plans - not only to me but with other people he talked with too.
Does advance notice mean calling the night before you are headed out of town? Borderline to me.
How about leaving a message saying, "well since there's nothing going on and it's dead at the office, I don't see any problem with me not showing up Friday." Wait a second - who made you the boss? Not to mention I was out of town when the call happened. And I hear from other people that you had known about this engagement for weeks? That hurts.
What other option did I have then to let him know I was unhappy and going to cut his hours so someone could cover Fridays? The pattern started developing weeks ago - but you were not willing to admit it so it ended up leaving me in a situation to find someone else. He didn't react the day I told him that - instead he came in the following day and trained the next person and told them, not me, that he was no longer going to work at the office. He's the one who quit - which I'm glad I didn't have to fire him. It was hard enough having the "talk" with him initially.
What do you do when you give a friend a job and they screw up several times? Lesson learned - don't hook your friends up with a job.
Now to look for a replacement on monster. My only requirement for the next person - save the drama for your mama.
Over a year ago, our long time office secretary decided to move on. She had worked here for 9+ years - and we had gotten quite used to the ins and outs of how she worked. Once her position came up - I offered the job to a friend. He was hesitant, liking his no work/student/living with his girlie-friend - but his girlfriend/soon to be wife/paying all the bills - insisted he jump on it and take the job. It's part time - with very low stress and not a lot of tasks to do. Read - self motivated/entertained people need only apply.
There was a little learning curve at first - like watering of the plants. (This was his first office job, in his defense, so he had a couple of basic ideas to learn.) We have some plants outside the building that are not on the sprinkler system so they need to be hand watered. If they are not, then they die. It costs us money to replace dead plants. Simple solution - water the plants. On a couple occasions, I had to check and make sure the plants had been watered - even though we had explained the importance of watering the plants. I felt bad calling him after hours to check and make sure he watered one day. Was that a breach of our friendship?
Anyway - life continued. He got heavily involved with school and was able to fill his spare time with studies. Our office is a small property management office - and on occasion we have little emergencies come up that need to be addressed immediately. If you are asked to do something for work, it is assumed that you put that on priority and school work will have to wait. Unfortunately the inevitable happened and the ball was dropped a few times in lieu of making a school deadline. A couple tenants got pissed - a couple issues put on the back burner when they were boiling, etc. Water under the bridge though.
We were pretty understanding - school is super important. But we are not paying you to be a student, we are paying you to maintain your office duties, which are very minimal. I had to give my friend the "talk." It was hard to come up with the appropriate way to address it - so I ended up finally saying, "how much do you want to keep this job?" Right then and there he knew I meant business. He shaped up and quit pushing the envelope for a little while. He even admitted he had been absent mentally from work and asked for another chance. Chance given.
Then, one day, after a couple suspicions, I came in early to see if he was here on time. The clocked ticked by - then he strolls in 45 minutes late. No reason - he lives 10 minutes away. Busted. And unfortunately I had suspicions this wasn't the first time either. But that's not what matters. He was given another chance. Strike two.
The plot thickens. He graduated school - with not a clear exit strategy. Instead he told me he would think about what he wanted to do with the job and let me know soon. All I asked was that he give a two week notice so I had enough time to find someone and have him train them. Two months went by - and then he had to take a couple of days off for vacation. Not a big deal though - I told him so long as he gives me advance notice it wouldn't be a problem. He was extremely vague with his plans - not only to me but with other people he talked with too.
Does advance notice mean calling the night before you are headed out of town? Borderline to me.
How about leaving a message saying, "well since there's nothing going on and it's dead at the office, I don't see any problem with me not showing up Friday." Wait a second - who made you the boss? Not to mention I was out of town when the call happened. And I hear from other people that you had known about this engagement for weeks? That hurts.
What other option did I have then to let him know I was unhappy and going to cut his hours so someone could cover Fridays? The pattern started developing weeks ago - but you were not willing to admit it so it ended up leaving me in a situation to find someone else. He didn't react the day I told him that - instead he came in the following day and trained the next person and told them, not me, that he was no longer going to work at the office. He's the one who quit - which I'm glad I didn't have to fire him. It was hard enough having the "talk" with him initially.
What do you do when you give a friend a job and they screw up several times? Lesson learned - don't hook your friends up with a job.
Now to look for a replacement on monster. My only requirement for the next person - save the drama for your mama.
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