HR

Today's installment involves the simple transaction of a document compilation and hand-off. This should be a fairly straightforward process. A book of documents was needed for a board meeting, and I was tasked with putting said book together.

While compiling this book, I couldn't print a doc because it wouldn't open properly. I had other people try, also with no success. After much tribulation on the part of about four people - one of whom was our top IT person, another of whom is Boss - we finally got it to open and print, I completed the pack and walked it in to give to Boss. This should be simple and straightforward....I walk in, hand her the book, walk out. Of course if that were the case in actuality, there would be no story and I would not be writing about this right now.

I walk into her office to give it to Boss and say as a matter of affirmation, "I got that doc to print---" and am promptly cut me off with "I have no idea what you're talking about." With that snip, Boss turns her back to me in a huff, despite having been part of the process not ten minutes earlier. I replied, "that's probably because I hadn't finished the sentence." I stood there for a second, out of curiosity to see what she would say next.

No reply, just her back turned to me, nose in the air. I'm not even exaggerating about the nose in the air. It really was - as much as it can be for a sexagenarian troll. Ahh, Tuesday.

cupid

I think this about sums it up:

no glove, no.....

So let me get this straight.

It's not okay for insurers to provide free birth control needy people - the people who can LEAST afford to procreate, but who are obviously fornicating. So no birth control for them, says the religious right and the Catholic church.

However, if those people continue to multiply - as the church seems to want them to - and are unable to afford to take care of their children, the religious right and the Catholic church won't help them out then, either. I don't know about you, but I think a pack of condoms or a wheel of pills costs a hell of a lot less for the state than a bunch of kids, who very well may turn into a bunch of adults, in need.

You'd think that all of these devoutly religious folks would adopt the Christlike stance of taking care of their fellow brother and trying to help him get out of a terrible cycle of poverty and despair. Way to go weirdo right-wingers.

mallet

A mallet to the temples, that is. I'll just jump right in. The backstory, quickly, is......

Weekly meeting with several people, Boss among them. Meeting was coordinated with other work dude (who is actually a nice person) and his assistant and was set for a time / date that worked for everyone. And here's how everything becomes my fuck up. This is all via email at 11pm on a Monday.

Dude at work: Apologies…I see that we are booked for tomorrow at 5pm…I have a Doctor appt at 4:30pm, and know that I won’t be back by then… Apologies, that this was overlooked… Assistant/Tall Girl, can you find another time that works..?


Boss (to me only): You scheduled this, so why is it scheduled at a time he could not do?

Me: His assistant and I confirmed with him and he signed off on it at the time.

Boss: You need to check something wrong (nice punctuation)

Me: I'm confused. I'm aware he cannot make it and it needs to be rescheduled, but what else is wrong?

Boss: The meeting should not have been scheduled when he could not attend

......Does Boss read? Did she not see that he overlooked his own appointment and that there was no way for me to know this? Clearly not.

Me: I'm aware of that. When his assistant and I scheduled, he said he could make it. The error was not mine, nor his assistant's.

Boss: speak iwth him (yes, misspelled, with no punctuation, as per usual)

Me: Of course, as we are rescheduling. I did not set this up unilaterally.


That was at 11pm, with the last message at 11:49, on a Monday. I work for a consummate professional.

gettin hyoooch

This is awesome.

The "fitness industry" makes more money than all of us combined will ever see in a lifetime, largely off of candy bars and shit you can't pronounce, that is most likely really bad for you.

I make myself protein shakes occasionally, when I am not getting enough protein through my regular diet to deal with lifting. After very long workouts, I will take something called Endurox, which is a drink that is made for recovery purposes. It works. Beyond that, I think most supplements are pretty dumb and not very healthful.

I used to know a dude that would buy huge bottles of L-tyrosine and take them fistfulls at a time. The recommended dosage is about 2 pills a day. He said they were his 'happy pills' and that he couldn't function without them. It was a ruse; there was nothing happy about him, pills or no.

tah-cohhs.

I am unreasonably stoked right now. I'm sitting here listening to this song and noticing just how damn clean this room is. These sheets are nice and with the limited space and the new wall I built, because I'm fucking McGuyver, I'm feeling okay about the space.

This is a good step. Acceptance. And here's what I'm learning right now.....that things take time. That I fight. Okay, too personal. I'm all stoked on this song because of the prospect of being un-stuck and scheming. And there is something about the crispness of this song and artist that I'm just really into.

I had dinner tonight with two of the people in my life who I rarely see together and who I dig and trust the most. I made tacos, we drank a lot of wine, we cracked up, we talked about climate change, we talked about future plans. Future. More. There is always more and there is definitely better. So thanks to Flo for putting the dropping of the dead horse to music; I took it to heart just now.

How many people do you know who are on the verge of so much? It's like half of the world is on a rope bridge and safe passage means the life you want and too big a slip means broken bones and a hike back to the top to pass that bridge again. But if you look down, it's over. Like the analogy of mountain biking. When you think you might fall, go faster. Press harder and shake the breaking shell as you speed up. Only way you'll be okay, dude. Seriously. Fucking speed up, already.

Evolution.

shifty

People will tell you a lot. I mean a LOT. All you have to do is listen and they will tell you everything one way or the other. They will say what they want you to know, or what will point you in the direction of what they want you to think most of the time, but drop in bits here and there that tell you how they deal with things and what they really think of themselves. Lisssssen to people. Then after the listening, observe. Because after all of the talking, they will DO what they really do and their actions will show you who they really are and how much of what they said was true. It's a proven theory, a million times over. I'm not suggesting entrapment, manipulation or judgement. Just simple listening and observing, as with this approach to human relationships it is easy to determine what your level of involvement with a person should be.

It's pretty easy when someone's words and actions match up, whether good or bad. I'm highly in favor of the simplicity of that, but things tend to get muddled when someone begins talking and acting out of both sides of themselves, in an effort to manipulate a person or situation to his or her benefit. In my studies, I've found that it can be easy to get caught up, without the aforementioned observation plan. Getting caught up in the drama is bad and there is no point. I have also learned that after one has observed capricious behavior, the shiftiness will often increase in defense of bad behavior. If you've already taken note of the inconsistency, it can be quite amusing to sit back and watch the 'I'm-over-here-no-wait-now-I'm-over-heeere-show'. Amusing because of the labrynthine lengths some will go to in order to make it seem as though they are projecting their best self to others. Basically, it's funny - though not necessarily haha funny - because it's so not simple, is fairly obviously off and is a waste of everyones time.

At one point in my life, I would get caught up in the web from time to time, trying to sift through the inconsistencies to figure out what is really going on. That, my friends, is like quicksand. There is no point and the only thing that can come of that is that you feel overwhelmed and confused and have to figure your way out, while the quicksand feels nothing out of the ordinary and just cruises on. The new policy is - and I don't give a shit if it's harsh - when inconsistencies arise, ask. If it seems fishy, there is a lot of over-explanation, or I'm met with anger, I simply move on. I don't have time for inconsistencies or elaborate stories. If something doesn't make sense, especially after explanation, it, or some part of it, is probably not true. 'Nuff said. No big challenge, no fight. Just keepin it moving.

This tends to aggravate the shifty one and often he or she will react with snide anger, or some sort of challenge, or insult, thus making those little tidbits that were divulged in a cleverly disguised moment of joking self-deprecation, float to the top and be seen clearly, making it yet more logical to just walk away from the situation entirely.

We only have time for simple, now.

simplicity.

I continue to sort of mail it in, but this is a pretty simple and poignant message. It is also how I have approached life for quite sometime now. You'd think this would go over, wouldn't you? I guess the word needs to spread. Passive aggressiveness and teenage games are the way of the past, people.