Ms. Incognito's Posterous

I Hate My Job...Not Really, Just The People There

I Can't Stand My Front Desk Person

Aside from the fact that she tells me far too much of her personal business, she just has the worst work ethic known to mankind.

She operates as the Front Desk, as well as the Office Manager, occasionally helping me when I need assistance in my department. Most days, I wish she wouldn't help me at all. Like today and yesterday, for instance.

Yesterday I was double checking some information she had entered into the system and out of the 5 records she entered, only 2 were entered correctly. They were simply mistakes that would have been caught if she took the time to double check her work. But she doesn't so it creates more work for me. Now since she is supposed to be helping me, I have every right to nicely remind her to double check her work. So I send a rather nice email to her, considering I'm livid because throughout the course of one week, she does her work incorrectly about 2.5 of the days she is here. Constantly reminding someone to do something they repetitively do every day, reminding them to do it right becomes the biggest exasperation ever when you are trying to get your own work done. So in my nice email, I thanked her for helping me when I need it and then I asked her to make sure she double checked all of her work in the future. I even added a thank you.

I don't expect to have a back and forth dialogue on this because it isn't necessary. I do expect her to acknowledge she received my email though. A simple, "ok" would be respectful and professional. A little initiative to know what she had messed up on would actually be ideal. That would then signify that she cares about her job in these depressing recession filled times. Unfortunately, she doesn't give a rat's ass about doing her work, let alone doing it correctly so I get nothing but a symphony of crickets in regards to a reply.

However, she feels the need to send me 2 emails; one "reminder" email stating she'll be leaving the office today at 1:45 and not returning until tomorrow at 10:30 because she has a doctor appointment in the morning. Reminder? Well sure it would be a reminder if you ever told me in the first place. Which she didn't so I just looked at the computer wanting it to materialize into her face so I could punch it. Her second email was her asking me to inform her as to when I was done reviewing a particular function of my job so she could do her part. I took this grand opportunity to ask her if she had received my email from yesterday. She simply replies, "Yes". Still putting forth an effort to be as professional as possible I reply, "well you didn't acknowledge that I sent it to you so I didn't know". Her symphony of crickets comes back.

This interaction today would not have been so bad had she not acted nonchalant about getting some tax forms out that were supposed to be postmarked no later than January 31, 2009. She offered up all kinds of excuses as to why they were being mailed out on the 2nd and instead of taking them and putting them into the mailbox when she left work, she leaves them in the outgoing mail bin for the mail man to pick up today. I could bet money on it that if she had been threatened with consequential punishment of any penalties the company receives being taken out of her check, due to her negligence, those tax papers would have gone out on time. But I digress. She is getting on my last nerve and I hope she doesn't come in tomorrow trying to tell me about her personal business.

I do not give one damn about anything going on in her boring life. I just want her to do the job she's supposed to do and do it well. Is that asking too much considering how many people would love her salary right now?

Parking At My Job

Most of the jobs I have had, have given the employees the option to have their parking (in the building they work in) deducted from their pay every month. My previous job, charged $120 a month for the employees parking; if you went directly to the parking company, they only charged $100. The parking company that my current employer uses charges our company $70 per parking pass; individuals, they charge $60.  The location for parking is 1 block away from the building I work in. I was not paying for parking for the last few months because I was trying to save some money by commuting and walking when it was not colder than Antarctica outside. I have recently decided to start paying for parking again because I have to leave throughout the day periodically and I am considering moving farther away. 

There is a parking lot directly across the street from my office and they only charge $55 a month to park there. One block difference is an extra $15 a month; go figure!

So I felt like being nice this morning and thought to tell a fellow coworker so that they could save a little money. She says thank you but no thanks, pretty much. I am slightly confused because this same coworker is always complaining about how she needs more money. This would be an extra $15 a month in her pocket, for crying out loud! Her reason behind not wanting to park there? She feels the lanes to maneuver through the lot are too small and it is difficult for her to drive out of the lot. Mind you, she has a compact size vehicle and I have a mid-size SUV. I back out and drive through with relative ease so I cannot say what her problem is but whatever; to each her own.

Seriously though, would you not park somewhere monthly that was $15 less simply because you are horrible at driving? Maybe. Not me! I can think of several things I can put that $15 to use on.

Some people...I tell yah! (shaking my head)

Realization #1,965,439

My realization today is that I need to be self-employed. This realization is not because I cannot and do not follow direction well, in fact, I do those two things very well. It is because by working for other people, you will never really see the return you deserve from the hard work you put into someone elses company. Who really wants to do that day in and day out only to get back chicken feed for pay? Certainly not I!

So it is that return issue, as well as, being subjected to the quips and qualms of your superiors. I am not a whipping boy (girl) so I expect to be treated with dignity, respect, and for the person who serves over me to act like they have some damn sense. Unfortunately this is not the case with supervisors/bosses/etc. They get to act out at will and because you are a menial employee, you must either take it or leave if you do not like it. Well, I do not like it so I started my countdown somewhere around the middle of 2008. I am eagerly awaiting my blast off date so I can get as far away from this place of depression as soon as possible. That day cannot come fast enough!

I sometimes drift off into NeverNeverLand dreaming of the day when I come in with a 1,000 watt smile and tell them that I will no longer be returning. I get so excited sometimes I have to come back down to reality with a quick reminder that I still have work to do while I am still employed with the Dreamkillers. Today, I will be multi-tasking my daydreams with a crap load of work I do not want to do. Such is my life...

The Inauguration of the 44th President

Yesterday was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, a day set aside to acknowledge a man who made it possible for people who were not treated as equals, to become what they are...equal.

Today is the day Barack Hussein Obama was sworn into the presidency for the United States of America; another day that will forever remain etched into our memories because by him being president, it gives other people hope that they too can achieve their dreams and make a difference while doing so.

I am taping the inauguration because it is something I want to have in my possession for as long as possible.

This is an important day in history for EVERYONE...not just Black people.

This accomplishment shows that change will come about when it is necessary and when it is time. I cannot think of a better time to have a president of another nationality than what we have consistently adhered to for the last 43 presidents we have had. Electing a president who is not of the typical norm shows the world that America is open to change and receptive of it as well.

I am happy and proud that I am alive to witness my country advance in this arena. Granted, this does not take away from all of the things we have yet to accomplish and continue to do but it puts us one step closer.

And it is this one step that is going to make a world of difference....

It Is Friday and I Am Freezing My Bum Off

It is currently 20 degrees in Atlanta but feels more like 13.

In Oakland it is 48 degrees but feels like 45.

Chicago, -8, feels like -20.

New York, 15, feels like -1.

Bottom line...we are all cold as a witches tit in the middle of December with no sun in sight.

So when one of the owners of the company sees me and asks me, "What's wrong with you??? What are you Nanook?", because I am bundled up in my coat, I restrain myself from saying some knee jerk ass reply and simply reply, "It's freezing outside and it isn't much warmer in here". Only for him to pull up his shirt revealing a green shirt and spouting off about his Body Armour being the best thing since sliced bread. Okay. I don't have any so...

I look at the thermostat and it is on 73 degrees...if it is 20 degrees outside, why is the thermostat on 73? That isn't going to produce any heat to warm up the office. The bathroom feels like you could start an ice plant in there. I immediately crank that bad boy up to 78. It's necessary trust me.

I was going to drink nothing but water today but this cold is begging my internal organs to drink at least one mug of coffee until I can heat up...

Wish me some heat please...

Why Are You In My Seat? Better Question: Why Are You Not Getting Up?

It baffles my mind some of the things people just will not allow to register in their heads. Maybe it is just me but if I was in someone else's office, sitting in their chair, and they walked in, I would immediately offer them their seat. It is a sign that you have manners and that you respect them enough to know this is not your office, even though you are in it when they were not even at work.

Case and point....

I walk into my office this morning and the Office Manager is sitting in my seat. Now, my desk has three chairs around it; one that is directly in front of my computer (this is the one I sit in every day and have been sitting in every day since I was hired) and the other two are on the other side of my desk, for when someone comes in my office and wants to talk to me. She is sitting in my seat doing some filing. From time to time, she will assist me with tedious paperwork I run out of time to file. So I am opening up my office, turning on lights, opening doors. She is still sitting there. She says, "I have this one last stack to do and I will be done". She is still sitting there. 

All the while I am thinking to myself, "WHY? Why is she STILL sitting in my seat??"

In my mind, common sense would dictate that if the person whose office you are in walks in, you would get your ass out of their seat. Apparently her sense is not so common to my own. I stand there waiting for her to get it...get out of my seat please. No such luck but then again she has never struck me as being the brightest bulb in the box so this is when I rummage through all the things in my head that I could say that would effectively cause her to rise and move out of my seat. The best I could do was, "Okay, well I need my seat now. Thanks", with a smile. Her response? Well it should have been something along the lines of her acknowledging she had sat there too long and now rising to go get another chair or go do something else altogether. Instead I was met with two eyes that were reminiscent of a deer in headlights. FINALLY followed by, "Oh. Ummm, ok. I guess I will finish this filing later". I guess you will. Get the hell out of my chair dammit.

And this is the beginning of my day...

The Recession...and still having a job

There are some people who act downright resentful to others who have a job because they do not have one and it is very difficult for them to find one during this "recession". I cannot stand people like this. Do not be mad at me because I still have a job...there is no telling how long I will have it but me having one and you not having one should not be on your list of things to bitch and complain about.

I do not understand some people and their thought process.

Along with this job that I have, I have to put up with people CONSTANTLY presenting their gloom and doom of the recession. I understand it is here and very relevant in everyone's day-to-day actions but I do not need to be reminded of it everyday by other coworkers when I come into work. I watch CNN...depressing news on the recession. I watch FOX News...depressing news on the recession. There are even streaming media alerts in my gmail that remind me EVERYDAY that there are a ridiculous amount of people unemployed...and it is only going to get worse.

So is it okay for me to totally ignore fellow employees who want to come in my office and chat it up about the recession, wasting my valuable time? I think so. 

Lately what I have been doing is just letting them talk and then saying "Ok" and nothing more. You would think this is a blatant HINT for them to leave my office and leave me in the peaceful state I was in before they arrived. But no. They want to ask what I think. I think you should get back to work...that is what I REALLY want to say. Instead, I simply state that we (the United States of America) have ALWAYS had recessions and they usually come every 10-12 years and last a few years, no more than 5. The problem is that people's spending habits have NEVER changed, for the most part. People spend recklessly when the economy is good so when it goes bad, they act like they are going to die and we are going to enter a Great Depression INSTANTLY. All they ("they" being people who are TERRIFIED they are gonna be homeless and jobless) have to do is look at the people who have stayed wealthy whenever a recession hit. They spend wisely when the economy is good but they spend even better when it goes bad.

People just need to do their research. The rich stay rich because they spend wisely ALL the time. Some purchases might look like frivolous senseless spending but you have to think about when the economy starts to rise. Guess who is going to get RICHER? Them. Unfortunately not you because you spent the greater part of the recession worrying about not having money instead of making your money work for you. What were they doing exactly? I'll tell you. Your simple eye only sees what they are doing as a waste of money because you have conditioned yourself to believe that when a recession hits, the best thing to do is STOP SPENDING. BUT...they are rich/wealthy because when the prices drop, they devote a certain amount of their money to buying what is ridiculously low market priced investments. So when the economy rises, they stand to make back what they spent and a hell of a lot more.

After all that spill, they usually get the hint to just walk away. Oh how I wish I did not have to go through all of that but it is the only way they will go away and NEVER mention the recession to me again. With the exception of my boss...who seems to take pleasure in being the office killjoy in regards to the recession. I do not know what his problem is so please do not ask me.

When It's Quiet, I Get Scared

My boss is usually loud as hell all the damn time...from his whistling that is reminiscent of a serial killer to his out of sync random singing to his just loud talking period. Yesterday, he was actually using his inside voice all day. Why this terrifies me is because it usually means he's going to come in my office preaching the impending doom of another Great Depression. He'll spend an hour alone talking about the Recession and how we all need to be afraid and stop spending money. Listening to him spout off is enough to make you want to climb the stairs to the top of the nearest building and jump. VERY depressing.

I am currently looking for a way to tell him "Please do not talk to me about the recession everyday. You are depressing me and making me dread coming to work for fear that I will have to hear this speech another day. It does nothing for my morale and makes me want to quit my job simply so I can go get positivity elsewhere. If you can cut your recession speeches down to once a week and then gradually to once a month, I would greatly appreciate that". Anyone who knows how to say that better, please let me know.

He has yet to arrive at work today and I am basking in my positivity. Something tells me my good spirit is going to get pounced on by his gloom and doom today though.

Pray for me...I will most certainly be praying for myself.

I Hate My Job...Correction: The People At My Job Get On My Nerves

I am trapped in a place of employment that is currently testing my sanity.

I come everyday whether I am sick or not to do the tasks I am paid to do, minding my own business and still get sucked into their brain damage. It has got to end.

So this blog will be my submissions so that I don't end up going Jackie Chan on a fellow employee...or better yet my imposing boss. I have another blog that I write on but I figured with my face being easily recognizable on my profile picture and my name there, it would be too much like right that one day someone I work with find me and alert the powers that be.

So I'll be writing in the wonderful posterous world, incognito.

Here is to sanity through a blog!

Cheers!

-Ms. Incognito