this probably isn't very professional of me

but i HAVE to get this off my chest.

i work at a Home Depot.
i started in April. i felt like i was drowning and was by myself closing the flooring department from day. freekin'. ONE.

i was fortunate, because my coworkers and my boss (T) at the time were fantastic and were/are always willing to help if asked.

T left to go to another Home Depot closer to his house last month. we got C as a replacement.
C is sarcastic, generally very funny, and can be a complete BEAR to get along with. it's nearly impossible to tell if he's serious or not (honestly, i can't really blame him for that, because my sense of humour is quite similar).
we got a new girl in the department recently. A. C has scared her off, basically, because she can't tell if she's doing anything right, he won't help her learn to do stuff, and she's fairly convinced that he doesn't like her as a person and doesn't want her in the department.  so now she's going to be a cashier instead.
A is a wonderful girl, she's just drowning, and though she works with him most often, he WON'T HELP HER. (this = me pissed off point 1 and is a whole 'NOTHER rant.) seriously, he tells her "figure it out." when she asks how to do something she's never done before. (exCUSE ME?! >:[[[[[[ )

there are various other random me=pissed off points as well, but today took the cake.

i was at work from 11am to 5pm.
i walk in at 11, and C is like " :D! yaay! i love that you're always on time!" which is a nice way to be greeted.

he then gives me a laundry list of things he'd like done, and says "not all of it HAS to be done today, just as much as you guys can, yeah?" "okie dokie." i say, my head spinning.

C leaves at 1115am. A comes in at 12, and J is coming in late because his car borked on him.

round about 1230/1p, i get a call from A, who took a call from our carpet installers. she's totally lost and confused about what's going on, so she transfers the call to me.

said carpet installer is like "sooooo, we got a call from the measure tech about installing carpetting tomorrow? O.o " and i go "saaayyyy what? the measure tech called you? uhm. O.o" (this is unusual to say the least.) so i go through and look it up on our computer, and as far as i can tell, C told this guy that his carpetting would be installed friday. as in, TOMORROW. O.O

so i say "uhm.... know what? lemme dig into this and call you back, mkay? O.o" installer dude says "sure. you can talk to anyone in the office, but just so you know, we can't install tomorrow. we're all full up until monday. :/ "

i must have spent 45 minutes to an hour just trying to figure out what the hell was up with the file, and couldn't refer the the physical copy because i COULDN'T FIND IT. finally, i find it, get royally confused, and decide to give.the.fug.up.

so i call the m-o-d, Ad. Ad says "wait, what now?" so i go through the whole thing and tell him that i spoke to the install company, and i'm planning on calling the measure company and also the customer, but i'm not even sure what to say. i wanted to talk to him about it because i don't want to fuck it up more, ya know? Ad says "sure. uhm. what's the customer's info?" i give him name, addy, ph#. Ad does some computer stuff and says "know what? i'm gonna do some research on this and i'll call C and see what's up, and then i'll call you back." "awesome, thank you so much." sez me.

Ad calls back about 30mins later like "ok, i talked to C, and the customer musta misunderstood. call the measure company and installers back and make sure everything's kosher. and make sure that the customer knows that the carpet ain't going in 'till monday." and i'm like "yeah, ok. thanks".

so this is officially my problem, now. GREAT. =(>_)>

i decide that it's good that C isn't working with me today, because i would have stuck my foot up his ASS at that point. then i'd have told HIM to sort it out, because he fucked it up, so he can fix it.

after 2ish more hours of calling installers and measure company to make sure we all have our collective shit together, i finally call the customer at 430pm.
customer is, understandably, irate at this point.

on the other hand, customer is also rude as hell to me, and is like "well, you need to make sure that your people are trained correctly, because this guy told me that my carpet would be installed on friday, no problem." "yes, sir, and i do apologize for the confusion on his part, we'll definitely make sure he understands the way this program is supposed to work. it's supposed to be 72hours from the measure, not from when you pay for the measure."
"well that's not what he said" "yes sir, i understand that, and again, i apologize for the confusion about this. since the measure tech knew you wanted it tomorrow, the data should show up in our system later today, so if you'd like to come in around --"
"damn right she knew i wanted it installed tomorrow, i made that damn clear! and now the installers say they don't know what that's about? what the hell is going on with you people?" "sir, i understand that you're angry. i would be too. as i was saying, if you'd like to come in around 8p tonite, the measure should be in the system by then, and you can order the carpet and it'll be installed on monday. the installers already have you on their schedule."
"they damn well better. i'll be there at 8p, but if that info isn't in your computer, i'm gonna be seriously pissed off." "yes sir, i understand that you're angry, and i'm going to have a coworker call the measure company at about 630p just to make sure it's in the system and that everything is as it should be."
"what, you're not going to call them yourself? why not?" "well sir, i was supposed to go home 5 minutes ago, but J and A will be here, and they can take care of you."
"well they better. >:[ " "yes sir, thank you for your ---"
"where are you calling from, anyway? you sound unusual." "i'm actually at the ***** Home Depot, where C works. i work with him, he's just not here today is all." "oh. you sound unusual." "i'm from new hampshire sir, i often have people thinking i'm English."
"oh. ok. well, i'll be in at 8p then. and that stuff better be in the computer, because i'm not coming out twice." "yes sir, it should be. tha---"
"also, i want to know, since this isn't being done in the 72 hours like your boy [yes, he said that.] said it would, can you guys wave the 137.00 install fee?" "i'll have to talk to the manager about that, sir, i'll let him know what's going on, and see what he says. i'll also make sure he's close by when you'll be in the flooring department in case you'd like to talk to him about it, ok?"
"yeah, ok." "is there anything else i can do for you sir?"
"no, thank you." "alright, thank you sir, and have a good afternoon." *click*

the next several seconds went as follows ::
>walk several feet away from the flooring desk
>grab edge of pallet of flooring, proceed to beat head against it for several seconds
>threaten to stick my foot up C's ass next time i see him
>try to call m-o-d on phone, fail, try 3 more times, and give up for a few minutes

i talked to A and J about what C told me to do THIS MORNING, and then walk off to find Ad.
finally, i get him on the phone, and tell him what happened, and tell him that the guy asked about the discount. "...why would i do that...?" he says. "i don't know. i told him i'd talk to you about it, i didn't say one way or another if you would, just that i'd talk to you. this is me talking to you about it." "ok." "i also told him you'd be in flooring when he's there in case he wants to talk to you about anything. he'll be here around 8p." "oh, ok. no problem. thanks for letting me know." "yup. and now i'm going home, because i was supposed to leave at 5p." "yup, see ya."

i grabbed my shit and left the store as quickly as possible. then i sat in the car and cussed and ranted to myself before driving off so that i didn't get into an accident on the way home. i also decided to stick my foot up C's ass next time i see him


this? this was my day.
i spent 4 hours fixing MY BOSS'S MISTAKE.
i can kick someone now, right? because, damn, i want to.

the other customers i helped today were absolute DOLLS though, so it wasn't as bad a day as it could have been.

*hits the showers*
~kitty

p.s., pepperidge farm remembers! pepperidge farm remembers! .... ahhh, screw this, i'm outta here!

the wondering gripes

i has them.

what are the wondering gripes? they're wonderings that double as complaints.

f'rinstance.

why does the ink never run out all at the same time? (ok, i know why it doesn't, but really? what the hell!?)

is it possible that there's some kind of world conspiracy that no papercutter ever is actually plumb and square? because i have 2, and my sister has like 80, and none of them are actually both plumb and square. they ALL cut on an angle.
(to wit - the fuh?!?)

does anyone else's blogger, when writing/editing entries, do this?
when i hit enter, to go to the next line, the caret (little vertical line indicating where the typing will happen) ends up back at the start of the first line, but the typing happens where it should. what's up with that?!

also, why does printer ink have to cost so damn much? really. i have a 5 color printer.
each thin little bar of ink is 16 and change. 16 times 5 is a lot (~82), is all i'm saying.

who told all these people that they can do what i do? (and for some: who told them they had any talent for it? O.o ) who told ME i had any talent for what i do? (i really can't remember if anyone ever did. not sure anyone did, except saying 'ooooh, pretty, yobo!' when i showed them what i made.)

why won't my xmas-ornament tree idea work? the idea is sound, but the execution is apparantly terrible. so it's not a tree anymore, it'll be a garland. and i'll once again be covered in red craft herpes*.

25 is really too much for a handmade telescope? really? (i think it's too cheap, even though the 'scope is made of cardboard. it took me a lot of time and work to make that!)

why is it that a 1 and three-quarters inch paper punch doesn't seem to exist? i kind of need one. like, a lot. (as in, before i have to take an xacto knife to my earring cards again, goddamnit.)

when will i ever learn to leave well enough alone? (this applies to both papercutting and dealing with people.)

is pandora.com a mindreader? because when i turn it on, it tends to have the song currently stuck in my head as it's first one up.

why do i only ever remember my clear labels and my printer after i've started writing? (my handwriting is useless. it's this nearly unintelligible scrawl. i've been told i should be a physician so that i have an excuse for the penmanship. [i'm not joking.])

that's all the wondering gripes i've got for now.

actually, 1 more :: why is it 1antimeridian? i gotta go sleep. (damnit.)

~kitty
*glitter is the herpes of the craft world.