Boss Lady

Today I was dreading my monthly meeting with my BossLady (BL). I'm fairly good at what I do and I take a lot of pride in how I do my job. But this has not been my year. The type of work that has crossed my desk has been idiotically complicated, required a lot of research beyond the norm, and heavily focused in an area that is by far my biggest weakness. I can run circles around people in the areas I'm fully competent in. But this one area has been the bane of my work existence. My work-items drag toward resolution and I'm not confident of my results. I tend to be overly critical and analytical in my research. But I'm like that because people's money is at stake and I believe I owe it to them to be thorough; whether they get a positive or negative outcome.

*

I swamped with these hateful work-items. So I took my labored ass into my meeting to have a *Thomas sucks and I need help* session. Gawd, I hate asking for help and/or understanding or guidance about my own performance. Usually my monthly meets take all of 5 minutes. My new BL has been in her position for 4 months now. Each of my meetings has been 45 minutes or more since she came on board. She has a brilliant mind. Clearly she thinks much faster than I do and I don't know how she does it. But she's patient to listen to my issues and guide me where I need to be. This is her first time as a manager and so far she is doing a wonderful job. As task oriented as she is, she has the time to stop and wrap her head around issues at a moments notice and completely "get it".

*

I left today's meeting with my pile of work and an action plan. I left the meeting feeling that I had been heard and understood. I even suggested a solution to a team process that I had been offering up for the past three years that always considered unnecessary. My suggestion offered up a more fair distribution of work and work-types that will balance ownership. She totally bought into the concept. It's such an easy concept to administer. But it's so very much going to tick off my remaining colleague-bitch. (yeah maybe that was unnecessary but it's true.)

*

So Thomas, was the entire day a success? Hail no!

People Please!!

I thought I'd share a few snippets of annoyance I ran across recently. Or rather I just want to vent them to you:

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

• Friends that make plans to get together and don't show. Thanks for letting me hang, I needed the rest.
• Cancer taking Tony Snow, much too early in life.
• People that throw trash into my yard. Why? I have a perfectly good trash can on the side of the house not 10 feet from where you dropped it.
• The ugly transsexual prostitutes are back. As opposed to the pretty one's I suppose. bleck.
• My neighbor self-painted her house a wonderful shade of vomit yellow. Nice! I much preferred the lighter version of puke yellow.
• My government stimulus check arrived today. The teller asked me what I would spend it on. "None of your business, you nosey son of a bitch!" I'm so mean some times.
• I handed the gas station clerk $40 and ask for $35 in gas on pump #6. She asked me "Why not the entire $40 honey?" Oh dear... "Sweetie listen, when I need you to spend my money, I'll let you know!"
• A co-worker asked me if I had missed her being absent. Why do people ask me questions, to which I'm going to give an honest answer? ..."No!"
• And, just so you know that I can hold my tongue... a rather handsome fellow touched me today in a nice hello patting sort of way. While I wanted to tell him to do that again... I didn't because I was at work... and don't think that didn't annoy me either.
• How was your Monday?

WWJD

What Would Jesus Do

Sometimes I'm a heartless Christian. I had to stop by the local WalGreens a bit ago. That would be the WalGreens on the fine road of Chamberlayne Avenue. The infamous stretch of gun-shots, prostitution and drugs. Not to mention a plethora or other comical sorts in needy dire straights.

-

Park the car, get out and I'm immediately questioned "Sir, can you help me? I'm struggling, no place to live and been abused. I just needs some money for food."

-

I'm not familiar with this one. But she certainly had a more needy tone about her begging. But my "out in public" not-so-nice guy and distrusting inner cynic took control and I told her that "I'm just taking care of myself today." I know, not the most sensitive thing to say.

-

I'm reminded of my Spanish teacher in High School. Her name was Senorita Bianchi. She warned us about donating to the beggars on our trip to Spain. "Just keep walking and give them nothing. The beggars have more money than they let on." I'm also reminded of a study done once on the "art" of street begging. The students begged for a month and found that at the end of each day they had enough money to for their meals, a nice hotel room, clothes with money some left over.

-

When I was in Georgia, I worked with a woman named Dee. She and I would often take long drives to nowhere and get lost. She always found a stray to give money to, and never batted an eye. I asked her why she did that and she said that you just never know when it's 'Jesus on Earth here to test you.' An interesting notion but, may he forgive me, I just can't think like that.

-

So, inside WalGreens I told the security officer that a woman was outside begging for assistance. When I left she was gone. I went to the BK (decided not to sue them) and there she was with her BK bag of burgers talking to 2 ladies and another man having a good ole time. Not so alone and feeling abused after all.