Q: What are you reading right now?
A: I'm about to start "Mortal Engines" by Phillip Reeve (it was a Christmas present) & still trying to decide which audiobook from the library to listen to in my car
Q&A a Day: A 5-Year Journal
Happy Thought of the Day (HTOTD): Naps.
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Today was good. Not great - but good.I'm still in high spirits for the new year - trying to keep that going. (Also powerloss is finally over, so thank gawd for that.)
Work was work. I was sort of hoping we wouldn't have our usual Thursday meeting today since most people were unavailable, out of the office, or still on vacation - but nope. The only thing I don't like about these meetings is that depending on who is in attendance, the hour meeting can take... longer than an hour. And I have things to do.
Today it ended a little less than the allotted hour (Yay!) so I got to go back to my desk and work on my end of day things. My shift is supposed to end at 3:30pm, but with two weekly meetings that start around 2pm and go for an hour... that doesn't really leave a lot of time to take care of the things that need to be taken care of... which means I have to stay a little later... sometimes A LOT later... and sometimes when I have to stay later for the sole purpose of getting stuff done to get out of dodge, people have the tendency to poke me for help. And I'm always one to help if I can, but if I've got someplace to be or the help requests are distracting making my work take even longer or I'm just frakkin exhausted and want to go home - it can get to be a little much.
I remember once when I would visit an old job I temp'd at, there was one guy who would always ask me for help, and I was happy to give it, but then it became too much. A co-worker would remind him that I no longer worked there, and asked if he was paying me for my time. I would turn an eye to him (knowing how much of a penny pincher he was), and he'd say "nevermind" and turn back to his computer.
There just seems to be a difference between being helpful, and being someone's mom... and when the help requests get to the point where they're not even work-related anymore or taking up more of my time than if you knew how to do that stuff yourself? I mean, sheesh.
And I always feel bad when I stick up for myself and say "no" or tell them to ask someone else since I didn't have the time, etc, because they always look like "Well, damn. Nevermind then." I always infer the attitude in their words/actions, but I've been the default girl too often. In this instance, it's the "oh she helped me before, and she always knows what to do" thing, but I work in a department of several people - any of which could assist. I mean, I'm flattered and take it as a compliment reasoning that I'm capable and reliable/dependable and all that, but I've worked for companies where there were droves of people, but I was always singled out. After a while, that special feeling wears out, and you're left with silent prayers to be left alone.
At my current job, I've just stopped being everyone's mom - and I know I was partly to blame. I would see trash or cups lying about, and I would toss them in the trash. I would see a tray of docs that are supposed to be cleared out once a week that hasn't been cleared out in many weeks - I would go through them, leave the recent docs in the tray neatly stacked together, and toss the rest in the shred bin. When I would walk in and see wet floor signs in the middle of the path long since dried that no one else touched or moved, I'd move them to the side. When I'd see the water cooler out of cups, I'd restock. If someone just brought cups in and only opened a sleeve to grab one and left the sleeve on the counter, I'd taken them all out, put them in the cup holder and toss the wrapper in the trash.
You know, things like that.
Now, I don't bother.
The trash? I leave it alone.
The tray of papers? I leave it alone.
The wet floor signs? I walk past them.
The water cooler is out of cups? I do nothing.
Now that's not to say that there aren't others that don't do these things - toss the trash, shred the docs, clear the paths, restock the cups -- but I know these people are as equally as irked as I am. I mean, I continued along my 'helpful' way, and I never expected a thank you or whatever, but it would be kind of nice if others pitched in - and by others, I mean EVERYONE!
When I used to have roommates, the one rule that I always lived by was "everyone keeps the communal rooms clean" - which means if we all use that room, don't mess it up. Your own room was your own business, but if we all share the living room, don't be a jackass and muck it up for everyone else. And this basic principle has been followed - more or less - at every job I've worked at (including fast food during high school) - so I find it odd that grown ass adults can't pitch in at work. Griping about the mess? Well, then do something about it.
Okay, putting the soapbox away now. (Didn't mean to get preachy.)
Had to stay late to take care of work stuff. I think I managed to leave an hour after my actual shift ended which is great. 30-60min after I'm supposed to be gone is good. There are moments when I've been at the office for twelve hours, and it's like WTF? (It's also at those moments where if you come talk to me, I'll most likely not be in the best of the moods. Especially if you say something like "You're still here?" or "I thought you were off at 3:30pm." That might result in - at the least, a look - at the most, I'll cut a bitch.
After work today, I had a simple plan to go to a gas station, fill up the tank, and then check the air in my tires. I knew of one gas station that I knew the air/water machine worked and the attendants weren't weird about people using it. I pulled up to a pump and there were two cars parked in front of the machine but not using it. As I waited for the tank to fill, I thought "There are so many other places in the lot to park that isn't blocking something people might need to use." I saw a third car pull in between the curb and an SUV (which later moved out of the way), and then when the third car was done, the SUV moved back into place. The other car that was blocking the machine had gone away when I wasn't paying attention, but the SUV started to use the machine when my tank was full, so I pulled up along the curb behind them and not blocking them in any way. When they left a few minutes later, I repositioned my car.
For the record, I usually like to park my car facing the air/water machine - perfectly center, and then drag the hose to either side of the car. Everyone today seemed to be parking parallel with the machine. This being said, after I parked my car and got out, some [insert long list of obscenities here] due in a white sporty car reverses along the curb where the machine was and gets REALLY close to my car. I'm doing my usual taking the caps off the valves before I grab the hose, and he watches me for a second before grabbing the hose and tending to his own car. The hose is crossing the front right of my car so I wait for him to be done since I don't want him accidentally hitting me with the hose or bumping into me. I lean against my car and politely wait. He tends to one tire and then hands me the hose. I thank him and use it on one tire and notice the pressure gauge isn't working. Having aired up my tires before, I know that sometimes you have to have it on correctly for the gauge to pop out, but I tried it a few times and it wasn't working. The guy then leans over my left side to say he doesn't think it's working. (Really? And you couldn't have said that when you passed me the hose?) He has a gauge in his hand and checks my pressure for me. It's low but not dangerously low. I figure I can just leave and go to another gas station. He pulls away in his car as I return the hose, and as I head to the driver's side, he reverses AGAIN - faster than I'd like - toward the machine and really close to my car AGAIN. At this point, he pays me no mind, and I drive off to another gas station (which didn't have an air machine that I could see so I went home).
At home, I changed into some jammies, tinkered with my PS4, ate some dinner, drank some cold brew, and fiddled with my phone. (I even had a napcident which I try to avoid since my sleep habits are wonky already, but sometimes, the body just needs to knock out for an hour or so.)
Hence why I'm up now?
I had meant to write some today, but I suppose I can hold off until tomorrow. As it stands, my brain turns to work and the department schedule I'm responsible for. I try to have it done by the 15th of the previous month, but alas, December was a stressful, trying month and scheduling the holidays is a stress/enigma that I really don't need, and this year scheduling the holidays was difficult. I may have to work this weekend. I'm hoping to get out of it. Plotting on trying to strike a deal with a team member to see if she's up for it.
Blah. Blah. Blah de blah. And more of the same.
Okay, it's late. I didn't wash my hair tonight (that YOU napcident, you bastard!). I need to finish this post, and I can finish getting caught up on Outlander tomorrow (two episodes left, and I'll be current - WOOT!).
And hopefully soon I'll get this writing thing down. (fingers-crossed)
Later my lovelies!
Have Goodness!
Rae
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