eris and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day...

[eris esoteric]

So let's see...

All the progress the cats have been making? Suddenly, everybody hates everybody else. This has been going on for a couple days now. Dang moody cats.

So, last night, had to deal with trying to get ready for work with Pixie peeping at me constantly. Didn't want food (!) didn't want pettin's, didn't want to play. Just wanted to peep at me constantly. Anytime I intentionally got near any of them they slunk away from me. Anytime I turned around, they were under foot. Finally decided to just ignore them all.

Got to work, trainee was there. Ran through new simplified procedure, had her do that and the same four things she's been doing for the past week. Checked her work. She screwed them all up again, and took so long doing it I was almost ready to pull my hair out.

Before trainee left for the day, I took her aside and tried to talk WITH her. Pointed out issues were a) she works slow, b) she doesn't have the knowledge base she needs to have and c) she's having difficulty following directions, no matter how I try to give her those directions. She whined.

Finished rest of audit, and by the time I was done, the comptroller was in. Told comptroller there was no improvement in trainee. Comptroller is coming in tonight to observe trainee working. JOY.

Left work an hour and half late. Since I had actually stayed at work so late the post office was open, asked the driver if she could make a stop at my house and then drop me off at the post office. Which reminds me, Cindy and Angie, you both have packages coming. Cindy, don't argue.

Got packages, got to post office, mailed off packages, left post office, caught bus, got home, went to go INTO home and discovered that keys house keys were no longer attached to key ring. Realized keys were somewhere between house and post office. Thought hard.

Knocked on neighbor's door, asked him if I could borrow his phone. Neighbor doesn't have a phone. Neighbor walked over to other neighbor's door with me, we knocked, no answer. I thanked neighbor for his help (poor man has Parkinson's and he's getting SO shaky) and told him I'd walk to the store next door to ask if I could use their phone.

Nice lady at the Rite Aid let me use the phone. Called the cab I'd taken, no keys. Called boyfriend. Boyfriend said he'd be right over. (Am really grateful boyfriend is not working tonight. I would hate to have woken him up on a day when he had to go to work.)

I go back to house to wait for boyfriend. Just as I get there, neighbor with Parkinson's pulls out of driveway in his car and tells me he'll drive me to the store. I told him he was a sweet man, and told him I'd already gone to the store. (Next time I make pumpkin bread, I know who's door I'm knocking on first.)

Boyfriend shows up. Boyfriend lets me in. Boyfriend suggests we, get this GO TO THE POST OFFICE, to ask if they found a set of keys.

So we go to the post office. Yep, they have my keys. 'Cause you know, THAT was too convoluted and clever an idea for me to come up with by myself.

Spent the rest of my morning petting the cats. Doesn't seem to have helped them any. Marmel slept with me, and yelled at the other two when they tried to get on the bed with me. Repeatedly.

*sigh*

[theworm[$]]

[emeleel]

I'm exhausted just reading all that!

[thinkerlady[$]]

If it is any comfort Eris, you made my day! I actually had a horrible one yesterday, but today was better, now it is even better. I will look for my package. You are a dream.
Now, cheer up my dear, tomorrow is another day.

[mjfrombuffalo[$]]

[phoenixx]

[hadassahchana[$]]

The kitties will get better. Around here, the colder it is the better the cats get along. Because, you know, even if you want to kill your sister/brother, they are warmer living than dead, so killing can wait till June.

[eris esoteric]

So, the talk with the comptroller:

"Well, when you explain things, you go too fast."

"Well, you've been doing this one thing every day for the past week, and it's really not that hard. I'm not trying to explain, I'm just reminding you."

"Well, nobody's ever said anything about that issue before!"

"No, I've told you that before. And it's in the manual."

"No, it's not in the manual."

"OK, see right here, in the manual, where it says to do what I told you to do?"

"Well, you make it sound like I'm doing everything wrong."

"OK, we're talking about taking a list, and a pile of paper, and putting the pile of paper in the same order that the list is in. I really didn't think it was that difficult."

and so on, and so on.

[magenta321]

Don't your new trainees get a probation? Isn't it time for her probation to be up?

[eris esoteric]

The comptroller want to be FAIR to her.

And I understand. I really do. It's just that I'm really, really, really not sure this girl's gonna cut it, and she's driving me nuts in the interim.

[lynnzop[$]]

Poor Eris. At least you didn't lose your keys today.

[phoenixx]

In any other office job she'd be done already.

[eris esoteric]

Nope. Safely home!

And the girls are still being pissy with each other.

I could ALMOST feel sorry for Pixie right now. Except that she's getting what she deserves.

Pixie likes to stalk Marmel around the apartment. She likes to trap her places, and just sit out in front and WAIT for her to show a whisker. She especially likes to drive Marmel into the deep corner of the cardboard castle in the kitchen.

Well, earlier, I was trying to coax Marmel out from under the sock drawer. I didn't realize Pixie was creeping up behind me, stalking her. Marmel stopped looking at me, and started watching Pixie, so I turned to see what she was looking at... and accidentally whapped Pixie right in the nose. I don't think Pixie realized it was an accident, because I've yelled at her and spritzed her for stalking Marmel before. So, coward that she really is, she bolted into the kitchen to escape Momzilla.

She's hiding in the deep box. The one she likes to corner Marmel in.

Marmel has discovered this. Marmel is now hanging out on top of the deep box, yelling at Pixie when she tries to get out.

I'm sure I should be doing something about this. Oh! I know! I'll go give Stranger some huggin's!

[eris esoteric]

phoenixx said

In any other office job she'd be done already.

Yep. But we've got to be FAIR to her.

[hadassahchana[$]]

eris esoteric said

She's hiding in the deep box. The one she likes to corner Marmel in.

Marmel has discovered this. Marmel is now hanging out on top of the deep box, yelling at Pixie when she tries to get out.

I'm sure I should be doing something about this. Oh! I know! I'll go give Stranger some huggin's!

OMG, that is so funny, I am dying here!

[mtomm[$]]

I'm sorry you had a bad day, Eris. I really wish someone would find you a good employee.

[thinkerlady[$]]

Any better today???

[magenta321]

eris esoteric said

Yep. But we've got to be FAIR to her.

Ah, you're afraid she'll sue?

[eris esoteric]

magenta321 said

Ah, you're afraid she'll sue?

Yep.

Today was mostly better, because I didn't have to go to work. But the cats woke me up again. Somehow Marmel has become convinced that the bed is HER territory if I'm sleeping on it. Not gettin' fond of waking up to catfights over my legs, I tell you what.

And, get this... I'm taking TWO days off in a row. I've called in dead for tonight. The Homecoming game is tonight. CW 2.0 has told me they'll be FINE, and yes, for the love of god and all her furry critters take the day off. So I will.

Gotta toughen up the trainee SOMEHOW, don't I?

[magenta321]

Seen that too many times... it almost makes one afraid to hire without prejudice because it makes it difficult to prove one is firing without prejudice. It's a shame.