Tuesday, August 30, 2005

I Could-Not, Would-Not Concentrate

I am a nice girl. I am fun. I'm even pretty bright.

But occasionally my synapses completely fail me and I walk around with my head up my ass not knowing what I'm doing from one moment to the next.

I went down to Ft. Belvoir's hospital tonight, to a Pre-Registration for school physicals/sports physicals. Took Dillon's forms, his ID, his records, waited my turn (I was number 10), got what I needed to filled out & stamped, and made an appointment on September 7th for the real physical (because the military doesn't do anything in the most direct manner), and then, an hour later, went home. On the way, I noticed that the high school form that they filled out for me was nowhere to be found. Not in my purse, not on the seat, not on the floor, not in the door...

(Not here, not there, not ANYwhere...)

I looked all over for it. All I can figure is that I stuck it into Dillon's records and it's safely tucked in the the records room at the hospital OR that I set it down while making the appointment and never picked it back up. It's the ENTIRE reason I slogged down there tonight (at rush hour)... The paperwork that is REQUIRED for his appointment. Without it, we'll just be staring a the doctor and he'll be staring back at us thinking, "Wow, this kid's mom is an idiot."

I'll call the head nurse tomorrow, and perhaps the records room, but if they don't find it, I'll be headed back down there NEXT Tuesday night to Re-Pre-Register and get ANOTHER Sports Physical form filled out.

I'd complain, but I really do it all to myself. I should just stay focused All The Time instead of just when it suits me.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

History Comes Around

Got an email last night.

It was from Dale.

Called him. Talked for about 45 minutes.

All is Good.

Weird...but Good.

Monday, August 22, 2005

The Wrinkled Old Hag From the Seventh Circle of Hell

Oh, Lord! The insanity of it all!

It's been 3 weeks since I stared my new job and after a week (ONE WEEK) I needed a 2-week vacation. So I took one.

Actually, it was an already-planned trip home to Indiana, which was well worth the 23 hours we spent in the car getting there and back. Love my family, but Ick.

I've been back to work for 3 days and I've been having fantasies about running off to the Caribbean with my friend Annie and commencing our Move-To-A-Tropical-Island-And-Make-Frosty-Beverages-And- Woven-Ankle-Bracelets-For-Tourists Plan. But Annie, as luck would have it, has just had a baby and is still in that rosy I-Bred-The-Most-Beautiful-Baby-In-The-World-And-After-I-Whip- Up-Some-Gourmet-Dinner-I'll-Take-Him-For-A-Walk-And-Let-The-Neighbors-Oogle-Him-In-His-Matching-Onesie-Hat-And-Blanket* Stage and probably not at all inclined to skip town. I'll give her 2 or 3 years and then check back. She should be just in the middle of temper tantrums and potty training....

(*Editors Note: He really is an exceptionally beautiful baby. And I am not one of those who thinks all babies are beautiful. Really. Some babies are scrunchy red blobs of unfortunate "eww". But not this one. I'll find a photo and prove it.)

Anyway, so here I will have to remain, hoping against all hope that once the kids are in school I'll realize the benefit of working from 9-1...

Oh! Did I say "working"? What I meant to say is "fielding shitty phone calls from homeowners who think they sit at the right hand of God since they are 'Original Owners'".

As if paying $30,000 for your house in 1968 gives you more right to bitch than say, someone who paid half-a-MILLION dollars 8 months ago.

Today was not a good day. I had to* hang up on an old hag. I will field complaints, as my Title, Unfortunate Though It May Be, IS Customer Service Representative, but I draw the line at being abused.

*("Had To" - a VERY subjective term in Customer Service Land)

You may recall, before I left, that the neighborhood was being repaved. The parking spaces were to be relined last Friday, but as it was raining, painting was inadvisable. So. BEFORE I got into work this Monday morning, Mr. H leaves a voice message wanting to know if they would be painting today. So I called Paving-Contractor-Guy who told me Thursday they would paint. I could have just sent out a flyer to let the affected homeowners know, but as a COURTESY, I called back Mr. & Mrs. Hubbard.

"Is Mr. or Mrs. Hubbard there? This is Paige from the homeowners association."

"This is Mrs. Hubbard."

"Hello, I was just calling you to let you know that the painting has been rescheduled for Thursday after 9."

"Oh, well are you going to send out a flyer or should we walk up and down the streets telling our neighbors?"

(Here, I am rendered speechless. Not in my head though: "Why you wrinkled up old hag of a cunt. I did not have to call you, and that was completely and totally unnecessary rudeness.")

Paige, sputtering: "Yes, we are going to send out flyers."

Hag: "Well, we are the ones who have been most inconvenienced by this repaving and we are sick and tired of it. We even had to initiate the phone call this morning to find out what is going on...blah, blah, blah..."

(Well, she got me there. I could have thought to call the contractor while still in my jammies before I even went into work, but damn it all to hell! I guess I'm just not that devoted to the job! I actually waited until 9am, when my office opened, to check in with Paving-Contractor-Guy. I'll know better next time, though.)

Paige, who can't say all the evil, nasty things that are swimming around in her head: "I'm sorry, Ma'am."

Hag: "Bitch, Bitch Bitch, blah, blah, blah...."

Paige, getting ready to lose it: "Mrs. Hubbard, I was just calling you as a courtesy. You will see a flyer soon."

And I hung up.

But DON'T think I'll be forgetting her name very soon and don't think I'll be going out of my way for her before I see her crawling on her knees across my parking lot with Sparkly Trinkets and Pink Roses in offering for my forgiveness.

Because she was Not Nice to me today. And I didn't do anything to her.

Monday, August 01, 2005

Job, Day One

So. The new job...

Sat there today from 9-1:30 poking through files and folders, drawers and desks. The temp that was there was working on something that needed to be done by today and didn't really have time to dedicate to teaching me the most basic of tasks.

I answered the phone 3 times, wondering each time why I even bothered. The people on the other end were expecting someone who knew answers and I don't know anything. Anything.

But I have to learn quickly as I'm headed home to Indiana on Sunday for 10 days and when I get back here the temp who is in the job now will be long gone and I'll be on my own. Yikes.

Whose idea was this, anyway?