Happy Birthday America

Happy 4th of July, I hope that you are enjoying the holiday and hopefully got the day off from work.  Most people fill the day with food, fun outside and fireworks.  Not a bad way to spend a day away from the regular bump and grind. 

There are so many freedoms that we have.  It’s one of many things that people forget about.  Plenty of people have died so that we can have our freedom.  I am thankful for the sacrifice each and every person made so that I can live free today.

Patriotic colors red, white and blue.  They look good no matter where you see them.  Everyone knows that stands for The United States of America.  The greatest nation on the face of the earth.

 

So hopefully you like the colors and the photo.  I just pulled it out of a hat on a whim.  Not too shabby, eh?

I am very happy and thankful to have a day away from the office.  Too bad we can’t have every Wednesday off.  My mind is in a weekend mode, feels like tomorrow will be Sunday.  How awkward it will be to wake up and remember it’s Thursday!  Tomorrow plus one more day before we actually get to the weekend.

Work that is something I have been doing a lot of.  My days fly by because I am so busy.  I’ve got people coming out of the wood work from every corner.  Most of it is regarding the new system we put in place.  Turns out there was bugs in it and we had to do an emergency deployment of a service pack to correct the issues.  That in turn created more problems.  So I am slowly digging my way out of it.  The best part is no one really knows what went wrong.  I have chosen to keep my mouth shut, I mean it wasn’t my fault but I will be in trouble if I open my mouth.  I find that sometimes ignorance truly is bliss and the less you tell people the better off you are in the end.

My boss had another blow up at me earlier this week.  It was about an e-mail that I sent and he thought I was coming down on someone for not keeping their word.  Turns out I was just being helpful.  Every time I try to do the right thing it seems to upset the old codger or at least that is the way it seems when you read it in an email.  Written correspondence of any form is subjective, when it comes to emotion/meaning.  For all you know I could be screaming right now but you can’t tell because it’s all in lowercase type. 

Anyway, I had a heart to heart with his assistant and told her about being abused physically and verbally growing up.  I also told her that I absolutely love my job.  I just can’t stand my boss.  So she crafted something together and sent it to the boss.  He responded by saying that if he didn’t like me I wouldn’t be employed there.  He told me that he pushed to bring me on because he really liked me.  That was comforting.  He says that he comes off abrupt, gruff and rude in email form but he doesn’t mean it.  Okay so I am feeling a little better.

Then the whole wireless thing came into play again.  I had a phone conversation with the boss and he voided everything about not meaning to come off like an ass.  I explained to him that the facilities need to have a commercial installation and that is what is best.  He thinks I am trying to make things complicated.  As he explained it he has broadband and added WIFI at home.  He has a large house.  Then he tells me to think of the place of business as a large house and work with it that way.  He explained that he doesn’t need me to figure out how to make things cost triple what they should and spend his money.  He wants me to think outside of the box.  If he has to hire people to do my job then he doesn’t need me.  Okay I agree if your going to hire other people you don’t need me. 

Plain and simple folks, he just doesn’t get it.  It’s like going to the doctor and expecting him to take care of all of your problems from head to toe, all by himself with no help from anyone.  Doctors farm things out to specialist because they need help in treating you.  I am one person and can only do so much by myself.  I’ve got his assistant working on a way to explain this so that he will understand it.  I’m not sure if there is a way around this.

I talked with a sales rep and he said to go the consumer route and when it all fails, people complain, etc. and you have to rip it and replace it, then you can look at him and say I told you so.  Yeah, that would go over like a lead balloon.

I have been thinking about a way to make something from the consumer end work.  It will probably take a lot more of my time and some research.  This is one of those we will talk next week things.  Yeah, then two thousand other things happen and he forgets about me. 

Funny thing is all of the talk we have been doing.  Commercial wireless could have been installed by now.  It’s not cheap but you get what you pay for. 

I don’t get it I am hired for my expertise but given no autonomy and every decision I make has to be approved before I can do anything.  This is by far the most messed up place I have ever worked at.  This guy is really difficult to work for.  Hopefully, we can work things out.  I’m tired of feeling like I need to walk on egg shells constantly, no one should live like that ever. 

On to the next big thing.  The system I told you earlier was having problems.  Well people just need to change a couple settings in their browsers and presto it works.  I tried it out with about 5 people and they are all able to work now.  I thought outside of the box and put together some instructions for how to accomplish this.  I have approval from a director to send it out to everyone but I need the approval of my boss because it’s a mass mail.  WTF!  So trying to make a good impression I sent him a message this afternoon along with the document that I created and explained that I would like to send it out but that if people were not comfortable in making these changes or if they ran into problems, help was only a phone call away.  I thought that would score me some points, since today is a holiday and all.  Nope!  I got a message back saying we will talk tomorrow.  That sounds like code for he is not happy again.  WTF!  I guess there is no pleasing him.

Topping it all off I got a phone call from my doctor that he needs me to come in soon.  They can’t refill any of my medicine and need to review my blood work.  Sounds like it’s all because it’s been over a year since I have been there.  So I have to go in tomorrow.  I didn’t want to take any time off work but there is no way around this.  It’s my health and that is far more important than any job.  So I messaged my boss right away on Tuesday evening and he approved me leaving early.  I am working through lunch and will have my partner pick me up.  It will only cost me 1 1/2 hours, which beats asking for the whole day off.

I still feel like I am on shaky ground and really afraid that either I will loose it and quit or he will fire me.  I really want this to work.  Maybe it’s me and I’m trying too damn hard.  I don’t know.  Lots of people are telling me to keep looking but I really don’t want to venture back to that.  I mean looking for work is a full time job and when exactly would I be able to interview?

I am happy that we can wear jeans tomorrow.  That will help dispel any thoughts that I am actually going to a job interview and not the doctor.  Plus I’m getting a doctors note so there is no doubt, I already told him that I would provide a note.  I mean for the price this is going to cost me the least my doc can do is write me a note.  What professional shows up to a job interview in jeans?  Doesn’t happen.

I saved the best part for last that is it looks like I will be getting an office.  I asked about it and found out that my boss has been wanting to move me.  That would be a serious blessing.  I mean I would have a little more privacy, I could talk on the phone without hearing the entire office in my ear and I would have my very own door.  I hope that comes to pass.  I’ve always wanted my own office and it would make me feel like I arrived, if you know what I mean.

On the home front… Lawn Boy  was supposed to show up today.  It’s nice and hot outside so I am positive he wouldn’t be wearing a shirt.  I waited for him all morning long but he never showed up.  Figures, just my luck.  He will probably swing by tomorrow.  It is really hot outside and there is no end in site.  Besides that most of the lawn is dead because he cut it too short and there has been no rain, no water or moisture of any kind. 

My partner made peach cobbler last night and it over flowed in the oven.  He cleaned the oven this morning but he set off the fire alarm.  I just loved my 5:30 am wake up call on my day off.  Jesus!  Big Boy has the sneezes and is still coughing.  He really worries me.  One of the girls threw up blood, which is very concerning but since I didn’t see it happen with my own eyes it’s hard to track down which one it was.  That is the problem in a multiple pet household.  Eventually I am getting drop cams and that will help clear things up.  However, they are $200 plus $100 for the recording service.  So it will be a little while before that happens.  I’ve got bigger fish to fry.

To reward myself with my new job.  I purchased a fake Mont Blanc Roller Ball Pen.  It came from China.  If I was there in person it would have been $10 but since I ordered it on line it cost way more.  Still a fraction of what a real one costs.  I figured I could take it to work and write with it all day.  Well, I didn’t order refills with it.  I should have known since it’s a fake genuine refills won’t fit.  I spent the day in Office stores wasting my time and money, only to walk out with a hand full of refills that don’t fit.  They will fit others pens I have so it’s not a total waste of money.  I found a place in the US online that sells two different refills that should fit most common fake Mont Blanc pens.  Total cost $12.  So I ordered them, if they work then I can order in bulk but right now it’s wait and see.

I told you about my printer.  Well the new print head and ink arrived yesterday.  I put them in and presto the printer is fixed.  Were back in business!  I ordered more ink for the silly thing.  I looked at my records and the last print head was installed in February.  I didn’t do a whole lot of printing from them until now.  So I hope the new head lasts longer than the last one.  Not having to look for a job, I don’t do a whole lot of printing.  Even then most things were done on-line.  I only printed out the occasional resume to take to an interview. 

Well, it’s getting late.  I need to prepare for Thursday.  I am up against a deadline to get some software installed by Friday.  I don’t have access that I need nor do I know anything about the product.  So it should be interesting.  Plus Boss man wants to talk.  Who knows what else is on the agenda tomorrow but with it being a short day, it will pass much faster than a normal work day. 

I hope all is well in your world.  Take care, be well and stay cool.  I will talk with you peeps later!