Monthly Archives: March 2006

From A Window to a Screen

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I slept until 7:00 this morning, which is the time I usually head out the door for the bus. It was great, the extra sixty minutes to just sleep. No hustles this morning. I had an interview at 9:00AM so I was able to take a lackadaisical walk through midtown. Of course the usual paranoia was there. The terrorist paranoia, not the paranoia from too many jazz cigarettes.

Got to another staffing agency early and filled out the paperwork. The agency usually works with law firms but somehow I had gotten in. I was polished and professional looking and also able to communicate effectively. Apparently this scored points. The agent and I did the tango, she introduced me to another agent and they both said they work to get me a new gig.

I thanked them and walked out into the once again chilly Manhattan morning. I listened to Mamono Mania, a cd made by Juan. It’s a great cd. He’s such a good guy. I love most everything on it, and what I don’t love, I like. He has some excellent taste in music. We have similar things in common about the types of music. He surprised me with the first track by Ani DeFranco. I like her but never really heard her until now.

I’m glad I transferred the music to my Ipod because it made a great soundtrack for my sojourn around midtown. Got to work around 9:45 and watched the day unfold before me. I didn’t see the Persian Bitch so I was able to avoid her ghastly visage throughout most of the day. I believe she is on the ropes. They really let her have it last night, being exposed of being such a lying, conniving bitch. I was fun to watch. Not one speck of remorse in the way she was brought down. Of course being a wounded animal she can actually be a lot more dangerous.

I didn’t mention that after last night’s meeting, the PB cornered me and stated emphatically that she wants to be friends and coworkers. I think she realized that her allies have dwindled down to one. Make that two since that one is so overweight. I just shrugged and walked away.

I left the office to get some fruit. Mamono Mania filling my ears with fresh sounds I had never really heard before though some of it is reminiscent of music I used to listen to about 20 years ago. Part of me, knowing what I know now, feels an urge to form a band with Juan and make something happen. But he wants the band to be named Keytar and I was pushing for The Penelope Tree.

It’ll never work.

Wandered back to work quite lazily. Not hustling despite the cold. I set about my usual drudgeries, having a smoke with the IT guys when they’d go out. I have a lot of laughs with them. And this afternoon we saw a truck damage the overhang at the Drake Hotel across the street. No one got hurt which made it that much more enjoyable.

Finally I left the office to head home, smoking a Padron and listening to the dB’s. I needed to wind down with something familiar and certain songs of the dB’s were floating through my head. An adequate ending to an adequate day.

Standing in the Way of Control

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Ok. Back to work today. I didn’t really care about what was scheduled for me today. There was the meeting with the Persian Bitch and Helen Devilakos. It was supposedly the Persian Bitch’s wanting to put it behind us. So a truce was planned. I agreed to attend. How could I not?

It started late. The Persian Bitch and I circling outside the conference room, careful to avoid any contact. When Helen Devilakos arrived we sat. Helen thanked us for cooperating on the matter. She acknowledged there is a problem and she wants to get it resolved. Ok? She doesn’t want to hear any he said, she said things. That should really not be.

We’re both excellent workers. Helen pointed out that she’s not saying that I am an excellent worker and the Persian Bitch’s boss says she’s a good worker. Not at all. It is an issue of unsatisfactory team building performance. So she thought it would be a good idea to air out our problems.

The PB went first. She doesn’t personally dislike me. She just feels that I pick on her. She claims to be of utmost professionalism, and tries to present herself this way. I had blood in my mouth for I had been biting my tongue. She also was upset because certain people, not me, felt that she was being ultra sensitive.

She doesn’t want to deal with it anymore. Helen threatened with disciplinary actions if it doesn’t work.

Then it was my turn up at bat. I spoke about how often I tried to help her, because it’s my job and each time I was rebuffed. I’m sure they had to do a quick scan of their mental dictionaries trying to find the word ‘Rebuff’. I mentioned how when she first started and I was trying to help her out cleaning a conference room and she insisted on being able to do the job alone, telling me she didn’t want or need any of my help. I said, ‘each time I put a hand out to help, she bit it.’

Oh what a great line. There are a few other good lines but I don’t want to go there. It ended with Helen Devilakos making us shake hands. My hands just cringed when I wrote that. Helen said that once we left the room we were new employees. Nice. The PB went her way and I went mind not looking at each other again. I try to not even see her when I am next to her. I have even gone so far as to have the lobby security call me when she’s coming in so I could just be away from my desk and not have to look at her.

It’s really better that way.

Things got more interesting at the afternoon meeting. Too many names to write, and yes, I’m being lazy. Pseudonyms can be so exhausting. But the gist of it is that the PB got reamed by a few people. I didn’t partake since I had made ‘peace’ with her a few hours before. Even her fat ass accomplice got a piece. Of course Fat Ass turned on the tears but someone, not me, told her to knock it off. Everyone knows she’s a different person in here, out there she’s a beast.

It was great. Then there were ideas and a poster board where we all wrote a word on what we want out of the company. I forgot what I wrote.

That’s where my head is at.

It ended with more of Helen’s insistence on shaking hands. I got out of there as soon as possible and washed my hands.