Ranty, ranty, rant

I’m back and a little more organised and a little calmer today. Perhaps this is a good thing as I can view yesterday’s rage in retrospect, putting together a calm and detailed description of events as they unfolded. Or I could just do the usual and have a good old rant.

What’s that?

Good old rant it is then.

Moody is off this week, off on the annual leave he should have had last week when CJ decided to take a sickie. This means I do have a slightly quieter week and don’t have to put up with any of his forgetfulness or rambling which is always a plus. However, he is also a good buffer for CJ and without him here she seems to have been spreading herself about the office (ewww) poking her nose in everywhere and yapping away. Yesterday it all got a bit much and her yapping and interference led to my patience failing and my rage boiling over. There are 2 things in particular that stand out and rather than go into every little intricacy I’ll focus on those two.

First thing she does after appearing in the office at – wait for it – 8.45am (wow so you CAN make it into the office for a reasonable hour? Who’d have guessed it?!) is get on the phone to HR.

“Yeah hi it’s CJ here, yeah, yeah. I emailed so and so about the 3 day residential course but their out of office said to contact you. Yeah, yeah. Riiiiiigght. Well it’s about the June course….”

My ears have already pricked up, this is the course Ginger and I have booked to go on. The one we booked as we knew she was on annual leave.

“……yeah, so I was wondering if there were any spaces left on that? Riiiiggggghhht. Yeah, yeah, yeah……..yeah. OK thanks.”

Immediately Ginger pings an email over to me along the lines of “Did you hear that?!” Yep, it looks like our favorite colleague is trying to get on the same course as us. The 3 day residential course. That’s 3 days in a hotel with her, all day in talks and at meals and in the bar. “We have to sabotage!” cries Ginger, “Quick get on the phone to HR and book in 20 fake people!”

But hang on, what happened to CJ’s annual leave? She had the whole week booked off? It has transpired today that she’s decided to move her holiday about so that she can attend. Can I point out at this stage that there is a course this month and one in September she can attend? Well I did. Oh no, she doesn’t want to do the May one (it’s not residential, no hotel in Devon) and couldn’t possibly wait until September! Even Harley is a bit mystified as to why anyone would alter their holiday plans to go on a training course and he’s her line manager. But she is adamant and Kirstie had the email confirming all of this last night:

From: CJ
Sent: 04 May 2010 16:38
To: Harley
Subject: FW: CJ Hols (2010)

Hi Harley

As discussed, I have agreed to attend a 3-day course on Tues 15 - Thurs 17 June.

Therefore I'd like to shift my 6-days worth of annual leave in June up by a few days (instead of running from Fri-Fri, change to Mon-Mon instead), hence:

Mon 07 - Mon-14.06.2010 = Week off then Isle of Wight
Tues15 - Thurs 16.06.2010 = 3 day course
Fri 17.06.2010 = Back in office (a day to catch-up on almost 2 weeks worth of emails...then start full working week as normal.)

Apologies for any inconvenience caused - hope the proposed dates are OK?

Kind regards

CJ


How wanky is that email? And what’s with the full break down? He doesn’t care! Oh and I love the bit that says “a day to catch-up on almost 2 weeks worth of emails...then start full working week as normal” – so by ‘normal’ does she mean back on the 10.30am starts and running around with her handbag and a cup of tea in hand so she looks busy?

So there’s no escaping it, she’s going to be there. I can only hope now that we can ditch her pretty much straight away and then Ginger and I stick together for moral support. That is if Ginger is coming……

Harley comes over to tell me and Ginger the good news – hip hip hooray. “You got confirmation you’re on the course didn’t you Ginger?” “Er no I don’t think so” “Did you email HR to say which dates you wanted to go on?” “Er no.”

What?

Turns out Ginger read the email I forwarded her and then did nothing about it assuming she would be automatically put on the June course. Yes of course, because HR have psychic abilities and so could read your mind. Jesus, she can be incredibly blonde sometimes, especially for a ginger chick. I am round there like a shot – “Get on and frickin’ email HR now! I am NOT going on that course with her on my own!” She still hasn’t heard back so who knows if she’ll be going or not. In the mean time she did come across a 4 day course based in Melbourne so we might try get on that instead as a plan B. I’m sure the company wouldn’t mind flying us out there for a course that is completely irrelevant to our roles.

My boss has just planted a VERY important order on my desk that needs to be done NOW, NOW, NOW! Can you not see I am blogging Harley?! Sheesh. Looks like we’re going to have to make this a 2 parter folks. Until tomorrow.