The longer I’m an adult with a “grown-up” job, the more I realize that a lot of things in the workplace make very little sense at all. Also, even very smart people are capable of being incredibly stupid. My sister - 5 years younger than me – is coming to this realization herself. And not surprisingly, her revelation is related to the freaks she works with and the food-related drama they create. (Incidentally, if she had her own blog I wouldn’t have to keep telling stories FOR her. HINT, HINT.)
Sher: So we just got this email:
Sher is not the only one who got a questionable e-mail from a co-worker today. This one went to my entire company from the receptionist:
If you have a “little blue car” and you are parked at the back of the building in front of the next suite’s warehouse, please go move your vehicle. This is all the information I was given regarding the vehicle.
There is a truck waiting to move them.
Oooooooookay. I’m not sure what “them” the truck is waiting to move, but it is entirely possible that I’m missing something. Like a direct object.
*****
And here’s a scenario I find particularly troubling, given that the offender is a highly intelligent professor of a very complex scientific field. I’m not talking Professor of Crayon Drawings or anything like that.* Anyway, he’s always one of my challenges and today was no exception. I submit, for your review, a brief summation of my phone conversations with him over the last two days:
Me: (early yesterday morning)Â I need your personnel list so that I can finish up your budget.
Dr. Wizard: So you need an explanation of the budget request.
Me: No, it is much easier than usual. Just a list will do. No detail.
Dr. Wizard: OK.
Me: (yesterday afternoon) Just a reminder, I need a list of personnel before I can finish the budget.
Dr. Wizard: Okay. I need to know exactly what you need and I’ll send it before I go to bed tonight, so that you’ll have it first thing in the morning.
Me: Great! I just need a list of personnel. That’s it. I’ll e-mail an example. It is short and sweet.
Dr. Wizard: Perfect.
Me: (8:15 this morning) *thinking to self* Hmm, no e-mail. Maybe Dr. Wizard never went to bed, since he promised he would send me that list first.
Dr. Wizard’s partner in crime: What do you need from Dr. Wizard to finish the budget?
Me: A personnel list. That’s all. Just the list.
Dr. Wizard’s partner in crime: I’ll tell him. Should be easy enough.
Dr. Wizard: (many hours later) I noticed you haven’t finished the budget yet. My partner in crime said something about some personnel list? What is this? I will send you my very detailed budget explanation even though you specifically told me you don’t need that. And I will be sure NOT to include the personnel list along with it, even though you have told me at least four times that is ALL you need.
Me: *banging head repeatedly on desk*
Dr. Wizard: Are you finished with the budget yet?
*Oh, for crying out loud, enough with the being cryptic. He’s a freaking physicist, and the chances that he’ll ever find my blog and/or realize that I am talking about him are slim to none. He isn’t even capable of checking his e-mail to find the answer to a question that he asked me to send him. VIA E-MAIL.
