4 hours…….

Of my life I won’t get back.

I had anticipated a nice quiet day off today-before the new herd comes into town. It should have been fairly straightforward, old herd just got back to Dullsville and the new herd is still getting ready to travel. Fairly easy eh, what?

Except when my crackberry rings at 1:45 in the morning-still 4:45pm in Dullsville. Seems time zone differences don’t bother the powers that be when its them on the back side of the difference-and God forbid our customer would ever drop their rather unique habit of dropping a tasker on a Friday afternoon that is due Monday morning if not sooner. Since the S.O. had just gotten into this town for a short visit to the manly man in her life-it was not just one but two people who were annoyed. Of course since I was only half awake for the conversation-its real import did not dawn on me till after breakfast this morning.

I’ll spare you the details-just suffice it to say that it was something so involved-and at the same time so utterly useless, that the very fact that they asked for it is nothing short of insulting. That someone did-with a straight face-is probably the biggest commentary yet as to what is wrong with the government agency running this little endeavor. An agency that actually trusted its people-and empowered them-would never have had the balls to ask. Not here.

Furthermore this was the third time it was asked. Since the task in question is both ridiculously insulting and at the same time utterly ignorant of the facts on the ground, the various agencies had passed this hot potatoe around (including me) under the guise of an action passed is an action taken. Plus, they-like me-were in utter disbelief that someon had had the balls to ask.

So even though I had already submitted a draft in answer to the second request, to the powers who should have been doing it, the requirement came flying back across the Atlantic yet again.

Problem was the S.O. who had finally slept off her jet lag-was anxious to get out and see Bucharest. This posed a dilemna: “wait till Sunday evening-knowing full well I would have time on Monday to get it done” or attack it now and have a pissed off S.O.?

I opted for the middle path. Screw it for now-get the S.O. enough bearings to get out and see a few things-then bail and come back to the hotel to begin slaving over the computer.

All for something that was totally useless and would be meaningless in two days. “Fly want you want-log what you need.”

So after a good six hours out in the beautiful Bucharest sun, the S.O. decided she wanted to go back and lay by the pool. Which allowed me the window I needed.

Of course-as I expected-this was one of those things the more you dug into, the more work it needed. So finally some four hours later-it was done. And sent in a very visible fashion to all the boneheads back in Dullsville who should have known better-knew about it.

Its not the work I mind so much-it is the fact that people who are asking for it are so uncaring as to the fact of how insulting it is. And that the person who it ultimately came from-ought to know better.

But they don’t. I guess this is what they say in the Army-is known as a loyalty check.

Oh it may be a check all right-but its just one more reason to ask , “Check please!-I going to find another restaurant.”

I’ve been thrown out of better bars than this one………     and thus my crackberry is now locked in the hotel safe-and there it will stay tomorrow. Talk to the voice mail.

The micromanagement experience

For the individual, this tends to be incredibly frustrating. They are being treated as if they are incapable and untrustworthy. We often see ourselves as others see us and, when treated as unworthy, we will soon feel unworthy. In this way, people who are micromanaged can become dependent, unable to make the smallest decision without asking their manager. Alternatives to this total submission, which many take, include remaining frustrated or leaving. In any case, it is easy for one’s confidence to be severely knocked.

Thus endeth the rant for today. Hope you all have a better weekend!