So Sad...So Tired...

Today is the last day of my seemingly never-ending work week. This is no "light at the end of the tunnel" moment though, because today is the 10-hour day.

I'm having some difficulty at work that is making it very difficult to get out of bed in the morning. I feel like I'm knee-deep in quickshit (it's like quicksand, only much much worse) and the only way I can see to resolve the issue is to leave. Quickly. To any department who will have me.

(please hold your advice until the end of the entry)

To make a long and not interesting story shorter and less involved, I'm having problems with Girl Chef. Two weeks in a row, she has busted into my office and not bothered to look to see that I was elbow deep in work (this week, with 6 wine changes, 50 menus, and 25 vegetarian menus) and started barking at me about something that she perceived needed to be done right this second because it's a matter of life and death. I was busy and told her so. I also pointed out that the person sitting directly behind me was not dealing with time-sensitive issues and perhaps she could assist. She didn't appreciate that.

Well both times, the manager in the office (two different managers) saw the situation, heard what was said, and felt the need to defend me. The first time, she told me later in the night that she was trying to make a point to my co-worker. I'm not quite sure how yelling at me was supposed to accomplish that, but I was letting it slide. This Thursday when it happened again, she sniped at me about my attitude in front of my co-worker, my boss, and a manager who was shadowing my boss.

So I reflected on the situation. I bounced ideas off of Scott. And what I came to was to discuss the issue with my boss and see what he said. What I told him was that she is NOT my manager, and in the future, I would like any feedback she has about my performance/attitude to be given to my manager instead of at me, in front of other people. He said that he would talk to her.

A few hours later, he came back in the office, said he had spoken to her, and actually used the words "she's like that" and "this will probably happen again." He also told me a quaint little anecdote about how she once went almost a year not speaking to him because he insulted her boyfriend before he knew they were dating. And yet, for some reason, no one sees a PROBLEM with this!

She's absolutely not speaking to me now. Before, I think she was just keeping her distance. But the last time I saw her last night, she didn't even look in my direction while she was handing me a stack of paper!

So, through tears, I explained to my boss that most of the other locations I left were because I was having personality conflicts with other people. The only reason I've stayed in this job, which is really no longer challenging for me, is because of the people. I reminded him that I had no intention of staying through next summer, and I told him point-blank that I will not be her whipping boy. That he can say "she's just like that" until he's blue in the face, but that it is not acceptable to behave the way she did, that there is a pattern here, and that if it happens again I will immediately start applying for other jobs. I won't work in a location where I go home once a week physically ill and crying because of someone else who works there isn't going to be held accountable for her temper.

After work, I met Scott for ice cream and cried a lot more. Over a chocolate peanut butter sundae from Ghirardelli (I got the cherry, he got the chocolate square), we hashed everything out and came up with a game plan. Sit still for now. Give the dust a week to settle. And then reevaluate.

There's a lot more to the story than that, so if it sounds like I'm just whining about something minor, I guess you'll just have to take my word. At least tonight the Chef is working, so I won't have to deal a whole lot with Girl Chef. Then I have three days off. I'm really looking forward to that! And hopefully this too shall pass. **fingers crossed**