I am pretty low on the totem pole at my office. It basically goes Executives, Engineers, Designers, Draftsmen (me). And although I outrank the few other draftsmen on my team, I am still in the overall bottom tier.
So a lot of my coworkers think they can order me to do the shit work that they don't want to do. And by shit work, I mostly mean printing.
Here's how a typical conversation actually plays out:
Coworker: I need a set of these drawings printed.
Me: (pissed off in my head) ....Okay.
Here's how I fantasize this conversation in my head:
Coworker: I need a set of these drawings printed.
Me: Well, then I suggest you get pointin' and clickin'
CW: I don't have AutoCAD loaded on my computer.
Me: Well loading it will be great practice for you. All that involves is pointing and clicking too :)
CW: But I don't know how to print from AutoCAD.
Me: It's easy. I'd be happy to show you.
CW: Okay, thanks! I will gladly print all my own stuff from now on!!
Clearly...only in my fantasies.
I just don't get what the problem is though. For example, our engineers don't use AutoCAD. They use Visio. I know absolutely NOTHING about Visio. But oh wait...I do know one thing...I know what the effing print button looks like...yeah...the button with a picture of a printer on it...yes...that same icon that's used in pretty much every single effing computer application in existence...uh huh...it's that very same button in AutoCAD too...
So I don't get what the problem is.
How I would really like to utilize my amazing printing skills is to print out my job description from our company website. Then I would have a handy visual aide to point out to everyone who asks that "Print Bitch" is not on my list of responsibilities.
But I guess it seems easier to just do it instead of arguing...
Or...I could say that I'm busy, and delegate all that Print Bitch work to the few people that I do outrank :)
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Side Effects
I suffer pretty heavily from allergies. My first experience being treated for them was at the age of 4. If you've never been tested for allergies, let me explain one way of doing this. You get injected with a bunch of common allergens, and then sit there for 20 minutes and watch how many of the injection sites start to swell up in hives. And I was 4 the first time I had this done.
I don't remember it, but my mom tells me that I started off pretty brave, but about halfway through the 20 injections, I was sobbing and screaming, "I wish I wasn't me!!" The results of that test indicated that I should come in for 3 weekly injections. I think the theory is that if they keep injecting me with dust, mold, pollen, etc, my body will get used to it and it won't bother me anymore. And I guess it worked, because I do remember as time went on I would only have to get those injection every 2 weeks, then every 3 weeks, then just once a month, and after a few years I was off the injections completely and only needing prescription pills for my allergies (hidden not-so-well in my ice cream every night).
At some point I stopped taking that prescription medication as well. It's not that I didn't suffer from allergies anymore, but I guess just avoiding the things that I was allergic to was enough to keep things under control. But for about the past 8 years, that hasn't been a good enough plan anymore. For a long time, I wasn't really contributing my sinus problems to allergies, and my ENT wasn't aggressively treating my allergies either. Nasonex doesn't really do much for me, at which point that doctor basically gave up and said, "Well to treat the chronic sinus infections that you get due to allergies, just call me whenever you get an infection and I will call in antibiotics for you. No need to come see me. Just keep taking drugs." I don't see that doctor anymore.
But I did actually let him perform surgery on me a few years ago; straightening my deviated septum and cutting out a bunch of swollen tissue from 5 of my 6 sinus cavities. The procedure seemed to be really successful, up until a few months ago. I'm assuming that over time, the sinus tissue that still remained just decided that it finally had it's turn to start swelling up a lot. So I'm currently suffering from my 3rd sinus infection in the past 3 months.
I saw my new ENT yesterday (I've been going to him for about a year now and he's really awesome). He looked at my chart to review my allergy medicine routine, which currently has consisted of OTC anti-histamine, and some occasional nasal spray when I'm feeling extra congested. He said if we don't get my allergies better controlled, we aren't going to have much luck keeping my sinus infections under control. It's really refreshing to have a doctor that is concerned about the frequency of my infections and wants to try different things to prevent them from reoccurring, as opposed to my old doctor's mentality of, "Let's just pump you full of antibiotics and steroids every 2 months for the rest of your life."
So I was given a 2-week sample supply of Singulair, as well as a prescription (and a coupon card) if I think that it's working and I'd like to continue using it. So, I'm reading the info sheet that came with the drug:
BEHAVIOR AND MOOD-RELATED CHANGES: Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms: agitation, aggressive behavior, hostility, bad or vivid dreams, depression, disorientation, confusion, feeling anxious, hallucinations, irritability, restlessness, sleep walking, suicidal thoughts or actions (including suicide), tremor, trouble sleeping
THE MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECTS ARE: upper respiratory infection, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, stomach pain, diarrhea, earache or ear infection, flu, runny nose, sinus infection
OTHER SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE: increased bleeding tendency, low blood platelet count, allergic reaction, dizziness, drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness in arms or legs, seizures/convulsions, palpitations, nose bleed, stuffy nose, heartburn, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, intestinal upset, vomiting, hepatitis, bruising, joint pain, muscle aches, tiredness
THESE ARE NOT ALL THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS. ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Great. I'll be sure to tell my doctor right away if I experience suicidal actions (including suicide). And I'm really glad that one of the most common side effects is "sinus infection."
I did have a "vivid dream" last night of someone's skull having been removed, and doctors kept shocking his brain, and it kept swelling bigger and bigger. In my dream, I was smart enough to realize his brain was going to explode, so dream-me covered my eyes. And after his brain did explode, he was still alive and talking. So I suppose it could have been worse.
I might just stick with antibiotics for life though...
I don't remember it, but my mom tells me that I started off pretty brave, but about halfway through the 20 injections, I was sobbing and screaming, "I wish I wasn't me!!" The results of that test indicated that I should come in for 3 weekly injections. I think the theory is that if they keep injecting me with dust, mold, pollen, etc, my body will get used to it and it won't bother me anymore. And I guess it worked, because I do remember as time went on I would only have to get those injection every 2 weeks, then every 3 weeks, then just once a month, and after a few years I was off the injections completely and only needing prescription pills for my allergies (hidden not-so-well in my ice cream every night).
At some point I stopped taking that prescription medication as well. It's not that I didn't suffer from allergies anymore, but I guess just avoiding the things that I was allergic to was enough to keep things under control. But for about the past 8 years, that hasn't been a good enough plan anymore. For a long time, I wasn't really contributing my sinus problems to allergies, and my ENT wasn't aggressively treating my allergies either. Nasonex doesn't really do much for me, at which point that doctor basically gave up and said, "Well to treat the chronic sinus infections that you get due to allergies, just call me whenever you get an infection and I will call in antibiotics for you. No need to come see me. Just keep taking drugs." I don't see that doctor anymore.
But I did actually let him perform surgery on me a few years ago; straightening my deviated septum and cutting out a bunch of swollen tissue from 5 of my 6 sinus cavities. The procedure seemed to be really successful, up until a few months ago. I'm assuming that over time, the sinus tissue that still remained just decided that it finally had it's turn to start swelling up a lot. So I'm currently suffering from my 3rd sinus infection in the past 3 months.
I saw my new ENT yesterday (I've been going to him for about a year now and he's really awesome). He looked at my chart to review my allergy medicine routine, which currently has consisted of OTC anti-histamine, and some occasional nasal spray when I'm feeling extra congested. He said if we don't get my allergies better controlled, we aren't going to have much luck keeping my sinus infections under control. It's really refreshing to have a doctor that is concerned about the frequency of my infections and wants to try different things to prevent them from reoccurring, as opposed to my old doctor's mentality of, "Let's just pump you full of antibiotics and steroids every 2 months for the rest of your life."
So I was given a 2-week sample supply of Singulair, as well as a prescription (and a coupon card) if I think that it's working and I'd like to continue using it. So, I'm reading the info sheet that came with the drug:
BEHAVIOR AND MOOD-RELATED CHANGES: Tell your doctor right away if you have any of these symptoms: agitation, aggressive behavior, hostility, bad or vivid dreams, depression, disorientation, confusion, feeling anxious, hallucinations, irritability, restlessness, sleep walking, suicidal thoughts or actions (including suicide), tremor, trouble sleeping
THE MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECTS ARE: upper respiratory infection, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, stomach pain, diarrhea, earache or ear infection, flu, runny nose, sinus infection
OTHER SIDE EFFECTS INCLUDE: increased bleeding tendency, low blood platelet count, allergic reaction, dizziness, drowsiness, pins and needles/numbness in arms or legs, seizures/convulsions, palpitations, nose bleed, stuffy nose, heartburn, indigestion, inflammation of the pancreas, nausea, intestinal upset, vomiting, hepatitis, bruising, joint pain, muscle aches, tiredness
THESE ARE NOT ALL THE POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS. ASK YOUR DOCTOR FOR MORE INFORMATION.
Great. I'll be sure to tell my doctor right away if I experience suicidal actions (including suicide). And I'm really glad that one of the most common side effects is "sinus infection."
I did have a "vivid dream" last night of someone's skull having been removed, and doctors kept shocking his brain, and it kept swelling bigger and bigger. In my dream, I was smart enough to realize his brain was going to explode, so dream-me covered my eyes. And after his brain did explode, he was still alive and talking. So I suppose it could have been worse.
I might just stick with antibiotics for life though...
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
CSG
What's the deal with creepy guys who work at Subway sandwich restaurants and think I want them to hit on me? Now, to clarify...it's not EVERY Subway employee of course. There are actually only three such guys that I can recall. And this is not a bash against any normal people who work at Subway, or any other sandwich place. Subway is awesome and delicious. But still...WTF?
Creepy #1: Back when I lived in Naperville, there was a Subway almost right across the street from me (by the DMV if you are familiar with the area). This guy actually outright asked me if I was single. I wasn't. Add to the equation the fact that an older woman who was quite possibly his mother was standing right there on the sandwich line next to him...this seemed like an inappropriate conversation. And even after saying that I did have a boyfriend he said, "Well...I own my own business," with a really big f#&king smile on his face like he was super proud of himself, and that he thought I'd be super impressed, that his life's dream involved nothing more than making sandwiches. I think I did the smile-and-nod thing, got my sandwich, got the hell out of there, and never went back.
Creepy #2: After I had no interest in going back to see Creepy #1, I started going to a different Subway (Market Meadows), where this new sandwich guy didn't flirt with me too hardly...it was mostly just creepy, ogling looks and smiles. It prevented me from going there very often, but at least he didn't actually try to impress me via conversation and awkward questioning in front of his mom, so it was somewhat acceptable to deal with.
Uncreepy: I got super lucky when I made the move into my now-husband's house. There is a Subway literally behind our house, and it's run 98% of the time by a woman who is nice, but thankfully not into small-talk (as I'm not either). And even when the guy who works there comes out from the back to help on the line, he is very nice and has never shown any bit of inappropriate interest in me. He is only interested in making my sandwich.
But every once in awhile, I am in the mood for a breakfast sandwich from Subway. I have typically been going to one right by my office (State, north of Adams). But last week when the nice-guy employee there went to ring me up, he discovered that their cash register was down, so he gave me the sandwich for free. So now for some stupid reason, I feel kind of guilty going back there. It was a $3 sandwich and it was clearly not my fault. That location won't go under because of my one free breakfast. But even though I tell myself it's no big deal in the grand scheme of Subway's profit margin, I feel weird going back there now. It's like I'm worried that there will always be this tension between us now like, "That girl owes me $3." So I found another Subway, just 1 block away from the other one (State, south of Adams). I went there this morning. Enter Creepy #3...
Creepy Subway Guy: What can I get for you?
Me: Egg white and cheese
CSG: That was yellow egg, right?
Me: No, white
CSG: And you wanted bacon on that?
Me: No, just cheese
I looked up at CSG and he had a big f#&king grin on his face...the light shining off his silver-capped tooth. Oh. He's messing with me. Great.
CSG: What else would you like on this?
Me: Just green pepper
He put 1 slice of pepper on the sandwich and grinned at me, like he was really proud of the joke he just pulled on me
Me: Umm....a little more than that.....(trying to be serious and not give into his pathetic attempt at humor)
CSG: (big creepy shiny grin) You said green pepperrrrr...not peppersssss (another BCSG)
Me: (annoyed smile) Oh...Peppersssss please
He put 1 more slice on
CSG: Now there are two peppersssss (BCSG)
Another annoyed look from me, and he then put the normal amount on. And as he was ringing me up said, "So, maybe you'll come back for lunch?"
I said, "....yeah....maybe......."
And got the hell out of there....forever.
I'll gladly give the other guy his $3 back.
Creepy #1: Back when I lived in Naperville, there was a Subway almost right across the street from me (by the DMV if you are familiar with the area). This guy actually outright asked me if I was single. I wasn't. Add to the equation the fact that an older woman who was quite possibly his mother was standing right there on the sandwich line next to him...this seemed like an inappropriate conversation. And even after saying that I did have a boyfriend he said, "Well...I own my own business," with a really big f#&king smile on his face like he was super proud of himself, and that he thought I'd be super impressed, that his life's dream involved nothing more than making sandwiches. I think I did the smile-and-nod thing, got my sandwich, got the hell out of there, and never went back.
Creepy #2: After I had no interest in going back to see Creepy #1, I started going to a different Subway (Market Meadows), where this new sandwich guy didn't flirt with me too hardly...it was mostly just creepy, ogling looks and smiles. It prevented me from going there very often, but at least he didn't actually try to impress me via conversation and awkward questioning in front of his mom, so it was somewhat acceptable to deal with.
Uncreepy: I got super lucky when I made the move into my now-husband's house. There is a Subway literally behind our house, and it's run 98% of the time by a woman who is nice, but thankfully not into small-talk (as I'm not either). And even when the guy who works there comes out from the back to help on the line, he is very nice and has never shown any bit of inappropriate interest in me. He is only interested in making my sandwich.
But every once in awhile, I am in the mood for a breakfast sandwich from Subway. I have typically been going to one right by my office (State, north of Adams). But last week when the nice-guy employee there went to ring me up, he discovered that their cash register was down, so he gave me the sandwich for free. So now for some stupid reason, I feel kind of guilty going back there. It was a $3 sandwich and it was clearly not my fault. That location won't go under because of my one free breakfast. But even though I tell myself it's no big deal in the grand scheme of Subway's profit margin, I feel weird going back there now. It's like I'm worried that there will always be this tension between us now like, "That girl owes me $3." So I found another Subway, just 1 block away from the other one (State, south of Adams). I went there this morning. Enter Creepy #3...
Creepy Subway Guy: What can I get for you?
Me: Egg white and cheese
CSG: That was yellow egg, right?
Me: No, white
CSG: And you wanted bacon on that?
Me: No, just cheese
I looked up at CSG and he had a big f#&king grin on his face...the light shining off his silver-capped tooth. Oh. He's messing with me. Great.
CSG: What else would you like on this?
Me: Just green pepper
He put 1 slice of pepper on the sandwich and grinned at me, like he was really proud of the joke he just pulled on me
Me: Umm....a little more than that.....(trying to be serious and not give into his pathetic attempt at humor)
CSG: (big creepy shiny grin) You said green pepperrrrr...not peppersssss (another BCSG)
Me: (annoyed smile) Oh...Peppersssss please
He put 1 more slice on
CSG: Now there are two peppersssss (BCSG)
Another annoyed look from me, and he then put the normal amount on. And as he was ringing me up said, "So, maybe you'll come back for lunch?"
I said, "....yeah....maybe......."
And got the hell out of there....forever.
I'll gladly give the other guy his $3 back.
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