(no subject)

[vicarz]

Let me tell you about today. First off, going to bed around 11 instead of hitting exposure should have meant I'd be waking up at Dawn's crack, say 5:30 - 6. Instead, I had another unexplained 4am wake up (hence my post of "grumble") Happily, I either didn't hear or don't remember anything that could be construed as a ceiling-squirrel. Since I didn't have to go to work, there was no reason not to get up and check out the internet.

I bought 3 woot shirts of "Hey, wait up…you are my best friend", and I already have a gift recipient lined up (in my mind) for 1 of them. Understand I often give "if you're interested" gifts, and think it's better "not for me thanx" than a wasted object. This shirt utterly won me though - mix my bunny icon with "if you love someone, set them free, and...hey, wait!?"

So, what's this post about? Work politics. Today is my day off, right? Then why, pray tell, am I posting to you from the office? I was acting Branch Chief yesterday and the day before, with someone else to cover Friday while I was on pre-approved leave (use or lose even). Now, I'm not required to but I check my email from off the clock a fair amount - I'm that into my job. To my surprise, I saw an email asking who was acting because personX sent a last-minute email stating they were not going to do the duties as their supervisor asked! Huh? The plan was in place the entire week - no surprises, so certainly no reason for a last minute no effort to cover the absence bail by an attorney, right? I, being a giant suckass (or liking my boss and understanding that not having "office coverage" is one of the big things they love to attack people for even though it is of no actual consequence), sent out emails to all in-town litigators to note that "unexpectedly" we didn't have an acting branch chief - and while I could, it was my day off and I'd really prefer not to cover the office. Well, one on-the-clock bunghole failed to respond at all, while the other really blew the curve - saying they were going to be in the office, but they were too busy to "perform acting chief duties today." THERE ARE NO F(argin) DUTIES! Cunt.

So, I contacted my boss (in LA, CA) and told him I could cover - he raged a bit about the situation and thanked me profusely. I can tell you he's going to get shit over the whole situation, but I made it far less painful for now. I called the main office (which is also supposed to fulfill office coverage standards, but once again failed when nobody answered the phone - which is ok but she who makes the rules is allowed to break them) and told them I was covering and would be in the office in about an hour. I emailed all staff and sent out a message noting I was acting.

Why? Well once I got up I spent all morning shopping online, reading email, playing LOTR2 finalizing my PTO application. I had a bunch of errand-like chores I could to, but nothing I really needed to do - in fact I was thinking of taking the laptop to MURKY and working off the clock doing research. I emailed the application, noted the following hard copy, hit the USPS and sent the hard-copy via confirmation, stopped by MURKY for a large iced skim half-decaf mocha, and headed into the office. Where I be now.

Basically, for my half-a-day of half-assed work today I'll get another day off and mega brownie points. While I'm applying elsewhere, and my boss' boss probably doesn't care (or worse, is disappointed that my actions have hurt her ability to attack the management skills of my boss and will retaliate against me for deflecting her attack), if I stay I have put in yet another "José is a team player" example. It also makes my coworkers the twats who backstab look like utter shit for failing to do the slightest thing for anyone but themselves.