The Mondayest of Mondays

 

Travalon unexpectedly had the day off of work today because there was no school, so he met his brother for lunch, went antiquing, visited his parent's graves, had coffee at two different places, and just generally had a relaxing day off. I, however, was at work and had the Mondayest of Mondays. It started when my boss messaged that he wasn't feeling well so he was working from home, which he seems to do a lot on Mondays. (Of course, the couple of times I said I wasn't feeling well and was going to work from home, he insisted that I take a sick day instead because if I was too sick to come in, then I was too sick to work.) So fine... but then he kept sending me messages as I was trying to get other work done, about a situation that didn't directly involve him. It seems one of our visitors has a flight with a nearly 24-hour layover, and I didn't notice because I had to book ten other flights that week, but the guest said the flight was okay before I booked it. The person in charge of his visit just noticed, so I emailed the guest, who reiterated that he didn't care, but the person in charge cares. However, at this late date we could only get a first-class flight, which is not allowed. If the guest says he doesn't care, then why does everyone else? Maybe he wanted to spend a day in that city. At that point I was thinking maybe I wouldn't mind having a different boss, as I will in a few months.

The second thing was that I had approved an expense report that had special funding that has to be added by the approver (me), but the auditor said I never added it. I was puzzled because I knew I had done so. She sent the expense report back, and when I opened it up, there was the special funding. I said I could see it and that there must be a glitch in the system, but she just kept saying I had to add it and even sent me detailed instructions on how to do it, as if I hadn't done it hundreds of times before. I kept trying to explain that I knew how to do it, and there must be a glitch in the system because I could see it, but she just kept sending me more instructions on how to add it, as if she thought I just wasn't understanding. So that only added to my vicious mood.

The third thing was that back in December I had paid scholarships to several grad students, but one said he only got a fraction of the money. He had paid his fees already for the fall semester, and I said they shouldn't take his spring fees out of a fall scholarship, but the Bursar's office said the scholarship had to be processed by the last day of classes, and I was only told to submit it a few days after the end of classes. I had never heard this rule before, and when I walked with my colleague at lunch, she had never heard it either. Are they just making stuff up now?

In the afternoon we had a FARTwide meeting, and unlike the FART 5 meetings, where we all talked, this was just us watching a slide show about how processes will change. I couldn't really follow the flow charts, and I could barely stay awake, but afterwards my colleague asked if I wasn't concerned by the change in process. I admitted that I hadn't really followed what they were saying. All I know is everything is going to change, including who approves what. Meanwhile, Hardingfele was texting me about a dying plant she found somewhere, and did I think it was dying? I said it's already dead, judging by the photo, but she said there are green leaves, and I said I couldn't see them, so she said make the photo bigger. Why do people ask your opinion just to disagree with you? I said in that case, try to save it.

Travalon had driven me to work, so he came to pick me up at the shuttle stop in the evening, but the shuttle driver took a really wacky way back, not the usual route. I was afraid Travalon would have to wait forever for me, but we were only a few minutes late getting in. Then we went swimming, and I thought it would be relaxing, but I was so annoyed by a woman who brought a boy into the locker room who looked way too old to be there - the sign says no boys over four. Then in the pool she was on her laptop computer and totally ignoring him, which she wouldn't do if he were really young enough to be allowed in the women's locker room. He was all over the pool, so we went in the hot tub... and he followed us in there! The icing on the cake was that the machine that wrings out swimsuits so they aren't soaking wet was out of order in the women's locker room. Maybe tomorrow I will love humanity, but I'm glad to be done dealing with humanity for today!

Famous Hat