by El Zorro Viejo (aka; Jim)

Well, our District Manager didn't show up at the store yesterday. The rest of the group arrived, but our D.M. had "an issue" that precluded her being here. *sigh* Maybe this is a sign that I should shut up and move on with my life....nah! So, now I'm faced with three choices: 1) the aforementioned do nothing; 2) Wait for our D.M. to show up at the store (us lowly Leads don't have access to B&N's internal email); or 3) call the employee complaint hotline catchily titled "We Listen." This last option is an 800 number where one can do everything from lodge strong complaints to make suggestions to scatter praise. As one might surmise, the first option is the one for which it is most utilized. Given my tendency for passivity, I think I'll give our D.M. a week to make a store visit. If she does not show up in that time period, I will give We Listen a call. Meanwhile, I need to have a chat with the new Department Manager to let her know where things are with me. She needs to know that, for a while, she will be the visible icon of my disappointment and discontent, and, therefore, she needs not to try to manage me. She can ask me for pertinent information, or ask me to help in other areas of the store. She is not to tell me how to run my section. I'll do my own Department Managing in this back corner of the store, thank-you.

And now, the toddler and I have to go out and run some errands. After that, we are going to work in the backyard. At home my goal is to end the month with all the planting beds etc., raked and otherwise cleaned out for spring. I want to be able to order a yard or two of mulch the first week of April and have that all down before Income Tax Day arrives. Oh shit! Speaking of that, I have to make an appointment with our accountant. Like I have to call this week. I do believe that Judy has all the pertinent info gathered in one place. Now all I have to do is make sure I have what I need and then make the call. The other thing I really, really have to do this week is begin to clean off my desk and generally straighten up the office. As much as anything else, doing that will be a way of putting the past in the past and, finally, beginning to get on with my life. This marking time shit has to end !

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. ©El Zorro Viejo 2002-2005