She Works Hard For The Money

My boss Margaret was still in the office when I went to return my key. I didn't finish until 10. She didn't say anything to me about that, just a "How are you?" When I signed out there was a note asking why I had worked 4 hours instead of 3.5 all week. I was pretty tired, well I am writing this on the tram home so I am STILL tired. Anyway! I didn't read it properly but I did end up thinking "What the hell are you talking about?" Look at the book I usually work 4, or more, hours! I got a bit pissed off as I left the building. I thought, I am glad she didn't think, or remember, to ask me about it then and there. I might have slapped her. No, it's more likely I'd get flustered and possibly/probably cry. Really I should ask why don't I get paid for my extra time but I've only just thought of that now. As if I would ever be that cocky!!! I should be though, honestly I didn't think of it till now. That note put me on the defensive. It took me by surprise. Why have they only noticed now? I have told them it takes me longer to get everything done. Admittedly it may not have been that recently, and of course I notice it all the time, because I am friggin' livin' it!

It's annoying to end so late because most of the night I felt on top of things. The lifts are still a drag but I am getting better at it. I think the problem tonight is I had to keep moving around before I could completely finish a section. You lose the momentum doing that. I could almost live with ending a half hour late because doing the lifts "properly" means it takes extra time. I had intended to inform her of that. I imagined saying something like: If you want it done right it will take an extra half hour. I want to be paid that extra time as well. Yeah, that's telling her! LOL. I have to tell her something because it's just not fair.

All the unpaid overtime has never been fair but recently this lift stuff made me feel like I was justified in saying I needed that extra half hour to get my work done. If I finally manage to track down Geraldine - my old cleaning boss - I should know whether or not her offer for a different shift is still on the table. I personally feel it's been too long since I called her back saying I would like the job. She never got back to me after that Friday - almost two weeks ago. When I try her phone I just get the answering machine. It's a mobile so it is possible she's lost it. I don't know what's going on. It's quite disappointing thinking I don't have a way out any more. I got quite upset about it at the end of last week. Like all my hope had vanished.

If I don't manage to see Geraldine tomorrow morning I will go see Margaret. Perhaps we can talk about this overtime stuff. Plus I need to ask her for a night off when I go see the B-52s concert. Is it next week? Gosh I think so. Yikes! And Yippie! Contradictory emotions as always. (That's your girl!) Damn it, I'm having that night off. I've earned it.

Miss Communication

I’m thinking of changing my name. I got a bit upset at work, well before work more accurately when on Thursday I got a call from my boss. Someone had been complaining about the desks and she also made a comment about the state of the elevators. I admit I don’t do a good job of them but I find that task particularly hard to do. I’ve tried to follow their instructions on how to do it properly but it still ends up all smeared and ugly looking. The phone call really put me off and got me depressed about showing up for work that night. I sent off emails to some of the men in my life. The kind of emails they don’t really want to get. Shit! (Sorry guys).

I thought I would cry or drink on the job and perhaps cut my wrists afterwards but surprisingly it wasn’t that bad a night. It was however rather frustrating. I cleaned all the desks – which I do everyday anyway! And yes some are dusty but when there is crap on them and computers that I can’t shift easily to reach behind then yes there might be some dust around. I do what I can on a time “budget.” Afterwards one of the guys who supervises me came to give them all a ‘detailed’ clean with a chemical I don’t even have access too. We had a little chat and he mentioned how it took him and another guy 9 hours to do all the desks on level Two. So excuse me if I can’t get them all to sparkle on my 3.5 hour shift when I have a shit load of other things to do in the reception, mezzanine AND level One! God the overtime I do for these people and it is still complaint after fucking complaint!

This doubling up of work happened in the elevators that night as well. I nearly screamed, “I’ve done them already!” I don’t know what is more annoying. I was meant to get personal instruction on how to do the evaluators that night but it never happened. Instead when I was looking for my Fast Glass (or spray ‘n’ wipe) I found my two supervisors doing them, with my Fast Glass. That pissed me off. And why the hell didn’t they tell me they were sending in my supervisors to do a detail desk clean? You know, before I go and do it myself. So annoyed! Terry tells me that’s good enough reason to quit. I wish.

I’m not happy that my old cleaning boss hasn’t returned my calls or got back to me with an update on the shift she offered me at my old work site. I’m thinking/hoping I will go visit the site, and hopefully her, on Monday morning. Catch her on her way out. I’ll have to ask in person. I don’t seem able to get through on the phone. I just need to know. Although my hope has crumbled, after all it’s been a week and a half of waiting and not knowing what the hell has happened to her. I was supposedly meant to start on the Tuesday after I accepted her offer of the new shift.

On the bright side – though I still find it a bit dim to be honest - this Friday I managed to do an excellent job of the elevators. I took the advice I was given over the phone and so far it seems to be working. It’s still a bugger of a job though. You get some of the chemical for the steal on the glass and it’s just smudge city. I know that to do it properly is going to take some time. I’ll see how it goes after a few more days of doing it the right way. If I’m ending half an hour later – as I tend to do anyway – I’m going say I want to get paid for it, (for a change). Not being as blunt as that though. If they look at the sign-in book they’ll see how much overtime I do. Yeah....I’m kidding myself aren’t I? They haven’t listened before.

Not very interesting but I needed to vent.

I don’t think I communicate very well here, in chat, email or text. Not based on some of the responses I get; so much for technology making it easier to communicate with people.