Mewsings from Lowecat (aka Indianacat)

My rants, ravings, and overall 'mewsings' on life, the universe, and everything.

Saturday, January 24, 2004

Ahhh....ahhhhh....AHHHHCHITHOOEY!

I have a cold. A miserable/watery eyes/runny nose/sniffling/sneezing/occasional coughinga,achy/nasty-assed rotten winter cold.

The only worse than a winter cold that acts like sap running in the woods when it's time to harvest maple syrup, IMO, is the summer cold.

To top it off, we have a winter storm watch in this area for snow, freezing rain, and other such delights. OK, who wished a curse? Take it off, please.

The DH is fascinated by my sneezes. No dainty, ladylike little "kerchoos" from this gal. Oh, no! They are loud, juicy blasts that strangely resemble certain curses. A former friend of mine taught this very bad habit to me some years back, and it takes a concentrated effort NOT to snurse in such places that require decorum like church and work.

DH is currently pouring hot liquids down my gullet. Tea, apple cider, probably some more cider with honey flu for nighttime mixed in it before bed. Anytime I get a cold, it usually winds up in my chest and causes bronchitis that takes MONTHS to shake off. Ugh.

Ahhh, for a nice, warm sunny place to bake this crud out of me. Alas, vacation time isn't until Spring. Wonder if I'll be cured by then?

'Scuze me, gotta go clean off the ol' computer screen. You'd think they'd have spray interceptors on them. Grumble, grumble

Wednesday, January 21, 2004

A weird anniversary

One year ago today, a co-worker at my job tried to attack me in the hallway. Two days later, I was put on an FMLA by my doctor for PTSS from the attack. I spent six weeks off from work, and still have issues over the attack and the attacker, though I have tried to extend the olive branch to that person.

The attacker was, and still is, one of the union stewards in our department. I had something occur on the job with the computer which scared me a little, and with no supervisor or union person to ask, had emailed the union to ask for comfort. (One day a year and a half earlier, I had sent an email to the union about the lack of advance notice we would receive when union officials were on site to visit and we could talk to them on out own time. This union steward figured out it was me from my email address, and verbally chewed me out for that. However, we did start getting better advance notice of the official visits!)

The word I got from the union was not to worry. A week later, I saw this steward for the first time since the holidays, and just said a simple "Hi, how are you?" This, apparently to her, was an open invitation for another verbal diatribe from her about contacting the union behind her back, again. Last time around, I walked away from it, but this time, because of the nasty way she was speaking to me, I told her the call center floor was neither the time nor the place for such a discussion, and if she had a problem with me, she could take it up with my boss, who was in a staff meeting.

She refused to leave my desk, and was speaking so loudly and rudely that she was disrupting my efforts to work, plus those around us. Therefore, I logged out and told her that we needed to take the matter out to the hall. Along the way, she continued to verbally attack me, and all I said was take it out to the hall.

As soon as the door shut behind me, I burst out "God damn it---" and the woman threw down her box lunch and lunged at me. She would have succeeded too, had I not had my rolling walker in front of me. Interstingly enough, several people who had seen us leaving the floor poured out of the other doorways and started to pull her away, telling her it wasn't worth her job, while the woman was still trying to get at me!

While I was sitting on my walker and shaking, one of her cronies came back and started to tell me off for causing the fracas, at which time I demanded my supervisor.
Well, the supervisor came, I told him what had happened, and later in the day, we (my boss, me, the steward and her rep) were called into a meeting with the department manager, who said he wasn't going to persue the matter any further, as it seemed a
she said/she said situation and further outbursts like that would be treated accordingly. This, despite the fact that violence against co-workers..and even the hint of violence...is a major no-no and a fireable offense.

Having been attacked and knifed a few years ago, I don't take to confrontations very well. This one caused me to recall the attack of earlier, and I had a bad case of the shakes and crying spells. The following day was worse, and whenever I came across the steward, the shakes would start again. This seemed to give her some delight, so
she seemed more visible to me that day than ever before. That next day, the doctor put me on the leave of absence, and I also sought counseling to deal with my feelings of fear, anger, and betrayal.

Well, I eventually recovered, and went back to work. I ignored her, and vice versa. Eventually, the inevitable happened, and we were assigned to the same team. The IIC told me I'd have to grow up and deal with it. I talked to the new supervisor, and she simply told me that she expected no trouble from either of us. I told her that it was neither my intention nor desire to cause any trouble, and if she could act like an adult, so could I.

Well, we've been cool toward each other since then. I extended the olive branch by giving her a Christmas card that was inscribed "Sorry we got off to such a bad start last year. Can we try over" She's never answered to this day.

I still feel that the company management let me down on this, big time. I can't help feeling that had the situation been reversed, there would have been no question of someone, namely me, being put out the door. Efforts on my part to follow up with other investigatory outlets within the company all supported the IIC findings.

So how do I feel today? A little more wary around this person and her friends, a little less trusting about TPTB. Wishing it had never happened, but have, after several months of brooding in the background, I've let it go. It happened, and I learned from it, so it goes.

another day of fun

Acutally, it was a day of laziness of sorts. Didn't have to work, so did some grocery shopping, two loads of laundry, and straightened up the master shelves of DVD/VHS tapes in the dining room.

My goal is to get a DVD recorder later this year, and start converting the VHS movies into DVDs. Will be easier to store, and I can put things like Superheroes and Media and Romance and stuff like that together instead of having them strung all over. In other words, I have already spent the tax refund

One more day away from work, then back to the grind for three days. Ah, to win the lottery and never have to work! The new American Dream.

Monday, January 19, 2004

Getting started with this

Have friends who blog, and wanted to get me into the wonderful world of blogging, so here I be!

We celebrated DH's birthday today. He doesn't act any older than the day we married nine years ago, but his hair sure shows it; he is now more salt than pepper!

Had some good news today, am doing well dealing with sleep apnea and the cpap machine. And lost a few pounds since last visit. That always makes one feel better.

My previous blog was on AOHell, called mewsings from the cat. A fun little place, as this will be. Drop by and purr, or hiss, or mews on life.

Sunday, January 18, 2004

trying another skin..