This week before the boss' three week vacation to the Keys has been particularly tense. He, himself has been overly stressed, and has been projecting it onto the rest of us lackeys. I'm pretty sure he had his dad in to be reprimanded on more than one occasion (I guess that's one of the perks of having your own business). He just keeps asking me if there's 'anything I need to get off my chest' before he goes on vacation. I broke down after we came back from Arkansas and told them (his dad, because my boss is too busy to listen to anything having to do with my personal life, and if his dad deems it important, he will relay the message to the boss) that we had made an offer on a place and we are very excited. Of course I did say that we'll be using it for a vacation home, at least until we come to a turning point with my in-laws - which who knows when that will be, tomorrow, three years, it's anybody's guess. Before the baby was born I was getting a sense of cold shoulder, and had considered that the boss' wife may decide to come and take my place, rather than go back to work at her job. Now that the baby is here, I think the boss is realizing how much easier having me here to 'do him favors' is making his and her lives. That's not to say that he really appreciates it though.
One of the other secretaries was in my office Monday, asking about Thanksgiving and exchanging the usual polite banter when the boss came in. Instead of saying 'Good morning' or 'Hi' to her, he just stood there holding the piece of paper he wanted to give me waiting for her to leave. Noticing how rude his behavior was I went to her later and apologized, of course it wasn't the first time he has completely snubbed her. She said she just couldn't understand why he was never friendly to her, and I agreed, although he treats me the same way. Never 'Good morning, how was your weekend' just straight to the commands or demands, usually followed by a request for me to update my 'to do list'. In fact, her boss and his wife are way friendlier to me than my own. I could make a business out of apologizing for him, I swear. He did the same thing to her mid-week, for which, again I apologized to her and tried to assure her that it wasn't her, it's definitely him.
As his departures nears, his behavior worsens. I don't know if you have ever witnessed an adult temper tantrum, but it's definitely something to be seen at least once.
Last night around five (that's when I leave, five), he calls me and asks 'for a favor'. What am I supposed to say to that?
Not to get sidetracked, but my last job I worked for a Jewish fellow (not that his religious denomination has anything to do with it, merely an observation) who, when I told him I needed time off or to leave early he would say 'sure, that's fine, but you'll owe me one.' Finally one day I got so sick of him saying it that I burst out in anger and told him 'NO, there's no owing you one! Either you give me the paid time off (because I was salary) or you make the adjustment to my check!' Yes, that's right, I had cut off my nose to spite my face and told them not to pay me for time off and, as requested, they didn't.
So, of course I said I'd be happy to do him a favor. Then he proceeds to break into a rant about how he went to the jet ski place to pick up his jet skis to take to the Keys and they weren't ready, and he knew he shouldn't have gone there, that people had warned him about this place, and they charged him for parts and they shouldn't have, etc. A real live rant. Bottom line, can I call the place and smooth things over so that he can go back and pick up the jet skis tonight because they are planning to leave for vacation in the middle of the night. Apparently, he didn't hold back when he found out that the jet skis weren't ready - to the extent that he didn't want to have to see anyone who worked there. His request was that I get them to leave the jet skis on the trailer outside of their gate, so he could come by later and not have to talk to anyone or sign anything. I called their office, my first attempt I got hung up on, I'm not saying it was on purpose, just a coincidence... and eventually get hold of the girl he had been 'dealing' with. I explained to her that I worked for Mr. So-And-So, who was just there and what did we have to do to get him out of her hair? Basically, she was more than happy to have the technicians finish their repairs and get the jet skis on the trailer, it would only take another half hour. She said they wouldn't leave them outside of the gate, but that Mr. So-And-So wouldn't have to come in to sign anything, he could just hook up to the trailer and go. FINE. I called her back, just in case he did talk to her and asked her to fax me the receipts, and told her that if Mr. So-And-So should ask her, that I was going to get back with her in the morning to discuss the bill, then reassured her that she would never hear from either of us again.
Last night I had a nightmare that I came into work this morning to find out that the jet skis weren't ready and that I had to go and pick them up myself and drive them nine hours down to where they are staying in the keys.
He checked in with me this morning, and said that I sounded like I was in a better mood - he did get the jet skis, no problem.
Two hours later he calls back from his wife's cell phone. 'I LOST MY *&%$-ING PHONE!' Ready for a real tantrum? You know those people who rely on their cell phones as a way of life? My boss is one of them, he doesn't go anywhere without it, that includes the bathroom (I called him there once by accident). 'I lost a bunch of numbers, I'm not going to be able to get my calls, you'll have to forward my calls to my wife's phone, I'm not going to be able to get another phone right away...' It went on for a few minutes, until I interrupted and assured him that I could get him another phone overnighted (I wasn't really sure, but I would say just about anything to pacify him at this point, especially after the jet ski saga last night) to where he was staying, and that I would also send him his cable to sync to his laptop, which has all of his important numbers. He settled down for a minute and was able to tell me how he lost the phone... Apparently, he was adjusting the jet skis in the parking lot of a rest stop and accidentally called someone, so he took the phone out of his pocket to hang it up and left it on top of the jet skis and drove off. He went right back and it was gone. Then he decided that he didn't want the same phone, he wanted me to instead get him a better one anyways, fine.
I hang up with him and get on the phone with the cell phone company for what I am anticipating to be a long, drawn out call. Just as I'm having his phone deactivated, he calls on the other line. Someone picked up the phone and called his mother with it and she called his wife and they were going to meet him and get it back. SO, I real quick put him on hold and scream at the cell phone lady to stop what she's doing - he found the phone! Thank god for modern technology. No offense, but I hope both their batteries go dead so I don't hear from him again today. I always come to work on Friday thinking it's going to be a great day to slack off, but it doesn't seem to be working out for me.
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