Although I have a pretty high falutin' title here at work, the truth is I have no administrative support. Basically I rely on the kindness of others when I need something done. Some days it works, some days it doesn't.
A few weeks ago I had to mail something out. I rarely mail anything, as most of what I do is electronic, so I had no envelopes. I wandered down to the nearest secretaries' office and asked for an envelope. Mind you, I had written, printed, signed and had the letter ready to mail. Was asking for no help, only an envelope. Well, the secretary that I encountered was apparently pissed off that I asked for an envelope. She goes into this long winded discussion on how my boss should order my supplies for me and why don't I have envelopes, blah de blah blah. She gets me an envelope. Then I ask her if I can borrow, yes Borrow, a pen to address the envelope. She then repeats the whole 'why doesn't my boss give me envelopes or pens. Who is my boss anyway?'
I reply: "The Chancellor, and he does not order my office supplies."
She shut up.
Well, there is a certain someone in my hallway that doesn't have to go thru this shit each and every time *he* wants supplies. PM just wanders down there, flashes his pearly whites and gets what he wants. No commentary, no bullshit, no nothing. Yesterday he went down there and asked for 50 envelopes and to quote him "and the hottie (work study student) counted them out for me too!" I, as well as A1, have taken to sending PM down there to get what we need. Much easier than the bullshit we go thru to get a simple frickin' envelope.
Yesterday was a long day. Got to work about 7:30, trying to get ready for a meeting I had that afternoon on a National Science Foundation grant. The folks I'll be working with are known far and wide for their lack of follow-thru so I knew I had to get my ducks in a row. Realized about mid-morning that I had forgotten my zip drive at home (that I needed for Monday night's meeting) so I drove back home at lunch and picked it up.
Last night's meeting. *sigh*
This client has been working with me about 3 years at this point. I knew them when I used to work for the Department of Commerce back in '99 -'01 and had become good friends with the clerk-treasurer. During these last three years there has been constant turmoil in the Town Council. Literally there was not one person left on the Council that I had worked with the first time I came to town three years before. Well, after November's elections, the entire Council changed again, as did the Clerk-Treasurer.
To say they are clueless is to insult the clueless of the world. We were to meet at 7:30 at the Town Hall. I get there around 7 and do a little reading while I wait for folks to show up. I notice people going into the hall about 7:15 so I head in. I meet everyone in there and notice one former council member there as well. Turns out he is not part of the council, but the council relies on him for his 'knowledge' in the town's matters. When I say 'knowledge' I want you to think 'doesn't know jack shit' knowledge. This is the same guy who swears he is a Native American chief but his own dad said he didn't have a drop of Native American blood in him.
So anyhoo, after answering each question at least three times, phrased three different ways, they thought they wanted to do something entirely different with the funds they had left. So I wrote them an extension letter, finished up their grant paperwork and got the hell out of there by 8:45.
On my hour, thirty minute drive home I called the engineer that had been working on the project. I leave him a voicemail and don't expect to hear from him until today. About ten minutes later he calls, wants to know about the meeting. I explain the whole thing to him, including the fact they will be using another grant administrator (who has, btw, no clue either). So he was completely perplexed on what to do, especially when I called the town council president's expression 'bewildered' during the entire meeting.
Got home round 10:15, fired up the laptop and finished the edits on another grant. I have another town meeting tonight but it should be quick and easy. Cashed out about midnight.
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