Sunday, October 01, 2006

Drinking and Blogging Don't Mix

I am done with alcohol. She has betrayed me for the last time. This body took three days to fully recover from four beers and a shot of Frangelico. And then I pop over to my blog, and find some unauthorized nutjob has posted a lot of information about my life I would normally not have shared in a public forum. After all my years of loyalty, this is the final straw. No more liquor for me. Carry on, there is nothing to see here.


Ahem.

So, Friday, my boss from Seattle popped in. I knew he was coming, so I managed to clear off the top of my desk so that I could appear organized. But then he started asking me for things. August's P&L. A random file. A copy of a pad order. And then it was very very bad. I spent a good fifteen minutes searching for each document as he sat on the opposite side of my desk, staring at me. Tapping his pencil on his leg. Tap-tap-tap-tap.

He showed me how to populate my spreadsheets and authorized a $3000 chargeback. He told me I need to try to turn a profit, not just because the manager before me had lost $36,000 in one quarter, but so I could hire a secretary. Because then I wouldn't have to spend my day searching for things. Making him wait. Tap-tap-tap-tap.


When he left at two pm, it was not soon enough. I was so off-kilter I forgot to order my supplies for next week, forgot to close out payroll and forgot to send in my inventory.

My last job, (not counting Pizza Hut) sucked, but I don't ever remember feeling this clueless about procedure and where everything is. Probably because back then, I did have a secretary and support staff. Now it's just me, make or break time.

I have to say, I love the company I work for. In terms of volume, it's essentially the Wal-mart of the installation industry. Which should be bad. But they treat their people very, very well. No chinese sweat-shops here! The business itself is inherently troubled, always has been. I will always be dealing with unhappy customers and flaky, underpaid installers. Fortunately, because this is the only type of work my company does, or has ever done. They get it.

I have more to say, but the children are awake now and would like to be fed.