So I’m going to try and start posting again. I may someday go into all the reasons why I stopped but not tonight. (I actually just deleted an entire post I had written outlining a few reasons but…well…maybe some other time.) I do want to get you caught up though. I’ve decided to just give you the top fifteen words that more or less sum up the past few months. If any strike your fancy, let me know and I may elaborate.

1. Doubt
2. Rage
3. Release
4. Moves
5. God
6. Hopeless
7. Rejection
8. Family
9. Promotion
10. Stress
11. Rotation!
12. Placenta
13. Therapy
14. S-h
15. Kentucky

That sums it up kids.

Last June I posted about a Shark and Gator that’d been seen hanging out around the parking lot where I work. Though she had nothing to do with the original appearance of Shark and Gator, my friend SS and her boyfriend took the plastic critters into their hearts and home. 

SS recently discovered Stillspinning and saw the post. She brought Shark and Gator to work today and gave them to me. 

I’m pleased as punch to have them.

How in the world can we have an employee named Trevelle and Trevellis and they not be twin brothers?  They’re not even related!

I had to fire someone at work today.  The agent just lost it and unfortunately they lost it on a supervisor. It’s not the first this agent caused a scene.  Not too long ago my boss and I sat down with them to talk about how to air concerns or even anger in the workplace.

Call centers can be a high stress environment.  The calls never stop coming and some days they come faster than others.  We’ve had crazy call volume for weeks now and its taking its toll on the agents.  They’re tired and stressed and overworked.  It’s a perfect storm.

We found some problems with the way calls were being sent to us that may provide some relief.  Its too late for some.  They cracked under the pressure and quit or got fired.  Call centers aren’t for everyone.

My boss has been out of the office since last week.  Normally this would be a good thing as we get a lot of work done when he’s not around.  But this time he’s “working from home.”  What this basically means is that he emails us orders all day long demanding that we put out this fire or that.  What he doesn’t see is all the stuff we’re trying to get done in between his fits.

My job has become too much to take lately.  They keep asking for more and more of us and we’re all afraid that if we don’t give it we’ll be out on the streets.

Today an email came demanding that we each solicite overtime from our teams and if we fail to get enough we’ll have to come in and work in their place.  We need the overtime because we’re short staffed because we undercut ourselves on how many people it’d take to do the work correctly.  Now we’re constantly begging people to work over in the same breathe as we’re telling people they can’t take their lunch or breaks.  It’s a broken system and the bossman doesn’t seem to see it.

He’ll see soon.  He’s going to have a rebellion if he’s not careful.  Either that or we’ll all quit.  Quitting sounds nice.

I’ve been sick all week long.  It starts each morning with a slight headache and before I leave the house its come to full-on nausea.  I haven’t really eaten anything since Monday but crackers and a grilled cheese.  I’ve lost a few pounds and can’t focus on anything.

A few years ago I worked as a customer service representative for an Accidental Death Insurance company.  It was basically a scam that banks participate in to create yet another revenue stream.  I got yelled at all day long by people who finally noticed the quarterly charge on their bill or, worse, people who were depended on the policy to bury their loved one and we weren’t going to pay.

While I was working there I developed really bad stomach problems.  I wasn’t able to hold down anything, wasn’t sleeping and was always on the verge of cracking up completely.  I started going to the doctor on almost a weekly basis to have more tests, try difference medications and to answer another round of questions.  Finally a nurse asked me what I did for  living.  When I explained my job the doctor said: “Quit.  Quit your job.  It’s killing you.”

So I got fired a few days later, just before they were going to do some minor surgery to see what they could see, and the stomach problems cleared right up. 

I’m scared to death that I’m back in that situation.

Our work softball team played their forth softball game last night loosing 18 to 2 against the First Baptist team.  For the record, I didn’t play.  I generally don’t play sports at all but once uniforms get involved its become way too serious for me.  They’ve got shirts.

Even though 18 to 2 is a big loss its worth saying that thirteen of those runs occured in the top of the first and we had our “second string” starting. 

My favorite play occured in that first inning when ClientN threw the ball home where not one, not two but three of our infield players had gone to assist the catcher.  It looked like we were taking a fortress defense, the Red Rover stradegy.  When ClientN threw the ball, all four of the girls missed it bringing in not one but two runs as they chased down the throw.

I sat in the stands with DAS, JW and a few former employees.  We probably had a total of fifteen people in the stands, much more than the opposing team.  We screamed and cheered like it was a major league game.  I wanted to heckle but when you’re down by sixteen points you really can’t talk a lot of trash.

Last week at work I started introducing two new catch phrases a week.� People are actually using them from time to time!� To help spread the word I’m going to start posting them here for all to enjoy.� This post will have four as we’ve got to get caught up.� But from now on their should be only two and they should come on Mondays.� We’ll see if I can keep up.

A few more notes.� These are not all original and credit will be given when possible.� Generally credit will be given to whomever I heard say it.� If someone else said it first please feel free to correct me.

Here we go.

• “I’m not really in to Pokemon.” This is to be used to in response to something someone has said that you either don’t understand, don’t care about or want to dismiss all together.� Use it carefully, it tends to make people feel small.� (XKCD)
• “Well, monkeys are pretty forgiving.” This can be used whenever anyone questions what you’re doing.
• “Foods Papa!” to be used in place of any swear words
• “Man that’s corduory!” (S-h)

That’s it for this week’s.� Use them until your co-workers threaten to kill you.� “Foods Papa that’s harsh!”

“It’s like accidentally shooting yourself in the foot; you just want to avoid doing it.� It’s like accidentally falling off a cliff.� It’s bad, real bad.� You don’t want to do it.” – S the Trainer.

I’ve changed jobs at work and this has required me to go back into training.� I’m still a team supervisor just for a diffrent client.� Training is always boring, always frustrating.� This time is no exception.

Here are some highlights:

• A was wearing a Bob Marley t-shirt today.� Someone saw her shirt and started talking about Mr. Marley.� A asked who Bob Marley was, not even realizing that she was wearing a t-shirt with him on it.
• Class started at 2:00.� C asked for a smoke break at 2:07.

I’m sure there will be more stupidity to come.