Will work for..... WORK?

R.a.n.t. of week 07/25/04

One thing worse than going to work, is having no work once you get there. Keeping busy is the surest way to make the clock speed along. It's like the tea kettle conundrum. If you're making tea and wait by the kettle for it to start whistling, it's never going to happen. But the second you step away to blow your nose, the kettle immediately screams for your attention. The real ironic bit is I work for two small companies as the office manager. Despite being small companies, I generally keep busy with all the office work handed to me; A/P, A/R, collections, payroll, billing, H.R. and I.T. With all those responsibilities, you'd think I'm consistently inundated with enough work for an army of clone troopers.

As an FYI, during slow times I DO walk around asking others if they need help. Turns out, everyone else are so busy they don’t usually have time to find me something to do. Granted, having nothing to do isn't always the norm. It's always feast or famine around here. Then there is the additional worry, (outside of time grinding to a halt), if I don’t look busy, I look expendable. I don't want to be expendable, because one thing worse than having no work while at work, is have no work to go to in the first place.
Reprinted 10/26/12





*PLEASE NOTE - I recently found R.a.n.t. articles posted to an older website I once owned. I've decided to reprint them in my current run, but have decided to edit the articles. For comparisons sake, I've decided to run the unedited versions as well. In a way, it's kind of fun to see how my writing has changed in eight years.


Original R.a.n.t.
The rant for this week is really interesting. There have been various times at my present job where I’m walking around looking for work to do. You would think being the office manager of two companies where I do A/P, A/R, collections, payroll, billing, HR, IT, and many other things, that I would be inundated with a plethora of work. It’s not like I don’t try to find work either. Sometimes I walk around and ask others for work. Everyone else is so busy that they don’t always have time to give me work. Mind you, this is not the norm. Feast or famine, lots of times I AM deluged with work. But I always manage to get it under control. And no I don’t file it all in the circular bin I take care of it all. So why would this be a rant you ask? Yes, I know some people would love a job where you have nothing to do. But you have to remember, if you don’t look busy at work, you look expendable. Also trying to look busy an entire day where you have nothing to do can get very boring and make for a very slow day. Sigh, what’s a guy to do? Anyway, I just ate up a few minutes of time; I suppose I should get back to looking for some work to do. I have to look busy you know.

Okay, tell him I said...

R.a.n.t. of week 07/18/04

If there is anything I hate more than no replies to a blog article, it's having to be a go-between. I'll be on the phone and one person asks me to tell the other person something. A prime example of this happened almost every week when I was married. I would be on the phone with someone and my wife would ask me to tell the other person something. To which the other person, obviously, would reply something back. I'd have to relay this to my wife who then had another thing to add. Suddenly, they are having a conversation and playing verbal tennis.

I find this mode of communication difficult to grasp. If a person has something important to say, why not say it who they need to themselves? I understand there may be times this is not possible, like when someone has to translate for another, but to constantly use someone else as a go-between does not make a lot of sense. And my wife did this ALL the time. And what's the biggest reason I hate this? I’m the worst person to translate a message. At times this same thing happens at work. I'm talking to a customer and my boss tells me to tell them something, as he then walks away. As you may have guessed, the customer relays something back. I forget immediately who is calling if I don't write it down, so now I'm forced to talk on the phone and take notes at the same time. Plus I can pat my head and rub my tubby at the same time. So this week, try if you can, not to use a third party to relate your messages (but feel free to have as many parties as you want, just invite me). Instead, relay your messages to the other person yourself. And while you are at it, tell them I say hi.
Reprinted 10/25/12





*PLEASE NOTE - I recently found R.a.n.t. articles posted to an older website I once owned. I've decided to reprint them in my current run, but have decided to edit the articles. For comparisons sake, I've decided to run the unedited versions as well. In a way, it's kind of fun to see how my writing has changed in eight years.


Original R.a.n.t.
One of the things I really hate, is to be the go-between. You know what I’m talking about, one person will tell you to tell the other person what they want to tell them. I find it hard to understand this mode of communication. If you have something vital to tell someone else, doesn’t it make sense to tell him or her yourself? I understand there may be times this is not possible, like when someone has to translate for you, or the third party is not available, but to constantly use someone else as a go-between does not make a lot of sense to me. What is the biggest reason I hate this? I’m the worst person to translate a message, so why would anyone else want to rely on me? Half the time I forget who is calling at work, even if I just asked them who was calling. Something happens from the time I ask who’s calling and the time I ask what they want that I forget who it is calling. So for this week, strive not to use a third person to relate your messages, tell them yourself, and you can tell them I said you should.

Can I Have a Snack?

R.a.n.t. of week 07/11/04

It’s a question my children ask me. But why am I ranting about this? Because it's something they ask quite frequently, and at the worst times. We will just walk in the front door and the first question is, "Can I have a snack?" Right before bedtime, “Can we have a snack?” Even when they see me making dinner, "Can I/we have a snack?" I have grown to hate the word, especially on the weekends. Every hour, "Can I have a snack, can we have a Snack. SNACK, SNACK, SNACK. Just say the word a few times out loud, you'll learn to hate the word too. Though maybe I'm being too harsh. Could it perhaps be they are not familiar with what the word really means? If so, I'll provide a definition:

snack [snak] noun
1. a small portion of food or drink, especially one eaten between regular meals.

See that? What really is a snack but something you eat between meals? Not just before. When you do that, it's something else.

ap·pe·tiz·er [ap-i-tahy-zer] noun
1. a small portion of food served before or at the beginning of a meal to stimulate the desire to eat.

So why are my kids confused in this regard? Maybe it’s because they hate what I prepare for them, or they don’t want to eat a big dinner, or they just want junk food as often as they can. Whatever the reason, I’m getting sick and tired of the ‘S’ word. Okay, done ranting. Wow, I've really worked up an appetite, off to have an appetizer, I mean snack.
Reprinted 10/18/12





 *PLEASE NOTE - I recently found R.a.n.t. articles posted to an older website I once owned. I've decided to reprint them in my current run, but have decided to edit the articles. For comparisons sake, I've decided to run the unedited versions as well. In a way, it's kind of fun to see how my writing has changed in eight years.


Original R.a.n.t.
 I’m not exactly sure why I feel the need to rant about this, but it’s a question my children ask me quite frequently. We’ll just get home and right away they’ll want a snack, “Can we have a snack?” I’ll be making dinner and they’ll want a snack, “Can I have a snack?” Even when they see me making the dinner they’ll ask again. What really is a snack but something you eat between meals? Not just before. When you eat something just before you eat, it’s called an appetizer, “Can you give us an appetizer?” Seriously though, I have grown to hate the word snack. The weekends are murder on me. Every hour they’ll want a snack. “Can I have a snack, Snack, SnAcK, SNACK!!!” Yes, I’m sure many will neither understand this rant of mine, nor agree with me, but it’s my rage and I’m going with it; it’s what makes me, me. I wish I knew why it gets on my nerves like it does, but I’m not really sure. Maybe it’s because they refuse to eat what I prepare for them, or they don’t want to eat a big dinner, or they just want junk food as often as they can get it. Whatever the reason, I’m getting sick and tired of that ‘S’ word. I guess that’s all for now, I’m off to have an appetizer.

Getting Irate!

R.a.n.t. of week 07/04/04

One thing that really gets my goat is when people get bent out of shape for small and trivial things. I experienced this, this weekend with two of my sisters. I’m not going to side with either one of them because the squabble is beside the point. It was something, I thought, simple and silly. Why do people allow little things to get out of control? And then the next level takes place when one wants to resolve the situation amicably, and the other does not. People wonder why I tend to allow myself to be wronged. Mostly it's because I'd rather not cause a rift in the family and/or friendship for something inane. I believe people are generally good, but allow pride to get in the way once a situation "gets away from them". Realistically, who wants to admit they are wrrrrr wrwrwr, the "W" word? That’s why I try to give the benefit of the doubt. If wronged, I try to chalk it up to them having a bad day, or maybe they misunderstood something I said, (and that’s not very unusual). In the end, my sisters were able to resolve their problem the old fashioned way, agreeing to disagree, so I’m proud of them both. With luck, there'll be no residual animosity from this, I hate when someone holds a grudge. Hmmmmm I got my rant idea for next week.
Reprinted 10/23/12





*PLEASE NOTE - I recently found R.a.n.t. articles posted to an older website I once owned. I've decided to reprint them in my current run, but have decided to edit the articles. For comparisons sake, I've decided to run the unedited versions as well. In a way, it's kind of fun to see how my writing has changed in eight years.


Original R.a.n.t.
One of the things that can really get my goat is when people get all bent out of shape for small or silly things. One example came this weekend with two of my sisters. I’m not using this space to side with either one of them because the problem was just between the two of them, but sometimes I think people allow little things to get out of control. I’m not saying I’m a push-over myself, but I hate to see people get upset, especially when one wants to resolve the situation amicably. I think in most cases I’d rather be wronged than to cause a rift in the family and/or friendship. I know most people cannot understand that, but people generally are good people and allow their pride to get in the way once a situation gets away from them. Maybe that’s why I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes when I get wronged, I just chalk it off to them having a bad day, or maybe they just misunderstood something I said, (and that’s not very unusual). As far as my sisters are concerned, they seemed to resolve it so I’m proud of both of them. I just hope there is no residual from it, I hate when someone holds a grudge, hmmmmm I got my rant idea for next week.