Some people have no business working retail

I seriously wanted to hit the clerk at the pharmacy today.

It didn't help that I was already in a pissy mood. I missed most of Monday due to the fucked up interview. I worked yesterday, but my allergies are in overtime, so I took Sudafed all day to try to dry up. Only problem with Sudafed . . . it's like legalized speed for me. I swear, I was awake until after 1:00 this morning. Then, at 3:30, Munchkin crawled into bed whining about her ear. I gave her Children's Benedryl and Children's Motrin, and told her to shut up and let me sleep (well, maybe I was a little nicer - but my head was screaming that). Woke up at 7:00, and Munchkin was still sleeping, so I got ready for work, and left instructions with Kidlet (who's been watching Munchkin during Spring Break) to call me if Munchkin gets any worse. Took the hour drive into work, and was at my office for about 20 minutes when Kidlet called. I could hear Munchkin just crying her eyes out. Great. So, I made a doc appt, and sent an e-mail to my boss letting her know that I was leaving for the day, and made the hour-long trek home. Got to the doc, and both her ears are infected. This is the same child who's basically been sick since January, with EVERYTHING that's come down the pike. I don't think I've worked a full week since last year. Anyway, I get the prescription, and get over to our local pharmacy.

First, let me say that I love this pharmacy. It's a small town pharmacy. Normally, our wait time is about 20 minutes. They carry everything. It's great.

Today, with everything that's been going on, I just wanted to lose it. I walked in, and there was a cashier, and a lady being waited on by that cashier. They were chatting. I stood in line behind the customer and waited to turn my prescription in. The pharmacist saw me, and walked around the cashier and the customer, and took the script, and went in back to fill it. I wander the aisles waiting for the meds. Meanwhile, the cashier and the customer are still talking. Loudly. About breeding horses. Whatever. A few more customers come in. I go over to the waiting area and watch what's happening. The cashier and the customer are still talking. And that cashier must be deaf, because I swear to God her voice could carry through about a dozen walls, she's so loud. And people are waiting. This woman doesn't even acknowledge them. She just keeps talking.

Another cashier, who I'm assuming is on her lunch break (since she was in back eating and it's around noon), puts down her food, and waits on the customers who've lined up (there were about three or four in line by this time). And the original cashier was STILL TALKING. About horses! Didn't even say anything to any of the people who've been waiting for at least 5 minutes for her to shut the fuck up and get their medicine so they can get on with their lives.

After the lunch break cashier had finished waiting on all the people in line, I walked up to her, and told her I thought that she did a wonderful thing, putting down her food and helping those people who were waiting in line while SOME PEOPLE WHO MUST BE IN LOVE WITH THE SOUND OF THEIR OWN VOICE completely ignored them. And yes, I said it loud enough to be heard, but I still doubt that woman heard me, even though she was about 2 feet from me.

We were there for about 20 minutes. She talked for about 17 minutes of that 20 minute stay to the same woman, on the same subject, very loudly, while completely ignoring everyone else there.

I have never wanted to slap a complete stranger so badly.

Well, that sucked

Ever since hubby, the kids, and I moved to a more rural location, I've been trying to get a job with the only State agency located within 20 miles of our little town. It's been about 4 years, and still no luck. So, every morning, I face a one-plus hour commute, driving 40 miles just to get to the train station that will take me to my job.

Yesterday, I had about the worst interview I've ever had.

It started when I received notification of the interview last week. In the letter, they informed me I would have an "Excel exercise". Yay. Now, I know how to use Excel. At least, the basics of it. However, with this "exercise", I figured they were going to test me on the one thing I have absolutely NO idea how to do. Pivot tables.

So, I spent all freaking weekend looking up tutorials on pivot tables. I had the basics down, and figured I could at least get some kind of SOMETHING going.

I get to the interview half an hour early. I wait. I read the job description. Seems rather detailed, but I figure I can do what they're asking. I go in to do the exercise. There is a laptop set up in a quiet room. On the laptop is this humongous spreadsheet. I'm talking 1300 rows of data, about 15 columns wide. And, naturally, they ask me to do a pivot table. But, before that, I have to add a few rows and format some information.

The first row, no problem. The second row . . . problem. I can't figure out how to get the information in there that they want. Oh, well. No one said it had to be perfect. I move on to the pivot table.

The first one I tried went nowhere. I got one row and one column of data. Not what they were asking. So, I deleted that one, and tried again. Second time, still no luck. I deleted the second one, and tried a third time. THIS time, I actually am able to figure out how to get at least some type of table. Granted, it has absolutely NO information in it that was supposed to be there. So, I fuss with it for a bit.

Then, the worst thing that could happen happens. Up popped an Exception Error. You know the kind you get with Microsoft programs. The one that says there's been an error, and the program has to shut down. You can't save it. You can't do anything. It's just . . . gone.

I go to tell the receptionist that I broke the computer. At this point, I have about 5 minutes left of my "exercise". We try to pull the original spreadsheet back up, only to have it tell us that it's locked for editing. Great. The girl very sweetly tells me that there IS an interview set up for me, and that if I want to try to come back after the interview to re-do the exercise, that will be okay.

I looked dead at her and laughed. I informed her I couldn't even do the exercise to begin with. I'm not putting myself through more of the same. Besides, I have a job I need to get to.

So, I go into the interview. I swear, these women looked at me as if I had grown a third eyeball. It was like, "Chick, you can't even do a portion of what the job entails. Why the hell are you even here?" I get through the interview as best as I could. But I felt like a complete moron. It was as if we were all thinking there is no way in Hell I'm going to get the job. I know it. They know it. We're only going through the motions. I could see on their faces, they didn't want me within 100 miles of their office.

I don't ever want to go for another interview again as long as I live.

Why I always get into trouble

It's just the way my brain works . . .

While speaking with our agency lawyer last week on the Spitzer scandal:

Lawyer-dude: Can you imagine paying $5,000 for sex?!!!

Me: Nope - but I can definately imaging charging that much for it.

Spring has Sprung

It's Spring.

The weather is absolutely gorgeous. Daytime high is supposed to be 72.

Hubby, the kids, and I spent all weekend cleaning.

I did our taxes last night (ouch!).

The very last thing I feel like doing is working. I want to go out and have fun. I want to spend time outside. I want to plant a garden. I want to do . . . anything but work.

I have Spring Fever.

Only problem is - I'm so backed up at work, I don't think I'll ever see the light of day.

This sucks.