Vents: Random Acts of Venting!

[smokeykat]

Dex, I have a pomeranian and every so often, when I open the front door, he takes off like a shot.  For some reason, he's a lot faster than I am and I have a hard time catching up with him.  The stupid animal thinks it's a game. he will take off, stop, turn around look at me....wag his tale and as soon as I'm almost close enough to catch him, he takes off running again. One of these days he's going to get hit by a car or truck, I just know it!!!  And when it happens, I hope no one starts screaming at me about having him on a leash.  Animals can be just that fast and you don't know the story about how they got from a safe environment to being in front of a car.   Crap happens, even when you try hard not to let it happen.


CC...a dog has a TAIL...not a TALE!!!!  ha ha...I got the spelling nazi at her own game...LOL

[Palehorse]

Drama queens are everywhere. Last night a case sealer went thermonuclear over 25 cases being untaped on the bottom of the cases. The tape ran out. A typical thing that happens. She starts paging multiple times over the PA (which for the masses is pretty garbled but it gives most an indication that something is wrong. Just not what it is), and I walk up. She starts saying she needs help and I asked her what she would suggest. Wrong thing to do. She screams that she wants me to stack the cases off and I informed her that since I am not a part of the bargaining unit I cannot do that because it would provide a basis for a grievance per the contract. She goes whacknuts. I instructed her to calm down that this is not the end of the world and we'd get things fixed.

She is screaming at the top of her lungs that I am "f"ing useless and nothing but a "f"ing girl. Now since there is no shop steward on this shift I have to wait until this afternoon to sit her down and explain to her that while I am more than willing to provide a resource for individuals to vent, and take a rather liberal viewpoint on this by allowing them to speak plainly in the process, I am not being paid to be abused. . .

Subsequent to her little monkey shine I had a material handler move the cases that were stacked onto a skid by the lead-person, back to the workcenter where they were ran through the sealer and corrected. Fixed in 10 minutes. Then she goes whacknutz because there were 25 additional cases coming down the line. . . 

My gut tells me to suspend her for insubordination, but at the same time I just want her to never repeat what transpired last night. . . 

[Sandy Eggo]

At a minimum I'd document the verbal discussion in writing and have her sign it for her file. If she refuses to sign, mark it that way and have a witness to the discussion (and perhaps the confrontation) sign off instead. I know you're used to dealing w/unions so that's probably old news/advice, but throughout my career, it seems that the biggest mistake managers make is forgetting to document verbal exchanges and mainly because they think that perhaps it's a one time incident and they give the employee the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes that is the case, but more often than not, the behavior repeats itself and they find themselves starting from scratch because the previous incident can't be recorded at that point.

[Palehorse]

At a minimum I'd document the verbal discussion in writing and have her sign it for her file. If she refuses to sign, mark it that way and have a witness to the discussion (and perhaps the confrontation) sign off instead. I know you're used to dealing w/unions so that's probably old news/advice, but throughout my career, it seems that the biggest mistake managers make is forgetting to document verbal exchanges and mainly because they think that perhaps it's a one time incident and they give the employee the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes that is the case, but more often than not, the behavior repeats itself and they find themselves starting from scratch because the previous incident can't be recorded at that point.

Thanks. . .Already done the documentation thing within the database we maintain for just such purposes. 

[kimmi]

She sounds like a real piece of work! 

[Dexter Morgan]

At a minimum I'd document the verbal discussion in writing and have her sign it for her file. If she refuses to sign, mark it that way and have a witness to the discussion (and perhaps the confrontation) sign off instead. I know you're used to dealing w/unions so that's probably old news/advice, but throughout my career, it seems that the biggest mistake managers make is forgetting to document verbal exchanges and mainly because they think that perhaps it's a one time incident and they give the employee the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes that is the case, but more often than not, the behavior repeats itself and they find themselves starting from scratch because the previous incident can't be recorded at that point.

Thanks. . .Already done the documentation thing within the database we maintain for just such purposes. 

You could suggest an anger management course, and mental help. Or politely tell her high levels of stress, can be detrimental to her well being. Simply put..... tell her to chillax!!!! 

[Sandy Eggo]

Or hire Dex. She'll straighten her out!

[me]

Or hire Dex. She'll straighten her out!

[Dexter Morgan]

Or hire Dex. She'll straighten her out!

Hell yeah!!!!  I'll set her straight. 

[Dexter Morgan]

Dex, I have a pomeranian and every so often, when I open the front door, he takes off like a shot.  For some reason, he's a lot faster than I am and I have a hard time catching up with him.  The stupid animal thinks it's a game. he will take off, stop, turn around look at me....wag his tale and as soon as I'm almost close enough to catch him, he takes off running again. One of these days he's going to get hit by a car or truck, I just know it!!!  And when it happens, I hope no one starts screaming at me about having him on a leash.  Animals can be just that fast and you don't know the story about how they got from a safe environment to being in front of a car.   Crap happens, even when you try hard not to let it happen.


CC...a dog has a TAIL...not a TALE!!!!  ha ha...I got the spelling nazi at her own game...LOL

The animals think it's a game if you chase after them. Most of the time, if you turn and walk away, it won't be long, and they'll come back to you. They think you're playing with them. They don't have the mental capacity to realize the difference between fun and danger. Stop the chase, and the game isn't fun to them anymore.

LOL!!! Spelling Nazi.... priceless. 

[Palehorse]

This past week end I noticed a neighbors grass was getting about waist high. He's a very nice guy, Nam Vet, and he and his wife went well out of their way to make sure my wife and I were welcomed to our new home. SO, trying to be a nice neighbor I went on over and started to mow their grass for them. I thought maybe "Skeeter" was sick or something. . .

It was "something". Our other neighbor came out as I was mowing to tell me that Skeeter had passed away just before Memorial Day.  His family was in the process of moving out since they cannot afford the place without him. . . It's a long tale and I'll spare you the rest of it. Suffice to say that I was bitterly disappointed on two fronts; 1. Nobody told me until he was already in the ground, 2. He was one hell of a man and I am surely going to miss him beyond measure.

I am planning a trip to the graveyard across from St. Johns to pay my final respects to him. I just wish I had the opportunity to console his family before they left. . . 

[Dexter Morgan]

This past week end I noticed a neighbors grass was getting about waist high. He's a very nice guy, Nam Vet, and he and his wife went well out of their way to make sure my wife and I were welcomed to our new home. SO, trying to be a nice neighbor I went on over and started to mow their grass for them. I thought maybe "Skeeter" was sick or something. . .

It was "something". Our other neighbor came out as I was mowing to tell me that Skeeter had passed away just before Memorial Day.  His family was in the process of moving out since they cannot afford the place without him. . . It's a long tale and I'll spare you the rest of it. Suffice to say that I was bitterly disappointed on two fronts; 1. Nobody told me until he was already in the ground, 2. He was one hell of a man and I am surely going to miss him beyond measure.

I am planning a trip to the graveyard across from St. Johns to pay my final respects to him. I just wish I had the opportunity to console his family before they left. . . 

I'm soooo sorry PH.    It's too bad somebody didn't tell you. That's a horrible way to find out, about the loss of a dear friend. Maybe, his family was distraught, and figured somebody else told you? Was it sudden, or had he been in poor health? If it was sudden, his family was probably in a lot of turmoil. They may have had to move out before the beginning of the month. I'm just soooo sorry PH. 

[Palehorse]

Thanks Dex.
I'm sure his family was taken by surprise despite his ill-health and ongoing challenges courtesy of Uncle Sam and Agent Orange. He was scheduled for a lung transplant on Tuesday of this week; coming far too late to have done any good.

I'm not really disappointed with his family though. There are far bigger things to have to deal with than a neighbor when things such as this happen. I know they haven't got everything out yet and so I am hoping to catch his wife sometime this week when she comes back for the rest.

The neighbor that told me on the other hand, had more than sufficient opportunity to do so, since I had a gathering of old friends over on the Sunday before Memorial Day. We were all out there and he even came out to wave at us a time or two. . . Disappointing for sure.
Some of them were even in uniform so he should have known I would have wanted to know. . . Oh well. . . This too shall pass. . .

I spoke to the creator about him over a beer on Monday night. I felt the answer and am content that Skeeter is doing a lot better now.

RIP Skeeter. See yah when I get there buddy!

[Dexter Morgan]

Thanks Dex.
I'm sure his family was taken by surprise despite his ill-health and ongoing challenges courtesy of Uncle Sam and Agent Orange. He was scheduled for a lung transplant on Tuesday of this week; coming far too late to have done any good.

I'm not really disappointed with his family though. There are far bigger things to have to deal with than a neighbor when things such as this happen. I know they haven't got everything out yet and so I am hoping to catch his wife sometime this week when she comes back for the rest.

The neighbor that told me on the other hand, had more than sufficient opportunity to do so, since I had a gathering of old friends over on the Sunday before Memorial Day. We were all out there and he even came out to wave at us a time or two. . . Disappointing for sure.
Some of them were even in uniform so he should have known I would have wanted to know. . . Oh well. . . This too shall pass. . .

I spoke to the creator about him over a beer on Monday night. I felt the answer and am content that Skeeter is doing a lot better now.

RIP Skeeter. See yah when I get there buddy!

Well, I hope you get a chance to talk to her. I'm sure it would make you feel better. 

[Sandy Eggo]

A recent development in the rude behavior of my neighbors. The lady next door to me has adopted a sudden need to slam the metal screen door open when she's leaving so it smacks the wall and then she slams it shut so that it smacks the frame. All weekend long she's been doing this.

I just caught her and asked her if there's something wrong w/her screen that it keeps slamming. I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt thinking that maybe the spring or something was broken. She looked perplexed (and ditsy) and said, "no". So, I said "oh, cause that's annoying" and she said, "oh" and walked off.

Hopefully she got the hint.