Inga and I started arriving at work around 5:30 a.m. Current could churn out some work. He always took the notes in every meeting. Copious notes we called them. Little teeny tiny writing that made my head hurt to look at when I got something handwritten from him. Current arrived around the same time we did. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later. On Fridays Inga and I would sit at her desk on the twenty second floor and watch the sun rise and eat donuts and have diet colas. The diet counter acted the calories in the donuts. And we also walked about three miles a day a piece between meetings on eleventy different floors.
One Friday Current arrived with diet sodas and donuts. Freebies! We went into his office and shared company blah, blah, blah, and then I said something about Jethro Tull. I turned to Current and explained who they were. He looked like I had kicked him. "How old do you think I am?". LORD, never ask that question. Ummm, "42?", I said guessing low. No, 37. OH. "Well, guess I have a resignation letter to prepare, so I will take my leave." "Really? 42?". I explained that when I see the executives in suits and ties and shiny shoes and fancy briefcases I think 50. I explained that sometimes my husband wore shoes. Not often, but when necessary. Urp. I was rather embarrassed. He seemed to get it. I think he was born looking 50. He still looks 50ish.
Other things were changing at work. Evil had entered our presence. Maybe I am slightly stretching the truth. We got a new Controller. His name was Nomercy. He came from somewhere up north. He had an ivy league attitude and a slight stutter with the letter C. He was dictatorial. He was pompous. He thought he was THE MAN. His first day he had a Center wide meeting to talk about himself. It went something like: I am Your cacacaController. You will respect Your cacacaController. You vill show us your papers, you vil speak when spoken to, you vil have no opinion or input. You vil be punctual. I am THE cacacaController. That's how it sounded anyway. I said under my breath, "too bad he's not a remote controller". People snickered. I felt the finger of fate point at me. Smart Ass. Smart Ass in the audience. This vil not happen. This vil never happen again, EVER! Yes, I was number one on the list of things that needed to be indoctrinated. I'm not good at that.
People were in a snit. This was new. He was a, well, prick. No one but his minions could stomach him. His own staff was in hell. He wanted to know who I was and who I worked for and what my position was. I believe he wanted to make an example out of me. I wanted to be invisible. Nomercy put a target on my back. He was going to make changes immediately. He wanted a Center wide newsletter so he could spread his vast knowledge and vision to the masses. Anyone with a background in that area? Indeed. Me.
One of the senior managers in the building was a generation older than me but he was an old time musician. He had cut his teeth on the Everly Brothers and The Lettermen. He had played in a band in the late fifties or early sixties. Once bitten, always addicted. He and his wife would come see us play when we were still performing in public and he would play set breaks once in a while. At work we had a Holiday talent show that all departments participated in. Skits, singers, dancers, departmental humor. I always sang with someone and/or alone. This year I sang with that senior manager. You know what that means. Yes, I was pregnant with his baby and we were having an affair to end all affairs and we were stealing company secrets and I was a whore. Or we were just singers. It depended on your perspective. Ah, just like junior high. I was so happy.
I had insomnia that was life threatening. I almost never slept. Still driving and driving and driving and working and working and working and NOT sleeping. Made me cranky and even more fun to live with. I so needed some relief. By now I had three weeks vacation and 5 personal holidays. I was vested. 401-K with company matched investment. Soon I would have 4 weeks paid vacation and 5 personal holidays. I wasn't letting go of my time off. When you work hard enough to lose your mind vacation is very important. I took mental health days when needed. Still, my brain never shut up. I needed to be two people or I was going to explode.
Poor Elsie. I wasn't very sympathetic with his woes at work or on the golf course. I was slightly resentful that on a good day he could watch TV all day and laugh and have cocktails with Kia and whomever else was hanging that day. I could barely put one high heel in front of the other. Elsie started complaining about how much money I spent. I needed professional clothes, shoes, nails, purses, briefcase, the trappings of the wannabes. It was how they did it then. Yes, it was expensive. I also had a job that paid for most of what I needed. Once I had all the wardrobe I could scale back. We weren't hurting for money. We were some of the few people I knew that had money. I like to share. I can get quite generous with little provocation. Elsie found this habit really irritating. I couldn't help it. I can't stand to see people in need if I can help a little.
I did not feel this way about the collection of dudes I called, "the Bubs". They liked to hang out and drink our booze but especially smoke our pot. Yeah, get a job. Quit living with your parents. Sooner or later those DTs are gonna getcha. And then there was lots of, "here'sthedealIremeberwhenwewenttothedealandthesmearthing". And a louder voice, "nononoitwasthethingandthedealwththewatchacallithing". LAUGHTER. Not from me. Eye rolling from me. I could recite these stories. Do all the parts and bitch slap everyone verbally in a single shot.
Not popular at work. Not popular at home. Still self righteous.
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