Summer staff gets taken for granted all the time. It really pisses me off sometimes (OK, maybe a lot). Last summer it was maintenance replacing toilets without notice, then screwing things up so they had to come through a second time. Next was fire alarm testing starting early in the morning. Then it was dining center staff giving us crap about taking food to go for other Cool Cats, then it was getting treated like crap when we had to eat with the football players at the training table. Heaven forbid we sit in the nice chairs at tables near the TV before they’ve even arrived, or go through the same line as the players.

This summer hasn’t started much better. Over a week ago I wrote a work order to have my flickering bathroom light replaced. Today, Bozo (not his real name), the wonderful (sarcasm) maintenance man (did I mention sarcasm?), finally came to replace my light. He starts messing around with it and tells me he needs to replace the ballast too. I’m thinking, “Why are you telling me this? I don’t really care, just fix my light so I can take a shower without feeling like I’ll have a seizure.” So he leaves. Two minutes later he’s back and messing with it again. Meanwhile, there are other maintenance men talking on the radios using their Echo, Foxtrot, Charlie codes. I’m just wondering if they realize how ridiculous they sound when I hear one of them say, “Yeah, I’m about to shut off the water in Putnam. Everyone who needs to know should know already.”

I’m thinking, “Bullsh*t! What about me? I didn’t know about this, and I’ll guarantee none of the other Cool Cats knew either…”

So Bozo turns to me and says (and I quote), “Oh yeah, by the way, they are shutting off the water.”

I’m thinking, “WTF? I haven’t taken a shower yet and I still need to do laundry. Thanks for the warning, @$$hat.” So I ask him how long it will be off. He says a few hours, which translated from maintenance-speak equals “I have no idea.” Then he says, “Well, I got your light fixed.”

Gee, thanks.

In Putnam, shutting off the water means there will be absolutely no water pressure. I can’t even wash my hands. I’m glad Bozo is a lazy bast*rd and didn’t come five or ten minutes sooner. I might have been in the damn shower when the water slowed to a trickle. If I’m lucky, it will be back on in time for me to get cleaned up and do laundry before I work tonight at seven. It would be nice to have clean clothes to wear tomorrow.

Luckily I was looking at this as Bozo left, so my mood has lifted a little. My favorite is King James: Lost in Translation because it’s something I’ve often thought about myself. Enjoy.

Oh, and by the way…to quote Stewie from Family Guy: “It’s not so much that I want to kill him, it’s just, I want him not to be alive…anymore.” In all seriousness, he’s not horrible, but I have been less than impressed with his work. He’s managed to put a dent in my door and screw up the door frame of my bathroom, not to mention the stupid stall door he nearly demolished when we asked if it could be removed. He’s not always as inefficient as this case either, but it wouldn’t be a rant if I didn’t exaggerate a little, now would it.

Currently Playing: Seether – Driven Under, Flaw – Best I Am, Saliva – Rest in Pieces