Taking a break between posts

Writing a blog post can be painful. It’s generally a two-step process. The first part is a raw download of a stream of consciousness where the excruciating detail of a narrative flies from your fingers to the keyboard. It’s easy to dump one or two-thousand words in the blink of an eye. Then comes the hard part. Editing and trimming that content down to a readable bite-sized chunk of about 200 words.

That second step is way too troublesome so I usually leave it out. I like to think that’s what makes my blog special and gives it a certain sense of charm. Of course, it is no small help that deluding myself is one of my favorite hobbies.

So the goal of this post is to tell a story and fit within 200 words. And, since I’m posting, we already know it will be about poop or work.

My boss and I have a slight disagreement when it comes to the mail. (Yes, work wins today. I’ll get you next time, poop!)

I believe that if you place your order by 10am we’ll get you shipped the same day. My boss believes that if you order by 5:30m, we’ll get you shipped the same day.

If we do things my way, the post office picks up the mail, usually around noon.

If we do things my way, the post office picks up the mail, usually around noon. And around 5:20 in afternoon (if I’m lucky) I have to schlep my ass down to the main post office in town. Which, by the way, is rude as hell, since he deliberately schedules his operation to be there after the post office has already closed to the public. “They don’t usually ship until 6 o’clock,” he likes to say. His way is to dump his packages in an employees-only area when they’re trying to finish up their day and meet their own deadlines. Sorry, folks. Here’s some bonus work. Yeah, the boss doesn’t much like to follow rules. Those are for the other people.

I asked my boss why we don’t just use the daily pickup. What’s so important about getting packages out the same day that we need to make an extra trip to the post office? Most customers know and expect that if they order after 10am their package will ship the next business day. That’s pretty routine.

He says, “When I worked alone, I always did it. I think it’s important.” Fine. Whatever. Except your lying. Remember the day I had off for jury duty? Not only did you not go to the post office, you didn’t even process any of my orders. Apparently getting customer order shipped the same day is only important when it’s me on the hook. Your actions that day spoke loud and clear and I listened. You friggin’ douche butt.

So last night we had another little incident. At 5:10pm I ask the boss, “It’s getting late. Got anything else you’ll need from me?” He said no.

Around 5:20pm I gather my lunch box, my sunglasses, and the shipping tub full of packages and I head for the door about to make my way to the post office (and in my own car).

“Hang on a second,” he says. “Come look at this.”

I put all my stuff down and went to his desk. He was showing me a product page on our website. “We’re going to need to remove pricing from this product and mark it as discontinued.”

“No problem,” I said. “Drop me an email like normal and I’ll let you know as soon as it is done.”

“I need this right away.” He’s so coy.

I chewed on that for a second. “Are you saying,” I asked, “that you want me to do that right now?” Saying I sounded incredulous would be the understatement of the year.

He nodded.

And so I went and put the shipping tub down, took off my sunglasses, stowed my lunchbox, and found myself back at my desk turning my computer back on. I mean, shit, it’s not like I didn’t proactively ask him if he had more work for me 10 minutes earlier. Assmonkeys!!!

And that’s the story of how I picked up 15 extra minutes of pay last night.

And look. I’m over 200 works. Fuck it.