As my clock rolls over 5pm…

In my head, I’m writing this like a grade-school essay, where across the top in some big extra-scrolly cursive I would write “What I do for a Living.”

You see, I read and write emails for a living. In those emails, I put out fires, I slap stupid people on the wrist, I explain simple concepts in even simpler terms to even simpler people, and I do all of this in such a polite way that the recipient frequently apologizes to ME after receiving one of my tongue-lashings.

The boss is pondering my new “official” title at work, since “Graphic Designer” is so far from the actual mark of what I’m doing. So far I’ve tentatively rejected his suggestions of “Grade-A Smartypants” and “All Around Know-it-all”, suggesting that if he really wants to order business cards with either of those, I’ll take it. And won’t those look great on my resume.

I am beyond frustrated, however. So far beyond that I’m just having to shut down all my “normal” responses to things and just take things one step at a time… not that any of that makes sense.

Let me rephrase to say, when I get an email and my first response is to curse aloud, then decide whether I have time to drive up to the office to punch somebody in the face, instead I just pretend that coworker-author of said email is actually less of a stupid human and more of a really talented dog of some kind, so first I can be REALLY impressed that he managed to type at all with those paws, and then I can forgive a little that the words he actually typed didn’t really make sense to normal humans. THEN, I am able to format a response that is both praising and corrective, and I’m in a much better mood.

Otherwise, I just sat down to look at my upcoming calendar of “things to do” and realized in February it looks like I’m going to have a stretch of 15 days where I go from trip to trip to trip and don’t get to spend a single night in my own bed. This includes Snowboarding (yeah!) then work trip to Illinois (omfg-shoot me) then ends up with a fun/work trip for Southern Lights Pyro to Huntsville for two fireworks shows and a class.

Meanwhile, mom’s ready to disown me… I’ll be gone over her birthday and well past it. Didn’t see her for Christmas either… And ugh, am I just tired. Oh well… tonight, at least, we’ve got standing in the cold to get seats for Marilyn Manson to look forward to. I hate general admission, but maybe the cold will help clear my head.