There's a training class at work today.
I asked my manager why he's attending and I'm not. His response? "You're not a manager."
I could live with that, except lots of people who are attending are NOT managers. My manager just enjoys pushing the fact that he's my manager in my face all the time. Don't say he's not, because he's doing this constantly. I hate people like that. His manager says it's because some people become arrogant when they're put in a position of leadership.
Yep. That's him all right.
Another thing I've noticed at work (that I've always noticed) is the abundance of intelligent, friendly, outgoing females - many of which I am compatible with. I like everyone here, and everyone likes me back (I think?), however, it's frustrating when I meet a woman that I like (and grow to "like"), and there isn't a damn thing I can do about it. This is emphasized by the harassment training we had the other day that explicitly stated "do not become involved romantically with co-workers."
Damn.
Let me tell you a story. Waaaaaay back in July of 2000 (or thereabouts), our receptionist went on vacation. We were blessed with a temporary receptionist of incredible beauty, a charming smile, and a great personality. Alas, she would be with us for only a few days.
I wracked my brain deciding whether to ask if she wanted to go out sometime, and discussed it with one of my friends in the department. He suggested I give it a shot, because she would only be with us for a few days, so I had a limited amount of time before she was gone for good. Besides, if she said "no", I'd suffer limited embarassment as I'd probably never see her again.
So I dug deep within myself, and found the courage to (shakily) ask "Hi. I was wondering if you'd like to, maybe hang out sometime?" Corny? Yes. I've had very little practice. To my surprise, she said "sure!" Unfortunately, as I later found out, this was simply to spare my feelings.
As an added bonus, she became permanent with the company. Doh!
Time warp to the past two months. We've had a few new hires, some of which I really like. Plus, employees are constantly flying down from corporate, and adding to the pool. (Don't take me for a stalker. I've never had someone to care about/care about me, and I'm looking for that "certain someone". That's all.) Our technical trainer actually suggested her and I go out for lunch. That didn't happen, however, because she had to rush back to NY on short notice. Ah well.
But now, my hands are tied because of the fact that anything I do of this sort can be construed as sexual harassment. I'm not about to get myself fired for this, but it frustrates me when I think about what "could be" and what "could have been." I won't ever know if any of the women in my office would ever be interested in me, because they're bound by the same rules as I.
Damn Damn.
Another fun tidbit of office fun today. I enjoy listening to music in my workspace. I usually use headphones, but I misplaced them this week. (They're in my gym bag.) So I've been considerate, and have been listening to my music at reasonably low volumes.
That's not good enough for some people. Someone complained to my manager about my music.
You know, I'm a very reasonable person. I get along with everyone. Why is it so hard to walk over to me, and nicely ask "Hey, I'd appriciate it if you can turn your music down/off. Thanks so much." I can understand how music can be distracting, hence the low volume at which I normally keep it. Just tell me, and I'll fix it.
That has a much more positive effect than telling my manager to tell me. Come on.
Lunch Log: Spicy Hunan Beef w/ Rice, and Wonton Soup.