ss1

3 Days Vacation
2006-06-24 - 12:51 a.m.


before/after
strangely non-functional guestbook

So I'm in Joliet, Il, at a Hampton Inn.


Its a family gathering for Audrey's family.


Whee.


-----------


There's nothing less funny than someone trying to be funny.  Its painful to watch, read, and or listen.


Just tell me what you think.   I'll decide if its funny or not.


Its usually when most people are trying NOT to be funny which are the moments that are pricelessly hilarious.


--------


I also got suspended at work.  3 days off, no pay.


It started with this statement to a co-worker.  One of the co-ops was over at the company headquarters, manning the front-desk.


"Hey, you know, if you called over to the front-desk and pretended to be a pissed off customer, he would never know.  You could give him a really hard time."


It ended up with that co-worker making a suicide prank phone call.  I was not paying attention at the time, or I wouldn't have let it progress.  That is one of those things, when making a joke, you don't necessarily fuck around with and leave, as someone has to follow up on that or they could get in trouble.  Like making a bomb threat or something similar.  You don't just do that and leave the other person hanging.  Its bad form, bad karma, and just plain bad.


It included lines, which I found out later, like:  "No, I don't need to get a pencil to write that help line phone number down.  I'll just write it in my own blood."


and


"Hold me.  Hold me. Hold me."


When I did find out what had happened, I called back and told them it was a prank.


This was not well received, and I was held culpable, along with the perpetrator.  I don't think this was necessarily fair, but one thing is certain.  Management at the company is completely devoid of a sense of humor.


What is funny is they were tracking the number down with corporate security, had the whole management team involved, and already thought they knew who it was who was threatening to kill himself.  They were going to go knock on his office door with a full scale intervention.  "Don't kill yourself!  You have so much to live for!" etc. etc.


Which, to me, is fucking hilarious, despite the fact that a suicide prank phone call is not.  Apparently they've been sitting around debating how long until this guy offs himself, and what the odds are he will do it at work.  Not only that, but they have an intervention plan in place.


Its not all THAT funny, but it is a little funny.  You'd think someone would want to go talk to him first.  Maybe encourage him to go to counseling.  But no.


The other thing about this, after the big boss came and shook me down, was that I made sure to distance myself from the suicide aspect of it all, going so far as to mention that I was concerned about my co-worker.  'Cause lets face it, if you're reaching down into yourself to do improv, and what you come up with is a bleak suicide threat, you've got fuckin' issues and you need to talk to someone.  Or jerk off obsessively.  Something.  Whatever.  Something has to be done.


I made it clear what my position was, which was to make a call being a pissed off customer.  Yeah, immature  Yeah, fuck-up material.  But, no, not suicidally dangerous, psychotic, and necessarily issue ridden.


Anyway, the big boss shows up and seems to actually understand.


"You know, I'm not...I'm not an idiot.  I know you guys are friends and I know what its like to goof around...but this...this...."


It turns out it was my direct supervisor that insisted that we be suspended for 3 days each.  I suppose so it looks like he's in control and doing something, rather than never being around and not doing anything.


I also think the president of the company went to bat for me, as it was stated that I had built up a good reputation and people liked me.  I know she does.  So I suppose that matters.


3 days off. 


Oh well.


I needed some time off anyway.


a template by wicked design

about comment designer archive archives newest diaryland

tml>