Started with a Bang, Ended with a Whimper

I hadn't warmed up yet for the day when Liza, as usual, wanted me to do screen grabs and a PDF in a hurry. I was done more than an hour later, but I kept going. I continued to update the new banners that I proofread yesterday. I tried to prolong the task by pounding the keyboard slowly. Alas! I was finished way before lunch time.

So, I tried answering a questionnaire that was a requirement in applying for this managerial position at a public corporation. I tried fitting my experience for that job opening. I hope they buy it.

Anyway, it looks like I won't be busy for the entire afternoon.

I Was Right After All

Deb dropped by this morning to do some contract work. She also brought her famous white-chocolate cranberry fudge, which I had for dessert. Yummy!

She also gave me some advise in dealing with Jennifer's office bullying. Deb only confirmed what I wanted to do when the Dragon Lady asked me to work on her PowerPoint presentations:

• That I can refuse to work late just because she does;

• That I can tell her that I have no idea what she wants me to do because it's not my line of work;

• And if she insists that I work on it, that I demand assistance.

Deb reminded me that I have every right as an employee of the company to do so.

Monday Blues

I came in 15 minutes late today, thanks to the heavy rain and traffic. Although it's spring, it was still cold, wet and gloomy.

I arrived just in time for the WIP meeting. It was a short one though — around 15 minutes — because Jennifer, Jim and Tonie weren't around. Wendy said that it was simply the calm before a storm. I thought I heard them talking about the beginning of May as the start of another round of projects, which I didn't mind, of course.

It's quiet, too. All of the suits went out for client meetings. However, Liza gave me a heads up on the remaining French online banners, which I needed to proof. After that, I might help Nina with her files again.

I'm Chillin' — For Now

After a crazy-busy morning, with Liza panicking because of some body copy that wasn't supposed to be there in the online banners, I'm now taking it easy for the rest of the day. (The absence of Jennifer also helps. She's on her way to Hong Kong to deliver 17 PowerPoint presentations to clients.)

Anyway, after screen grabbing all 20 animated banners, pasting them 100 times on Word and converting the file into PDF, everything was good. Liza was now more relaxed. With no e-mail and phone calls bothering her, she even enjoyed her lunch.

Most Hectic Week on Record?

Finally, some down time. This has been the most hectic week so far. Liza and Patrick has been bugging me since Tuesday regarding their client's online banners.

I thought at first that this week was going to be a slow one, so I volunteered to help Nina with the rest of her translation files on Tuesday. Finishing at 4 p.m., I was planning to take it easy for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, Patrick thwarted my plans; he wanted me to do proofread and screen captures of some banners, and wanted them by the end of the day.

My first reaction was: "You've got to be kidding me!" I also wanted to say that to him via e-mail. However, I kept my cool and concentrated on the task at hand instead. I was done a little past five. I walked to the bus stop contented, knowing that I once again rose to the occasion.

But I couldn't help but think that the suits were sending last-minute work to me on purpose. Micro-managing Jennifer is notorious for that. Patrick looks like he's becoming a male version of her. And Liza, well, she tried yesterday to make me stay and do a PDF of online banners again. This, after I was already on my way out of the office. Instead, she asked me to come to work early tomorrow, which I did today. (She could become a female version of the Dragon Lady.)

Tom and Tummy Trouble

Yesterday afternoon, Rob and I met with Tom and his wife and kid at a coffee shop a block away from our office. He was no longer freelancing with us because he got a job offer from the advertising firm where Doug, our former copywriter, now works. We wanted to see how he was doing and how he was finding Victoria.

I had a medium-sized mocha with Belgian dark chocolate and cream. Unfortunately, it didn't sit well with me. An hour later in the office, I felt my stomach grumble. Thirty minutes later, I was in the washroom. I thought my bout with an early morning tummy ache was over after two trips to the toilet and taking one Imodium. I guess the caffeine and probably the whipped cream triggered the runs.

They're Ganging Up on Me!

It all started last Thursday at 4 p.m. Jennifer approached me for another project of hers that she wanted me to do for her team. As usual, it was something I knew nothing about, such as brand positioning, brand pyramid and the like. How would I know those terms when I am simply a proofreader who's trying to be a copywriter?

Anyway, I tried my best to decipher the marketing jargon she used with the little backgrounder she gave me. I probably spent more than two hours working on the project. Of course, I was forced to work late again.

The next day, the Dragon Lady followed up on the status of my work. I told her that I was working on it until Liza gave me something to proofread, which was more important. After lunch, she called me and wanted to see my work. There was no avoiding the office bully this time.

Like always, the stuff I did was wrong. So, I asked her if she could give me a pattern that I could use and follow. Unfortunately, none was available. Even the stuff she gave me the day before was wrong, too. Worse, even the work her team did was also wrong. If everyone was wrong and she was always right, she should do it herself then.

True to form, I tried to redeem myself by revising my work. An hour into my revision and Patrick and Liza started to bug me if I was done with it. I wasn't known to hand over half-assed projects, but they were asking for it. So, I gave my unfinished job to them and let the suits worry about it. (One thing that also pissed me off was when Patrick asked me to do some research for his part of the project. I said no.)

Nina did her part of bugging me, too, but she was more considerate and respectful. She wasn't the type who just barges in with a request.