A post in which it is one mofo of a craptastic day

It was a rare feat at work today.  I pissed off two coasts at once.  Usually I try to limit it to one at a time.

It seemed like, what had happened was, I called this guy.  He has worked for about six different corporate entities (laying down with dogs).  The one I was calling about went belly-up (probably more, but there was only one I was concerned with).  He claimed that he sold the company in 2008.  I asked for documents on the sale (depending on how these are worded, he may or may not be liable for the debt).  He didn't send them (they did send something - not documents - but due to the fact that they didn't a) just respond to my email and; b) haven't mastered cutting and freakin pasting I didn't get them).  I emailed today to follow up.  I had only a general email delivery email address, which I had used before.  Because of this, my follow-up email went to about 50 of their top brass, causing them acute embarrassment.  Rather than contact me about this, they went to the website and did a head-hunt (mine) through the executives at the corporate office, reaching both the CEO and the VP of Finance.  As of 4pm., Paris and Milan were burning - well they may as well have been for me.  So my boss chewed me out, his boss chewed him out, they were both chewed out by various executives at this company.  They scheduled a conference call with our CEO for 5pm PST today, and after that, one of this guy's flunkies called to chew me out.  To the point that I finally just said "Look.  You've done it.  If you wanted to cause me pain and suffering, that is achieved.  I am in trouble with my boss, his boss, and the President of the company.  You've done it."  He finally ended the call, but this being insufficient, he also sent me two nasty emails extolling on how I work for a shitty company, and that I personally am shitty in my own right. 

Additionally (as if that wasn't enough):
- Alan scheduled an All Hands Departmental meeting (i.e. company sponsored nap time - which nonetheless causes me huge amounts of additional work)
- employee self-reviews are due in (also a huge pain in the ass and waste of time - no one in recorded history has ever gotten a 3% raise - well no one that does any work anyway)
- Alan let back in account that we lost $30,000.00 on a couple of years ago - complete with a brand new $50,000.00 credit line - and the involved sales rep called me to do a victory lap across my ears. AND waiving the old $30k balance (He had met the guy at a trade show.  I would love to have half of this guy's gift o' gab.)
- I completely forgot my dental appointment today.

I didn't even take a lunch.  I was afraid to leave my desk for fear that I would come back and my stuff would be packed up.  Also, since Alan was getting his butt chewed by this account, and since it was directly my fault, I felt the least I could do was be there to answer questions.

By the end of the day I felt like a dog with mouse breath.

I had talked to Dad yesterday and we had planned dinner for tonight.  I didn't call him today because Eve left to go see her cousins in Florida today, and I figured he would welcome a respite from being hounded about what he wanted for dinner from 9am on.  He called me about 4pm on strict instructions.  Eve had called him from Florida to find out what plans we had made for dinner, and when she found that we hadn't made any, instructed him to call me immediately.  I told him we would wing it.

When I left the office, it was monsoon raining.  Fortunately I had brought my umbrella.  I got to their house, brought in the mail, and cleaned the circulars out of the driveway.  In the rain.  When I got to the back door, Dad wasn't home yet.  I called him and we agreed to meet at a little place called BG's Restaurant.  I found out that Dad loves the place, but Eve doesn't like it so he doesn't get to eat there that often.  That's pretty perfect, because that was exactly what I was going to suggest - that we do something he doesn't usually get to do. 

I got there early, and made my way damply in, divesting myself of rain gear inside.  At least it was quiet and warm inside.  BG's is a little local watering hole that looks like a bit of a time capsule.  The tables are polyurethaned with coins under the surface, and the chairs are 60's chic.  The lights are low. It looks like the kind of place you would expect to hear Gordon Lightfoot music, and where the swingers from the 70's (now nearing their 70's) go to pick up chicks.  There was almost no one there tonight. 

We had a simple but tasty meal, complimented by their signature item - potato chips cooked there and served with blue cheese crumbles - yummy.  As we finished dinner, Eve called to make sure we'd met and had dinner. I found that she had called him four times today.  In addition to sending me two text messages.

We went back to the house and as we walked in, Eve called to ask that he send her pictures of the work done on their bathroom today (they're having it re-done).  I did that for him while he settled in for the evening.  She then called to report that they looked good and to ask him for his impressions of the work, to ask about the parts she could not see in the pictures, and to remind me to take the green beans out of the fridge home.  She had sent me a text about beans this morning, and reminded him on the dinner call.  She is running the place remotely - and nothing if not tenacious.

Dad and I had a good visit, and he was supportive about my bad day.  I got a big hug from him before I left, and he told me he was proud of me.  It was a great way to end a rough day.