Don’t Mistake Me for Your “People” [prequel part A]

I don’t mind doing my job at work–or even going the going the extra mile. But I do not like when people (the vets) start to take advantage and cross the line.  Maybe I’ll do something nice, extra that’s personal.  But don’t expect personal favors all the time.  Or worse, reprimand me when I don’t deliver them.  And I have worked for some vets (few and far between) that actually maintain boundaries and do things for themselves, perhaps even jumping in to clean an exam table once in awhile.  That’s highly appreciated.  But the other side of the coin is highly offensive, and deserves a rant.  Here are 3 examples (though there are many more things):

For instance, I am fine with doing laundry at work. And I will wash doctor coats or coworker’s scrubs. And I’ll dry them and hang them. But don’t expect me to check your pockets as if I’m your mother. MY mother didn’t even check my pockets as a child.  Be a big girl and take the pens out yourself.  And if I wash your badge–you shoulda removed it before throwing it in the laundry basket–your fault, not mine.  PS–if this happens repeatedly, get frustrated at yourself and what a slow learner you are.  It’s simple, if you don’t want it washed remove it prior to mixing your item in with all the ick-scum laundry.  An addition to laundry–don’t require me to lint roll personal items as if I’m your personal assistant.  I mean, writing it as a to-do item on the white board?!  Are you kidding me with that?  Yeah I did it:  Under “Lint roll jackets” I put and iron slacks and fetch dry cleaning?  ‘Cause, come on.  I’m not your fucking maid.  You’re lucky I even wash your personal clothes–I pay coin-op to wash my scrubs at home, just like every other employee.  Also, I just work here–as a (very, very busy) veterinary assistant, P.S.

And you can clean your own personal desk too.  THAT’s not my job.  And we both know if I misplaced something, threw it away, or something turned up missing/lost you would jump all over my case in a heart beat.  You don’t even like when I touch the files you’ve yet to write up–and that’s a legit part of my job!  I want NO responsibility over your personal stuff.  I don’t ask you to buss my table when I’m finished eating lunch (when I get one, that is) so don’t ask me expect/require me to organize your personal space.

A major pet-peeve of mine:  When people bring their pets to work [which I’m not a fan of b/c it’s distracting, takes up valuable space, and requires someone’s time], but don’t care for them, clean them, or clean the cage/kennel when they’re finished.  Yes, I do these things for paying CLIENTS.  That’s part of my job.  A job I’m doing the whole time I’m at work.  When employees and vets bring their pet–that’s out of my realm.  That takes away from the clients and animal care I’m supposed to be providing.  And your personal animal’s $hitty crate, like really messed up pooped and barfed on Vary kennel–that’s all YOU.  Don’t strategically leave it laying around all dirty, don’t wait 10 hours to address it–if you bring something in, come earlier then you’re supposed to be at work so you can handle all personal business before you have to clock in.  Once you’re at work, your time belongs to the business–so does mine.  You bring it in, you deal.  Especially when we are already busy, you didn’t put it on the schedule, and you bring in 3-4 animals every week.  Or daily.  Also, don’t expect us to take time away from hospitalized patients, emergencies, drop-off, and scheduled appointments during business time to take your (or your friend’s) pet’s vitals daily, do diagnostics, etc. . .  Surprise this is a business.  And surprise, surprise I’m NOT your slave–even though I work like one.

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pet-peeve college loan advice

is ALWAYS geared to. . . Parents. It highly annoys me.  Who are these kids with rich Mommies and Daddies paying their whole tuition bills (and whatever else)?  That’s not MY life.  And I don’t have the rich husband paying my way either.  Address tuition information/tips to students.  I think it’s ridiculous to assume students aren’t paying their own educational expenses. Maybe that’s why it’s so much more expensive then I can afford?

I’m thinking about this because April is supposed to be money-blog-month.  But also because I had to jump through a bunch of hoops to complete my FAFSA supplemental paperwork.  Which is admittedly better since I turned 25 and don’t have to hassle my parents for their (*required*) personal financial info that only ends up hurting my chances for the loans.  Which isn’t fair or right at all since they don’t pay my tuition/rent/car/bills, so I shouldn’t have to use their tax info.  But it’s still a pain, and I think they purposely hire the most inept people possible to work college financial aid.  I had to re-submit 2 packets of paperwork because they obviously didn’t OPEN it, to see the necessary documents were all there.

And I was also thinking about college tuition because another one of my undergrad loans is coming off of forbearance–which super-sucks.  And I’ve been procrastinating BIG-time about calling and seeing if there’s some option.  ANY option to put it back on forbearance or reduce payments at the very least.  I’m putting it off for many reasons:  I hate the phone.  Really.  I hardly use mine at all, and literally only use it for emergencies, and when I have to make these types of outgoing calls.  I’m also putting off the call because of long holds, having to repeat info over and over, the horrible tone of the operators (they act annoyed you’re bothering them and treat you like a loser), and the thought that nothing can be done anyway.  I’ll make the call, but maybe Tuesday. . .

Here’s an interesting article about college costs, which is bleak, but I think true to life:

This is interesting. A credit hour in 1979 at MSU was 24.50, adjusted for inflation that is 79.23 in today dollars. One credit hour today costs 428.75.

found that the average student in 1979 could work 182 hours (a part-time summer job) to pay for a year’s tuition. In 2013, it took 991 hours (a full-time job for half the year) to accomplish the same.

Is it any surprise that so many students today are suckered into taking out non-dischargeable loans, in growing chunks, to pay for their bachelor’s degrees? More than two-thirds of recent graduates are carrying debt—and some of them will be paying it off for decades to come. Studying computer science at Harvey Mudd may be worth it; majoring in art at Murray State probably isn’t.

http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/04/the-myth-of-working-your-way-through-college/359735/

Speaking of pet-peeves, WordPress changed the settings so when you publish something that had been in your drafts–it is put on the date that you FIRST made it a draft, not the day you actually hit “publish.”  It’s no good, because that effectively buries new posts, put it on an old calender month instead of showing a current post, and seems sneaky.  So now I have to cut & paste all my draft posts into a new folder in order for it to go on the top of my list for the current day?!

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Doctors, Don’t Make Work Harder: A List of Pet-Peeves

Inspired by fu(ked-Up Friday.  I clocked in at 6AM, actually got a 40 minute lunch, and clocked out at 6:27PM.  With a lot lot of frenzy and frustration in between.

-When I come in early, don’t gripe about the tasks I chose to do.

-if you want me to do a certain task, on my extra time, ask me.

-Don’t push icky things and unwanted tasks to the next day because you’re not there to deal with them

-don’t schedule things early, then show up on time or late.

-show up on time

-don’t bring personal pets on an already busy/over-scheduled/short-staffed day

-don’t bring your kids to work, lets your kids help at work , or spend an extraordinary amount of time with your kids while working

-realize what we have already accomplished before you bothered to show up

-don’t treat me like “your people.”

-help

-don’t expect me to do things you’re not willing to do

-don’t keep us running around with your tasks then gripe when mundane things aren’t getting finished–drawers aren’t stocked or things aren’t ordered.

-be cognizant of the time

-don’t be all perfectionistic when we are overwhelmed and already behind

-don’t expect everything to be finished already

-don’t expect us to do everything by ourselves (that should take 2), then be a baby and require a helper (for things that can be done alone)

-prioritize

-don’t “delegate” your work to me when I’m already overwhelmed

-don’t require me to open your charts, request lab work, or put in charges–then do it too (making a double).

-don’t act like you are the busiest one, when you are overwhelmed only because of your own time mismanagement/lateness

-don’t ask me to do crazy tasks (fix the doppler/call Cornerstone for an hour/write new forms) on a busy day

-don’t assign a million tasks during the lunch hours so we get shorted or miss our lunches–then leave to get your own full lunch

-don’t leave for lunch if there are drop offs, treatments, pick ups, procedures, or surgeries that need to be done.

-communicate what you want

-don’t expect me to read minds

-don’t get mad/lecture/yell at me when I just didn’t know or couldn’t read minds

-don’t put us on hold by being indecisive about what lab you want

-don’t get mad when something is forgotten because you were indecisive so we couldn’t write it down.

-if a phone call is holding up patient treatments–make the phone call.  Yourself, and right now.

-don’t chat (to friends/family/us/in an appointment/on the phone) when we are behind

-don’t offer to do unscheduled extraneous tasks when we are behind.

-don’t save everything until the last minute.

-don’t underestimate the time you need to accomplish tasks

-don’t criticize the job we do when your time mismanagement is what caused it in the first place.

-don’t tack on “quick” appointments or procedures when we are fully booked/overbooked/already behind.

-be aware of how long clients are waiting, and move faster when need be.

-if you are unavailable for questions, don’t get mad when we have to make decisions without your input

-don’t take the time to write out a to-go home sheet when only prescriptions (w/labels) are the only things going home.  It’s redundant and time-consuming.

-if you are slow/behind relinquish some control and let us help–don’t dig in your heels and make everyone wait for you.

-don’t get snippy with us, when you cause the chaos in the first place.

-don’t agree to procedures or surgeries that keeps everyone at work without checking with the staff that will be affected.

-clean up after yourself!

-don’t gripe about staying late when it’s your doing and your own fault (and when we come in early)

-don’t pawn off your work on to me–because you have to drive farther–I didn’t choose where you live and work.

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Testing My Patience

Annoying things of the week:

-Last January (as in Jan 2012) I went though all the food at work, and pulled out the expired product.  This food has since been sitting in a kennel in the isolation room free for anyone who wants to take it.  The slow doctor has been slowly taking it home to feed her barn cats.  No one else seemed to want it–because of the 2/2012 exp date, I’m assuming.  So this June–a full year and a half later, I grabbed 2 bags of R/D from the kennel.  It expired Feb of 2012 like the rest, but had been left behind.  We were short on money, and the cats were hungry so I thought they could eat that.  When I set it by the stairs to take home, the book-keeper, sometimes tech, sometimes receptionist asked me if I wanted her to put it away.  I told her it was from the expired batch and I planned to take it home.  She made a HUGE deal as if I was stealing product and asked if she needed to take it out of inventory.  It was taken out in January of 2012, so I reminded her that.  She still seemed mad that I had the audacity to take the old food, and asked if our receptionist (who deals with the food) knew about this.  To which I was like–this food had expired over a year ago, we dealt with it then, and it’s been up here the whole time free to take.  Like I’m a criminal or something.

-I did my ($$$-short) co-worker a favor and let her work Saturday by herself–at her request and unexpectedly.  I have worked many, many, MANY Saturdays by myself.  Most of them, as a matter of fact since I used to be the only tech EVERY week, even when this co-worker first started working.  She has only been working select Saturdays with me when the slow doctor is scheduled and it looks busy.  And Saturdays are ALWAYS over-booked.  Always, always.  Monday, all I hear when I get to work was how BUSY Saturday was and how they should have had me there too.  I wanted to scream at my boss and co-worker that 1)it wasn’t MY choice.  2)  I’ve done it–check any Saturday on the schedule to see how busy we always are 3) why is nobody ever given $hit when I’M the one there by myself on an over-booked Saturday?!  No sympathy from me.

-My debit card was denied.  Only sometimes though.  It was rejected Thursday, but then it worked at 2 other places.  Sunday, it worked to buy gas, but then didn’t work across the street half hour later at the Grocery Outlet.  This was embarrassing, and could have been super-bad-times if I hadn’t randomly been holding cash both times.  Which I hardly ever have cash.  And it embarrassed me, because the cahier and other people in line just assume you’re a deadbeat short on funds.  My online account showed plenty enough $$$.  So I called Bank of America.  I entered a billion numbers repeatedly in the automated portion of the call.  I talked to a heavily-accented spanish gal and had to reiterate my social 3 times, and listen to her read it back 3 times before we realized our twos and three were indecipherable to each other and she had been typing it wrong.  Then, she transferred me, and I found out that some business that had my debit card info was compromised and my card was stolen.  But Bank of America didn’t bother to tell me of the theft or about the fact they blocked larger purchases.  And they didn’t just automatically mail a replacement card.  So surprise!  And I may not have a new card or access to any cash when I go to Walla Walla for my birthday.  Great.

-Work expects me to be a mind-reader.  We have always requested a urinalysis, then requested an add-on culture.  I did this, the same way I have done it since 2010.  Suddenly, everyone was all up in my grill for doing it “wrong.”  Apparently, we recently got a new code, which incorporated both tests, but nobody bothered to tell me–until I did it “wrong.”  And 2 minutes later, I was quartering pills to put in an Rx bottle, which we have done with multiple drugs the entire time I’ve worked there, and I was accosted about keeping the pills in the original bottle.  As if this was the only time, and only drug, and I was the only person who moved them into a self-print labeled Rx bottle.  Hey, how about telling me the first time, before yelling (OK, lecturing, but that doesn’t rhyme) at me?!

-Cool has been a suer-douche this week, and as an apology let me open an early birthday gift from her.  I had asked for a certain Brandi Carlile shirt, because the exact one that I have is too small–but I love it.  So I wanted one that fits.  Well, I opened Cool’s gift–and it was the shirt, but in the exact same (too small) size I already own.  The merch company only does returns or exchanges 14 days after the date of purchase.  And Cool had bought this in May. . .  So I e-mail the company explaining it’s a gift in the original packaging and how I’d like to exchange it for one that fits.  And they e-mailed me a terse, “It’s after the 14 day return/exchange policy.”  So I e-mailed them, and every link I could find on Brandi’s music page, and Brandi’s Facebook account complaining of the poor and unreasonable customer service.  And finally, they bothered to ask me an order number.  After which I balled them out and told them they should have been happy to help me initially, and gave them $hit for being ridiculous.

Hopefully, that is the end of this week’s annoyances, because for Fu(ks Sake, it’s my milestone birthday, dammit!

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Competition

I guess our culture places great emphasis on it. With the love of sport and emphasis on business and success. And it’s easy to get sucked into.

I used to have the mentality that work was a competition. I would work crazy hours–just to say I did. I would come early, work fastest, leave late, over weekends and holidays. Just to. . . I guess compete with co-workers and legend. To be able to portray myself that way to outsiders.

My whole undergrad was frought with competition. “What percent did you get on the test?” “How many points did you lose?” “What’s your GPA?” All of them routinely asked to inwardly smirk at winning, or feign a cringe over a 94% verses a 94.6% To look sympathetic or excited all the while comparing your own statistics.

And now, I’m not all about it. I find it tiring and phony. Honestly, I don’t have time to consider anyone else’s performance at work or at school. I only compete to better myself these days. I have my own goals and just work to meet those.  What other people are doing?  Not my concern.

And I’m severely annoyed when other students or coworkers still have this competitive mentality.  It’s petty, and it’s immature.  Not to mention socially off-putting.  I think these people are so riled up with comparing because they are secretly concerned THEY don’t measure up.  I have no time for that.  No patience.  So if you start that game with me, I will do my best to disengage.  Just know that.

And sure, I’m proud if I exceed MY goals, but anyone else’s numbers do NOT matter. Not to me, my performance, or my life.  Maybe my end goals will put me in direct competition with them, but that doesn’t matter either. I just need to worry about ME, and keeping my performance on track with what I know I need to get to accomplish my end goals. And for my peers–I wish them the best. But ultimately, their numbers don’t matter to my life. I will do my best.

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Protected: A Few (more) Things That Bother Me

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Hair-Raising

Time for another major pet-peeve: One-tonal blonde hair. I am never certain why (women especially) think this looks good. I blame unreasonable expectations driven by patriarchy and capitalism.  Just because a lot of celebs sport the look–which is costly to maintain.  It looks unnatural! And bad. Often it is orangy-yellowy so the color turns out brassy. Not. Cute.  At.  All.  Sorostitutes with brassy orange/gold hair and Oompa-Loompa orange, fake & bake skin = weird looking, not gorgeous.

Also, that icky blondie-blonde color absolutely destroys your hair. Bleach, black, and box dye are 3 of the worst cardinal hair sins. Even IF the color looks good (it doesn’t) the dry, brittle “hair” left on your head looks like it’s about to fall out–it is. People, you do those colors too much on your hair, and that hair will break. Nothing is fashionable about that.  And maybe you will go bald early. Yick. Especially if you process the hair in other ways: Blow dry, curl, straighten, chemically alter.

Maybe worst of all = roots. Roots are so, so, SO, SO ugly! Any that are showing make you look trash-E-trash. Especially people that stray far from their natural color–black roots on a brassy head = appalling. Red roots on black hair–I’m not even going to address it it’s so terrible.  So if you must dye–keep up on the touch-ups.  Even one day of striped hair makes you look lazy and gross.

So do your hair (and spectators) a favor and keep your natural color. Plus, staying within a color-range semi-near your own matches your skin/eyebrows.  [un-matching eyebrows *shakes head*] Not a lot of people can carry off strong blondes/blacks/reds because it clashes with their complexion.  Really, you will look a LOT cuter if you keep a natural look.  Even if you feel like it’s boring.

Or at least get highlights and low lights. I’m not going to lie–if I could afford to do it consistently (and keep up on the roots) I would totally dye my hair.  And I certainly will when too much of it turns gray.  Probably a truer shade of blonde–with low lights obviously.  You have to have mutli-dimensional color–professionally done, and not over-treat your hair for it to look soft, naturally lovely, and beautiful.  Yeesh–get a clue.

Happy January 1st!

Just as an example–I know I’m about 6 months off.  I’ve mentioned this before, but it makes me crazy that the majority have lost the true meanings of the holidays this country recognizes:

Thanksgiving = food and Black Friday shopping sprees and discounts (at the expense of common decency and employee days off).

Christmas = Gift-giving, decorating, entertaining frenzy-spend, spend, spend!!!

Easter = baby animals and candy.

Memorial Day = 3 day weekend BBQ.

St. Patrick’s Day = getting belligerently drunk

Halloween = candy + strangers

And the worst:  Valentine’s Day = total travesty

And now that we’re coming upon it, I am really annoyed that we can’t even get the NAME right: INDEPENDANCE DAY. It is not called “4th of July” any more then Christmas is called “December 25.”  I am so annoyed to not only hear people saying the date (and only the date, never the NAME of the holiday) but to read it on signs.  July 4th is the date which the anneversary occurs. In the beginning of July, we celebrate Independence Day–yeesh.

Have a happy one, everybody 😀

Recycling

I’m dubious about how much recycling actually helps the environment. I suspect the process is more about getting people to THINK about the environment, help individuals realize what impact one person can have if they only try to do a little something (or when they don’t), and the alleviation of guilt through an attempt to take responsibility.

I don’t have any statistics about recycling (yet) so I can’t really SAY how much impact it may or may not have in the long run. I can tell you I purchased “The Skeptical Environmentalist” by the controversial Bejorn (or however it’s spelled) Lomborg and am most excited to read it. I’ll have to make that a priority before school commences in the fall.

What I DO know about recycling is that it’s a pain. Sorting it takes a lot of space in my small apartment and in the complex’s tiny trash area. Paying to take it to get recycled as you have to in Northern NV would also be a no-go.  Just ask all the people that don’t even pay to take their TRASH to the dump, instead dumping it in the desert.  When you look at problems like that (and pollution from cars and industry, water getting dirtied, chemical-resistant farming, and 3rd world country completely unethical and unregulated agriculture/industry–well, washing your recyclables seems like a minute, nit-picky first-world crises. Especially, when I’m fairly certain it’s all autoclaved and melted down anyway.

In Seattle, throwing things in the trash is criminal.  Some do-gooder will yell at you if you even think about trying it.  It was actually Seattle’s severe, libertine mentality about recycling that turned me against the practice. For one of my chores throughout my childhood was crunching cans. And though I didn’t really drink soda myself, my parents gave me plenty of cans to keep busy. Also, one of my platforms (OK– my main and only platform) when I ran for student body president of my intermediate school was starting a recycling program–which I successfully implemented and they still use today thank-you-very-much. But the levels–and morals–attached to recycling is ridiculous to me.

I have heard many, many times:

1}  Did you throuw THAT away?! With implication that I’m a shit head because that is recyclable.

2}  I have also heard–“That goes in the other bin.”  Who the eff can tell what bin or what plastic code goes where?  I mean, really, if you want the world to recycle–make it easy.  Or at least make it make SENSE. Make it too difficult and I’m just going to throw it in the trash–no question then.

3} Thirdly, I have heard grumbles about–At LEAST rinse that out!”  As mentioned above, eff you, on that.  It’s not happening.

4}  “You need to SORT your recyclables!”  No cardboard in the cans.  No lids on the glass.  No tape on the brokendown boxes.  Puh-leeze.  Again–make it too hard, and I’m just going to throw the whole damn (dirty) thing, intact, and in the garbage can.

Hate me if you will.  But I know I’m not the only one who feels this way.

Were You Born in a Barn?

Do you know what time it is?  Time for a major pet-peeve!  It’s been a little while since I’ve unleashed one.  And this particular problem was really pronounced this last week.  Here goes:

Both of my doctors are adament that the door between reception and the treatment area remains closed.  All doctors are.  This is mostly so the clients don’t spot the doctors and trap them in a long conversation, or catch them off guard.  Also, it’s so no cats escape from the back, and so the owners don’t see restraint or procedures.  It makes sense that the vets are all over this.  What doesn’t make sense is how neither of them seem to give a FUCK whether the surgery room doors are open.

The surgery room can never be too clean.  The surgery room is a place for cleanliness, as sterility needs to occur here.  You don’t want a bunch of people/house-cats (that are notorious for inappropriately urination) traipsing in and out, hair or nail clippings, grime or dirt in that room.  Even one open abdomen or orthopedic surgery gets compromised because of those things is completely inappropriate.  As such, staff (usually always me) has to scrub the walls, surfaces, and floor with bleach once a month at a minimum.  But more if we are using the room often or if it is compromised in some way.

Firstly, I get annoyed, because pretty much everyone, leaves the door open.  Also, our tech has made the surgery room her personal office so not only will she sit in there, she eats in there (a big no no), and she’ll prop open both doors while she’s in there–and when she isn’t.  The biggest headache though, the one that makes me positively IRATE is when the vet (you can guess which one) puts a God-damned chicken in there.  She will put a bird (in a carry crate) with all the bedding, feathers, seed/food, and poop in that room.  And inevitably little pieces will spill out of the kennel.  Also, the birds can make a room smell.  Sometimes (like last week) she’ll put one in there immediately after I’ve already scrubbed the walls/floors/surfaces.

I think that is really 1) dumb, considering she of all people should know that the surgery room is a place to minimize contamination. 2)  Inconsiderate, since she NEVER cleans in there–not even a quick sweep after the bird mess.  And especially not in a timely fashion if the quick sweep does occur.  3)  Hypocritical, because I KNOW she would be the first one to chew my a$$ if we had some emergency surgery to do and the surgery room was a flippin mess at the time.

And to wrap this pet-peeve up, you would think someone would lay down the law if a culture plate grew up something from the surgery room (but nowhere else). . .