Bernie's at home having a little wig-out because the report he needed today won't be here today.

And I'm thinking...if you wanted PoodleBoy working on Client P's report this week, why have you been emailing him all week about Client I's data? But when I suggested the same in an email, he went ballistic and said he hadn't been communicating deadlines, or at all, with PoodleBoy (he tends to tell transparent and ridiculous lies).

Then he as much as said that a job I've never worked on (and that he's been responsible for, for eight years) and for which no written specifications exist was my responsibility to psychically divine and manage.

Boggles the mind sometimes.

I've lost an hour composing mental hate notes to him today, pointing out that as I'm already doing the work of at least two full-time employees plus bits of work previously done by free-lancers and "managing" two new free-lancers, it's a bit much for him to unilaterally decide that he no longer needs to be involved in fulfilling our responsibilities to the clients who are paying both our salaries and that he can just turn his back and walk off.

Especially since he didn't see fit to inform me of this decision, but just let it sort of dawn on me as he failed, time and again, to step up to the plate on deadlines and project specifications over the last three months.

I just have to feel that as long as he's paying himself $90k a year from the money these clients pay us? He's in no position to just abdicate all interest in and responsibility for the work.

Also? Tech problems again today. The whateveritwas in the server closet has quit beeping (thank goodness), but now the machine we use as a spam filter and to catch messages sent to invalid email addresses is giving me fits. I've been swapping out peripherals (Bad mouse! No cheese!) this morning, trying to find a combination that works.

The server with the expensive, proprietary software on it that Bernie wants us use for "occasional" client mailings still considers keyboards the devil's playthings and refuses to acknowledge their existence. It's a little hard to code newsletters and mailings without access to a keyboard, so right now it's just a useless lump of plastic and metal.

The free-lance network tech guy has not proven able to solve all of our network and email issues in the 1-1/2 hour a week he has to spare for us right now (color me so surprised), although one assumes that after he graduates on Saturday, he'll have more time (until he finds a full-time job, anyhow).

You know, I come into the office every day cheerful and willing to do whatever comes up. (I know, it doesn't sound that way, but I really do.) And mostly (especially this week, as things have slowed down considerably), I get it done. Parts of the job are even sort of interesting.

Sigh.

Still. I was repaid for my restraint in not sending a hate note to Bernie. He called and we talked and it's all better now. (Okay, it's largely all better because I did not address with him my frustration that he feels he needs to do nothing but sit and wait for client checks to be handed to him, but I decided that isn't really the kind of conversation that should be had on the phone.)

Another reward for my restraint is that today's morning cheer, is back with me again. My head is all full of P. G. Wodehouse because I've been re-watching the Jeeves & Wooster DVDs for the last two weeks and that's not a world that can survive the bruising of the 21st century work-day. I'm willing to pay the price for being allowed to live there mentally.

Next Tuesday's Chocolate Surprise was delivered to the R.C.'s office today, but that's okay. She seems delighted. (Sort of cake-truffle things. I discovered the company when I was in California last month.)

Buehler took off for a lunch meeting. That will make it easier for me to slide out to the post office and send the parcel to the L-i-K-S and Rapunzel and Pippi. I'm late with packages this year, but at least I'm getting them sent, right? This is the last one that has to go.

You see? I little self-restraint, a little effort, and it's turning out to be a good day!