busy busy

Wow I'm really busy.

I promised my manager (I like my boss. And I'm not saying that because I think he'll ever read this. And I'm not saying it because any of my coworkers will ever read this. I like the way he thinks about stuff. So I'm using the word "manager" because I think it sounds nicer than "boss".) that I would finish something by the end of the week. And I'm not really certain that I can do it, and that is frustrating.

But I take off for Scotland on Saturday. So no matter what I get fun time at the end of the week. So that's great (said with a scottish accent - think Bill Conneley)

And vacation is always relaxing, but it kind of has to be. Otherwise it wouldn't be worth all the stress that it causes just trying to get ready for it. Holy cow.

Did I mention that Target is a pain in my ass? No? I don't know how that happenned. Let me fix the situation: Megan (shes great) went out and found a storage unit they were selling. You might not know that they were selling it, because if you asked anyone that worked at Target they would tell you that they didn't. You have to walk to the display and point out the scale model to them and then they understand. The main problem is that because its so big, they don't have it on the floor - it's always in the stock room. Also, they run out of these particular storage sheds, so you have to go to all the Targets within 30 miles until you can get what you are looking for.

I'm complaining... in case you haven't noticed. Complaints usually don't get you anywhere. I once complained to DirecTV that they didn't have a Lifetime purchase arrangement of the TIVO service like cable does. They said that someone would call me. So they called a few times when I wasn't home and decided to leave their phone number. So I called them back, and told them I wouldn't have bought DirecTV if I had known there wasn't a Lifetime purchase arrangement for the TIVO service ( if it sounds like I've already went over this ground, now you know how I felt). They said "Alright, we'll write that down." And then the call was over. Kinda makes it clear that you know where you stand. The problem with complaints, is that half the time you want to complain about things you have no power (or very little power) over. Like "Why the hell did we invade Iraq?" Shouldn't someone have gotten that straight before we abused Iraqi prisoners and gotten all those people killed.

When I start to think about things like this, I realize the only way to make a positive difference is to determine what the correct course of action is, and recommend that as a suggestion. No one cares about complaints, probably very few people care what you think anyway. But that's your only chance. If you get a chance to say anything that anyone listens to, tell people how to make things different. Don't just say that you don't like things the way they are.

Target: Don't sell anything that's not on the floor.
DirecTV: Be upfront about the lack of lifetime TIVO service agreement. Then I wouldn't have felt like I got screwed.
Bush: You need buy-in from the people of Iraq. It's not a democracy until the people get what they want.

Very few people will listen to this, but the point is that if anyone does I have a better shot at making a difference.