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The Complaint Department is Now Open

A second level emails me to complain that a first level hasn’t been checking the available facilities in his office. He tells me to talk to the first level about it. I send the message on to the first level and inform him that the second level would like a call. The first level calls, but he doesn’t call the second level. He calls me to complain about the second level. Now both of these idiots out rank me. One would think they would be able to have their own private pissing contest without putting me in the middle of it.

“Just how many spares does he think he needs? He has 47 now!” The first level demanded. This was on Friday, and as a general rule- I run out of nice long about Thursday. “I don’t know” I answered without even thinking “when you call him you can ask him.”

The long weekend finally starts. I get to plant my garden. I have been biting at the bit for 5 months now waiting to plant this garden. It is my sanctuary. My private Zen refuge. The sun is shining the wind is lightly blowing. The church bells from the Methodist church are ringing. All is right with the world.

An old man that I have never seen before in my life stops at my back fence. He casually tosses his arms over the top of it. Leans on his elbows. “Planting a garden eh?” I bit my tongue and did not respond at all. My instinctive response was “No, cultivating a radioactive ant farm to take over the world.”

“I was planting mine but I got a nail in my foot.” I answer with “Ah”.

“That woman over there needs to cut her grass. It’s too tall. If she doesn’t cut it soon I think the city should cut it for her then charge her.” He continues. I wasn’t sure what he was looking for on this one. Did he want me to call the mayor- start a petition…talk to the neighbor?

“I don’t know her” was the best I could come up with. “No one does” he snapped back “she never comes out of her house.”

I was quiet for a while and then just said “ok” and went back to gardening. Conversation was over as far as I could tell.

If I won the lottery- I would quit my job. I wouldn’t even tell them I was quitting. I would show up for work gather my personal belongings and just walk out. I would move way back out on a mountain somewhere and be a hermit. I would come down once a month for supplies. I would have a giant garden and an in-ground pool. I would just live out on that mountain top. Work in my garden and swim.