When I first started working at my job, I had a bad day here and there, but for the most part everyone was cooperative and aimed to please and work was rather a delight. Recently, however, and somewhat cooinciding with the arrival of our newest client, there's been a change in the air. People have become less happy and are increasingly uncooperative.
Yesterday there was a staff meeting to discuss this recent change of weather and as if to drive the point home, the day turned into the most tumultuous we've had yet.
Client one, the tazmanian devil, was his usual whirlwind self, going here, leaveing there, and coming into the office every 20 minutes or so with a new crisis, a piece of irrelevant news, or just to share his digestive gasses with us or to belt out a shitty pop song.
Client two, the bear, was threatening to kill my coworker again and we almost called the cops on him. We should have.
Client three decided my coworker had to do her shower today, not me, but my coworker was away so fiiiiinally I got her in her apartment and showered, but the whole process took about an hour. Usually it takes fifteen minutes.
Client four was slamming doors and throwing things in her apartment because we would not allow her to return her new pair of new shoes for the second time to get a new pair of new new-shoes. When the tantrum did not work, she stormed out of the building and began to "run away". Should have let her and called the cops on her too.
Client five kept rolling his eyes and saying "give me a break" when I asked him to please take his shower.
Client six, the old man, who is typically happy and cooperative, had resisted the tumult of the day and was so still, until he was snapped at by his companion, the bear, on the way to the grocery store. Then the two bickered and fought the whole way there and the whole way back.
When we got back, the runaway bunny was silently stewing in the lobby, while I was accosted by client seven, the building newscastor, informing me she was waiting all day for her turn to shop. Those two usually shop in the afternoon, but they were pusehd aside by the meeting. My coworker ended up taking them so that I could brush teeth with the bear and my coworker's endangered life could be spared.
The last of the bunch, which probably would have amused more than frustrated me, had I not already been strung out, was client eight. All day he had been great, doing what he needed to and on time, but upon discover of having no lunchables to pack in his lunch, he became quite agitated. Nothing else would do because everything else he had for meals required microwaving. This is not usually a problem, he likes to watch the microwave display countdown. At work, however, I soon learned by playing twenty questions (because he never says anything straight up) the microwave has a dial, which means no exact numbers and no display. Drives him absolutely insane. He would not make a sandwhich because he does not like cheese on bread and he could not take an english muffin because that is for breakfast only. Though he was not trying to be uncooperative or obstinate, spending 10 minutes going through the entire fridge trying to find an acceptable lunch is a trying experience.
What a night.
Today they have all been much more pleasant. Honey moon stage I guess, before the next round of verbal abuse and emotional drainage.
