So. I was slightly bored at work the other day, so I emailed...Velvet...I debated doing so, but I thought What can it hurt? Obviously, I hadn't completely thought things through when I hit send.

We had emailed back and forth a couple of times at my home email address, when I realized that there had been an obscene number of hits to my website over the past few days. I didn't make the correlation right away. But, she emailed me Monday evening and that confirmed it: She received my email address and website address from someone at work. But (here's the catch) I did not give that person my email address or my site address to begin with.

Might I add that this person was my ex-roommate's sister in law and a HUGE gossip?!? I am absolutely flabbergasted. That's all I can say.

And Velvet said in her email that "I know I should have asked you before hand if it was okay, but since you don't live here anymore, I thought you wouldn't care." Um. Right I wouldn't have cared. Like I wouldn't have said, "No, I'd prefer that you not visit my site." and although that couldn't necessarily stop her from looking through my stuff, at least I would have had some sort of warning.

I'm more disturbed that this other person has my site address. And that she would just hand it out to whomever. And how the hell she got it, because I sure as hell didn't give it to her. ARRGH.

Yea, I'd say she's a bit of a drama queen.

As a result of Tuesday's meeting, we find out Wednesday morning that Claire was given the option to go work in production. The other option (I'm assuming) would be to lose her job. She took the day off yesterday to think about it. We're all happy because now we won't have to deal with all her annoying habits and incompetency. Good deal, huh?!?! Did I mention that she frequently told customer service that we couldn't do something but we really could, and told customers their art wasn't good when it was perfectly fine.

At the end of the day yesterday, Lisa was called into Kevin's office to another meeting. When it was time to go, Lisa was still gone, but I think the meeting was over. I noticed Allan Molenaar in Kevin's office as I was leaving. Not that unusual, he stops by a few times a week.

Bad news this morning. Lisa called us all over for another little meeting. She then tells us that Claire will be back to work on Monday, and that from now on all mistakes we made have to go to her so she can keep track of them. Not just the mistakes that make it into the plant, all of them. Any mistakes that are caught by proofreaders, and any fine lines/text that should have been stroked get brought to Lisa. How we save our files will also be monitored. If we mess up the number or don't group or lock objects right, Lisa will be keeping track of it.

I'm not sure what happened yesterday, but I can pretty much guess. Claire talked to Lori and got Lori to talk to Allan Molenaar (Lori used to be Allan's secretary) to see if he could get her her job back. And guess what, she fucking got it back. Poor little baby Claire went whining and got her way.

I am so not looking forward to Monday morning when Claire comes back, and her smug attitude she'll have. Oh, and her humming and foot-tapping.

What I don't understand is why she would fight so hard to get a job back that she doesn't like, in a room that is so depressing for her to be in, and for a supervisor who obviously doesn't want her in there. I'm just hoping that once something opens up in customer service (2 women are leaving in May/June) she'll be moved. Either that or it becomes apparent from the record-keeping of our mistakes that Claire sucks at her job and she will not be allowed to keep working in the artroom.

You know, it doesn't even bother me that we will be so closely watched in our work because frankly I don't feel that I have anything to worry about. I don't claim that I don't make any mistakes, but I feel I make significantly less than someone like Claire. Becky feels a little worried, but I don't think she needs to be. I think it's just Claire and Todd that are a concern. Claire especially, since I know she still will not consider herself to make very many mistakes and won't change her habits. Todd's just creepy. And it takes him a long time to figure things out.
I liked Claire a lot more when she worked in customer service. Ever since she started working in the artroom again, things have changed. She is just so blind to the fact that her actions and words have drawn so many people away from her.

I feel bad for Lisa. It's supposed to be her decision who works (and doesn't work) underneath her. Just like it was with Stacy, it has to be a struggle for her. Dammit, why can't they just realize that she has good reasons for wanting to get rid of someone. She doesn't just do it because she can.

She sounds like a bit of a drama queen, to me. Turning "I wish we could listen to the radio" into "Oh, I'm just so...cut off from the outside world!" (Sounds a bit like Corissa, actually.)

We've all decided on a date, FINALLY! Instead of getting together at Erin's home, we will now be having it here in Willmar at Angie's place and mine. The date is set for March 5th so please plan accordingly.

If you have any questions or concerns call anyone but me.

Another thing, why is thekitchen site not working. Maybe someone should look into that, you know, someone with more knowledge of HTML than I.

Since our radios were taken away (because too many mistakes were going through) at work 2 months ago, Claire has gotten really annoying. Her foot-tapping and humming increased. She's gotta find ways to entertain herself, y'know. Nevermind trying to concentrate on how she can help us get our radios back. She also has to listen in on every single conversation and add her little input.

One day the subject was amniocentesis and Becky mentioned that her sister had had that done because her husband was adopted and they didn't know his history. Claire had to comment, "How could any mother do that to her child?" Becky was really offended by that. A few days after that we were on break with Claire. Becky wasn't really talking and Claire kept pressing her on what was bugging her. And then it all came out about the comment and the tapping and the humming and the childish way Claire was reacting to the radios being taken away.

Claire's annoying habits improved after that. But instead of saying to us (me) "I wish I had my radio," she changed it to "I just don't have any stimulation" and "I feel so cut off from the outside world." I tried to just ignore her, but she doesn't seem to take the hint.

She also, as we have determined, doesn't believe that she is part of the problem. As a result, we still do not have our radios back. Her work habits have really gone downhill as well. She's asking questions about things that are pretty obvious and she should know already, and she barely does any work at all.

At this point, Becky and I are getting pretty anxious to get our radios back just to drown out the little annoyances. Oh yea, the tapping and humming is back.

Lisa and Kevin (office manager) had a meeting with Claire and the end of the day today. I wonder what will happen from that. I don't know what the meeting was about, as it is not my business, but I can pretty much guess.

I hope that made sense. It kinda jumped around, since I had a lot to say, but I think I got the basic idea down.

Well, Then I guess we will move it to Willmar, since the point is for all of us to to get together.

I work both the first two weekends in March, not the whole weekend, just a Saturday/Sunday. You guys can get together without me, you don't need my permission. If it comes to that, I'll understand.

I am all for any weekend. I am thinking that it needs to be ASAP. Like the first weekend in MARCH. With Kristin, If Kristin works that weekend then it will be just moved to Angie and Kristin's place. If we don't do it either that weekend or the next or before, I think we should all just forget about it, and yeah, maybe save the gifts for some time else, because this is getting to to far out.

Ok, so we need to try for March. How does March 5/6 or March 12/13 work for y'alls?

Or if it comes to it, March 26 perhaps in the afternoon. March 27th is Easter, and we might(?) all be in the same general area that weekend. Of course, I don't know what everyone's plans are.

Unless we want to get together in the next two weekends without Kristin.

well Angie I think yours is the only thing that I will have to return, Actually I didn't return it I gave it away :) I gave it to my friend Bobbie who I forgot was comming down this weekend and we were exchanging gifts. oops on my part. So I have to get you yours again, and this time I will get you the right one, so really no worries. And I don't think that Kristin has part of the Gift I got her. Erin can't return any of hers. So really no worries. Anyway for returning things I agree with Angie, but no worries for gifts from me anyway.

I think that my post may have been misunderstood. I didn't write everything that I meant to say. My fault. I'll use an example (which is real, by the way) to clarify. Megan has told me that I will have to return the gift that she got me. I thought that if it looks like we won't be getting together before the receipt expires, I would appreciate it if it was returned for me so I wouldn't be stuck with something I already have (?) and would not be able to return it.

My only weekend free in February is this upcoming weekend the 12 & 13. On the 26 & 27th I will more than likely be out of the state. If you guys see the need to get together before then, you can do so. Angie can bring my gifts, I know we should all be together but with my fucked up schedule it probably won't work out. Sorry.

...I'm not going to return gifts. I hope this isn't bitchy or anything (and it probably is) but I'm just getting tired of Christmas shopping a month after the fact.

I mean, if we can't coincide one weekend day to get together in three months' time...Plus, it's about getting together and seeing eachother, right? Not so much about the loot.(I'm lying. Loot is good, too.) But...you know? We should just set a date, already. If there is something that someone else purchased that was on your wishlist and now isn't, I'm thinking that we are creative enough to snoop it out somehow, if we haven't done so already. I'm really not that worried about repeat gifts...so...yeah.

So...is there any chance at all of doing this before March? :{

This has nothing to do with the previous entries.

Was reading Megan's about me & became disturbed when read part about "Also ♥ scrapbooking, and taking photos, and kids." See, I read it as, "Also ♥ scrapbooking, and taking photos of kids. Isn't that terrible? You skip just a couple of words and get a screwed up answer like that.

Megan, I really don't think that badly of you. It was funny in the end.