The snow day only partially worked. All of the schools in Seneca County were closed, but The Barracuda and her gang were still hanging around and came in around 10:00. I found this description of a barracuda online and it seems appropriate at this point:
Barracudas occur both singly and in schools around reefs, but also appear in open seas. They are voracious predators and hunt using a classic example of lie-in-wait or ambush. They rely on surprise and short bursts of speed (up to 27mph (43 km/h)[2]) to overrun their prey, sacrificing maneuverability.
The larger barracuda are more or less solitary in their habits. Young and half-grown fish frequently congregate in shoals. Their food is composed almost totally of fishes of all kinds. Large barracudas, when gorged, may attempt to herd a shoal of prey fish in shallow water, where they guard over them until they are ready for another meal.
This is pretty similar to how our "technical assistant" works. Sometimes she comes alone, but this time she decided to bring her school. One really small one and one REALLY REALLY big one (I'm not kidding). She is indeed a voracious predator, waiting for a chance to pounce on something whether it is more vulnerable or not. She barks her commands/demands/reprimands, in forceful bursts that aren't always so short. Sorry about my luck. She definitely seriously enjoys figuratively running over her prey, but could run them over physically as well. I am not an easy one to run over and it did take a couple of drive forwards and back upwards to finally run me over, but she did it.
She will feed on fish of all kinds - everything from Executive Directors to Assistant Site Coordinators and everything in between. When she gets in a feeding frenzy things get ugly and she gets gleeful. She does attempt to shoal prey into shallow water and hovers over until she can attack. She said today (and I quote) "Well, Jennifer never calls me!" Oh yes. Waiting and watching and getting ready to eat.
I tried to sit and be quiet and let her flail. I really did. I sat and I felt the anger and the defensiveness rising to the surface, but I tried to just brush it off and not take it to me. That usually doesn't work well for me. When I am feeling threatened and/or wronged I can not hold my thoughts as much as I try. I admit that it can be a liability in both my personal and professional life. Anyway, she was coming at me again and again and again regarding an issue that she was WAY off base. I finally could no longer take the one sided accusations against me and I let it fly. I felt the tremble in my throat and the stinging in my eyes. Dammit!
I cried. I smacked my hands and spoke in a direct way. I looked that barracuda in the eye and told her I was tired of her seeing things one sided and nothing being the right answer to anything she asked. I was tired of defending a program that I have brought a long way in three months. I am pissed that I have inherited a crappy program with crappy staff. I ave done what I can in the time that I have had with the people whom I have. Just for the record I did not sob or heave or hyperventilate. It was that mad angry cry that so many of you are familiar with. Of course after I said what I said, I shut down and that was the end of my day with the barracuda.
She may be a barracuda, but I am ultimately the mighty fisherman. She can come and feed on my staff and I, but I am the one who can pull her ass out of the water when I don't renew her contract. Eat that you mean, nasty pig. Don't think that I won't. It is my plan and I will get my way on this one.
I should have known that today would be no better than yesterday. When I awoke, both Seneca and Cayuga Counties were in states of emergency. The ED called and said that we should come in when the state was lifted. Not long after the call, the state was lifted and I was headed to work. At the second stoplight I literally came this ( ) close to sliding into a Red Bull Energy Drink delivery truck. THANK GOD I did not hit that stupid van. That really would have sucked.
After work I headed to the Y and the elliptical machine. I figured the knees and hip could use a break from the impact of running. So, anyway, here I am minding my business on the elliptical when 12 minutes into a 40 minute workout my iPod battery dies. Argh. Okay. I can deal. it's no huge thang. I managed to finish up and then do a circuit on the Nautilus. After that I was finally headed home.
I actually "cooked" tonight making some chicken for a spinach salad. Stuffed.
Now I am hanging on the couch with the Magpie drinking an Ellicottville Brewing Company blueberry wheat beer. How long until summer?
Barracudas occur both singly and in schools around reefs, but also appear in open seas. They are voracious predators and hunt using a classic example of lie-in-wait or ambush. They rely on surprise and short bursts of speed (up to 27mph (43 km/h)[2]) to overrun their prey, sacrificing maneuverability.
The larger barracuda are more or less solitary in their habits. Young and half-grown fish frequently congregate in shoals. Their food is composed almost totally of fishes of all kinds. Large barracudas, when gorged, may attempt to herd a shoal of prey fish in shallow water, where they guard over them until they are ready for another meal.
This is pretty similar to how our "technical assistant" works. Sometimes she comes alone, but this time she decided to bring her school. One really small one and one REALLY REALLY big one (I'm not kidding). She is indeed a voracious predator, waiting for a chance to pounce on something whether it is more vulnerable or not. She barks her commands/demands/reprimands, in forceful bursts that aren't always so short. Sorry about my luck. She definitely seriously enjoys figuratively running over her prey, but could run them over physically as well. I am not an easy one to run over and it did take a couple of drive forwards and back upwards to finally run me over, but she did it.
She will feed on fish of all kinds - everything from Executive Directors to Assistant Site Coordinators and everything in between. When she gets in a feeding frenzy things get ugly and she gets gleeful. She does attempt to shoal prey into shallow water and hovers over until she can attack. She said today (and I quote) "Well, Jennifer never calls me!" Oh yes. Waiting and watching and getting ready to eat.
I tried to sit and be quiet and let her flail. I really did. I sat and I felt the anger and the defensiveness rising to the surface, but I tried to just brush it off and not take it to me. That usually doesn't work well for me. When I am feeling threatened and/or wronged I can not hold my thoughts as much as I try. I admit that it can be a liability in both my personal and professional life. Anyway, she was coming at me again and again and again regarding an issue that she was WAY off base. I finally could no longer take the one sided accusations against me and I let it fly. I felt the tremble in my throat and the stinging in my eyes. Dammit!
I cried. I smacked my hands and spoke in a direct way. I looked that barracuda in the eye and told her I was tired of her seeing things one sided and nothing being the right answer to anything she asked. I was tired of defending a program that I have brought a long way in three months. I am pissed that I have inherited a crappy program with crappy staff. I ave done what I can in the time that I have had with the people whom I have. Just for the record I did not sob or heave or hyperventilate. It was that mad angry cry that so many of you are familiar with. Of course after I said what I said, I shut down and that was the end of my day with the barracuda.
She may be a barracuda, but I am ultimately the mighty fisherman. She can come and feed on my staff and I, but I am the one who can pull her ass out of the water when I don't renew her contract. Eat that you mean, nasty pig. Don't think that I won't. It is my plan and I will get my way on this one.
I should have known that today would be no better than yesterday. When I awoke, both Seneca and Cayuga Counties were in states of emergency. The ED called and said that we should come in when the state was lifted. Not long after the call, the state was lifted and I was headed to work. At the second stoplight I literally came this ( ) close to sliding into a Red Bull Energy Drink delivery truck. THANK GOD I did not hit that stupid van. That really would have sucked.
After work I headed to the Y and the elliptical machine. I figured the knees and hip could use a break from the impact of running. So, anyway, here I am minding my business on the elliptical when 12 minutes into a 40 minute workout my iPod battery dies. Argh. Okay. I can deal. it's no huge thang. I managed to finish up and then do a circuit on the Nautilus. After that I was finally headed home.
I actually "cooked" tonight making some chicken for a spinach salad. Stuffed.
Now I am hanging on the couch with the Magpie drinking an Ellicottville Brewing Company blueberry wheat beer. How long until summer?
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