A day in the germ filled life...

Okay, so if I had any common sense (or anyone with the ability to make me see reason) I probably wouldn't have gone into work this morning seeing as I am particularly full of the lurgy..... but hey, I had 2 days off last week (yeah, I know, I had an exam, but hey, work doesn't stop for that) and I have a team to supervise, and other people to be and... and... and... etc.... so yeah, I went to work.........

I coughed, sneezed and croaked my way through the morning.... at one point being told that I sounded a bit like Darth-Vader...... they still wouldn't let me have a light sabre to play with mind..... I had a major guilt attack in the afternoon, nothing to do with work but rather that I'd got someone into trouble.... I am assured I am being silly I shouldn't feel guilty and that all is fine...... this didn't stop me from dwelling for a bit until I managed to get a grip by repeating to myself "I am not responsible for other peoples choices and actions," a few times...... I wrote it down when I got in and stuck it on the wall over the kitchen table so that every time my conscience twinged I could read it and get myself to put it into perspective......... I do have problems with an over developed guilt system and an inability to let things go, but given the reassurances provided I am trying my best to with this.

So come home time from work I wheezed my way to the car park (passed the 5 empty disabled parking spots in front of the office - which bugs the hell out of me, particularly on days like this).... only to find a large crowd of people around the machine where you pay to get out.

And this is where all semblance of tact and diplomacy left me and sarcasm rather took over.  As I leant against the door feeling rather washed out and pathetic some suited cretin (I probably work with this guy but it's a large company ....) was ranting into the speaker thing you press to get help.. Apparently his card had been rejected and he had been told to drive to the barrier and pay there.... obviously the help desk in deepest darkest Peru (okay, probably not, but I've no idea where they live.... possibly they are very small people who actually live in the ticket machines??) didn't know that a few weeks back the facility to pay at the barrier by card had been taken out...... so said cretin's car was now parked at the barrier holding everyone else who had paid and could get out up..... cos no, he didn't have the sense to back it into a spare space whilst he sorted it out.

The guy was downright rude to the person trying to help him, so much so that I wasn't at all surprised when he hung up on him....(I nearly applauded but managed to hold that one back) the suited guy was at this time cursing out the bodiless voice, the staff of the car park, probably their owners and the colony of stray cats on the 9th floor (nah, there probably isn't one, I've not been up that far though so I wouldn't swear to it).... and better still... he wouldn't let anyone else use the machine........I did suggest that perhaps he'd reached his credit limit  on his card which went down like a lead balloon......

Eventually a car park worker came to help him..... leading him away to get him to pay at the kiosk inside... but non one else in the queue moved.... by this time, nearly 20 minutes of standing around in the cold was starting to get to me and I quietly asked (it's related to the sarcasm, if I get quiet and more sarcastic it's a pretty safe bet that tact and diplomacy have legged it and I'm about to blow) whether anyone intended to pay for the car park and, you know, go home?

The sour mouthed woman towards the front of the queue turned on me and started having a go at me about how she had no intention of paying now only to find herself stuck in the queue of cars waiting to go out and the time from paying to exiting expiring so she had to pay more.  Fine says I, but I have a day pass with a fixed price and I would rather sit in my car, so if she'd excuse me.... oh the look I got.... apparently that was queue jumping and I could just wait my turn......

I was quite proud of the fact I didn't call her on her attitude..... I did however, ignore her and mutter something about being unwell whilst stalking (well stomping really) past her, wapping card and money into the machine and flouncing through the door.... by the time I'd got to my car and to the barrier there was no queue and stupid woman was only just coming through the door having just paid....... I kind of hope that waiting might have pushed her time up to the next payment bracket.......

I have done nothing much this evening, a bit of reading and some relaxing whilst bemoaning, silently by text cos talking hurts, the fact that I am freezing but can't eat anything hot as it feels like it's taking the skin off my throat........ hot lemon is bad at the best of time but luke warm lemon is truly revolting......... fingers crossed I can beat this cold in the very near future........ the next germ that comes near me I am going to take out with a mallet!