An hour of my life, I will never get back

An hour of my life, I will never get back. Otherwise known as I would sell my soul for a customer service person who speaks English.

For my job today, (yes I have a job) I was supposed to download and install Microsoft security updates on our computers. Why do I have to do this you ask, when you know at home you get to click the little button that looks like a shield and it does everything automatically for you. Well here we have what is called a closed network, meaning no public Internet access. So I have to go to the Microsoft website, and down load the patches then place them on the server and push them out to all the computers.

Normally this is pretty easy...Not today...I say since I have been on the phone with Microsoft for over 45 min (yes I am typing this at work, but its either type this or lose what is left of my mind). I had 13 patches to download, I got the first 10 very quickly and then WHAMO....The other 3 patches I need are not on the download page, so stupid me decided that I should call Microsoft...Yes I know there are people out there slapping the table and asking what the hell was i thinking.

Call me crazy, I figured that since Microsoft released the security bulletins, that they would have the patches...UGH...

So I dial in, and listen to the options and select the one about security updates and then wait...When someone finally answers the phone, I get an overseas call center, where they take my information and tell me that I have the wrong call center and they will connect me to the proper one, and give me the 14 digit case number they have assigned me which they rattle off in about 2 seconds so I make them repeat it 3 times to make sure I have it correct.

This quickly leads to the next four people that I am routed and rerouted to, all of whom want my case number and for me to repeat all of my personal information again so they can confirm who I am...Are you kidding who else would be crazy enough to go through all this....

I have to repeat my story several times over as they insist that I am having download issues, and or the patches are already on my machine and they will show me where to find them...

45 mins in I am transferred again, and this time I get someone who is at least capable of listening..Although I did have to go over everything twice, as she was very confused with what her co-workers had typed into my case file...She puts me on hold for about 15 minutes and says that she can not find the patches either, and that there is nothing she can do....OMG

Soooooo now I have been on hold for well over an hour...and I just have one question....

IS IT TIME TO GO HOME YET??????????

Sisters, not just blood relations anymore

I have a sister, we were not raised together, in fact we did not meet until I was in my early 30's. I know more about her life now then the family I was raised with. When I have a bad day and need to vent she is the first one I call, and based on the number of times my phone ring and the first words I hear are, "you are not going to believe this shit" it is safe to say I am in the top 3 on her speed dial.

We have bonded over crazy husbands (her current and my ex) lots of booze, children and why we can't kill them. Last year, I got one of the worst phone calls in my life, she found a lump. While I could not be at her side, I was on the phone with her for every step of the way. I laughed with her, cried with her, yelled, cried and threw things when I got off the phone. I did anything and everything I could to be her support and not show her how absolutely scared to death I was that she might be taken.

We were given a gift, even with dealing with some idiot doctors, or more to the point in spite of them. A specialist who rallied with us about the stupidity of some of his medical brethren, got it all. Then we got a second gift, after blood tests showed she did not need kemo or radiation. She will be on medication for the next several years, and even with the horrible side effects, she knows how lucky she is and so do we.

This year I will participate in the Avon walk for breast cancer with my sister, and thank god that we have this chance.

My sister and I are not blood relations, we share no common genes or DNA. We found each other through fate or luck, and I know that I would have missed her even if we had never met.

Love ya chick...see ya in DC

Can you be too passionate about something

I was talking to my boss yesterday and he told me that I was doing a great job and everyone really liked me (can you hear the but coming???) BUT that he felt I was too passionate about my job. WHAT!!!!!  I have a job that I like going to, which believe me I know is rare. I honestly care about doing my job well, when did that become a bad thing. Now I appreciate constructive criticism but how is that constructive? How can you change that? I am not even really sure what that means. I can only assume, because the boss did not give me specifics, that finishing my work quickly and asking if there is anything else that needs to be done; or offering to help others is the issue. So I am going to slow down and get my work done but not necessarily as quickly and I will wait to be asked for help.

Maybe that will take care of the issue if not then who knows.