I’m not saying this applies to all, but if this offends you? Yeah, this means you.
Okay, ordinarily I come up with my own topics, but thanks to this post by Aussa, over at Hacker. Ninja. Hooker. Spy. I had to pick this up and run with it, LOL…A really big difference here, though, is that none of my maintenance guys got murdered…Some days I am thankful for that, and other days? Well, anyway…
Now, y’all know I work at a hospital, and my department supports Maintenance. Let me just say, right out of the gate, that I married one of the electricians. We’ve been married about ten and a half years, and I haven’t killed him, yet, so that’s a plus. 😉
He initially got my attention by smiling at me when we were introduced on my second day on the job (sue me; I’m a sucker for eyes that light up with a smile attached to a really cute ass). I was single, but dating (y’all saw this post, right?), and when things started to really go south with Norman Bates, my electrician caught wind and started leaving cups of coffee for me right before I’d get to my desk each morning. And don’t you know they were fixed just the way I liked them; a couple packets of sugar and some French Vanilla creamer. ♥ I’ll be honest…it got my attention enough that I emailed to my best friend about him and we soon started referring to him as, “Mr. Coffee.”
Yes, I still have it. ♥
Then the cards started, and one Valentine’s Day (before they started becoming hazardous to our health) I found a coffee cup with flowers in it sitting by my keyboard. He really was the perfect gentlemen, which is probably why he didn’t fit in with the rest of the gang.
That’s not to say that ALL the maintenance guys were assholes. I’m just saying, out of the four ugly male versus female experiences I’ve had at work, three of those four have been with maintenance men (and I use the term “men” loosely).
There is the guy whose head is so big that everyone wonders why he doesn’t have scars on his forehead. (You know, from rug burn when he was crawling as a baby?) This guy got in my face about his pay check. I don’t DO payroll for Maintenance, unless their manager is out on leave or some such issue. He wasn’t, during this time, and Big Head came in ranting about his check, got in my personal space, got nasty, raised his voice and put his finger in my face because there was a problem with his paycheck. What I wanted to do was put a 5 gallon bucket over his head and beat it with a wooden spoon, but I didn’t. One reason was that I was at work and needed to appear professional and un-flustered; resorting to a childhood torture method would not have supported that image. The other was because I was fairly convinced it wouldn’t have fit over his head. I referred him to his manager and I mentioned it to my supervisor, and she and I agreed that it is absolutely unacceptable behavior. Formal complaint, formal write up, and Big Head appealed and won. Formal write up dismissed. However, he has spoken to me about once since then, and it’s been about 8 years. *shrug* And yes, that IS a good thing.
Then there was the one guy who retired that would come in to pick up his meds (he had a life threatening illness). Back in the day, when he was working with the department, he’d give all the girls hugs. After he retired he still gave all the girls hugs, but at one point thought it might be fun to try and put his tongue down my throat. Um, no, thank you. That said? If I knew he was in the building, I either got scarce or went behind closed doors. Yeah, that one was problematic for me. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, because, c’mon, he is retired, sick and married, and probably didn’t need that kind of drama in his life. I let that one slide.
The one that shook me up the worst, however, was the guy that backed me into a corner and wouldn’t go away until I threatened to punch him in the throat. It isn’t that I didn’t ask him to back off, politely at first, it was the fact that he had no concept of what that meant until I threatened him with physical violence. That one incident put a good sized dent in what had been, up to that point, a really decent working relationship. I really didn’t push the issue, simply because I thought that I might have some issues given that I had been in a couple of abusive relationships, and I didn’t want to cost some guy a write up, or worse yet, his job because I am “sensitive” to being backed in a corner. Of course, years later? We all know that’s bullshit, and if it were to happen again? I’d push the issue.
Sure, maybe I have “personal space” issues, but that space is…well…personal. If I don’t invite you into it, you’d probably do well to simply stay the hell out of it. I also am familiar with the term, “Hostile Work Environment” and can see where that might have come in handy during those early years.
Like I mentioned earlier, not all of these guys are jerks. There have been some really super guys that have come and gone from that department that would give you the shirts off their back if they suspected that you needed it. There have been several that, after my spouse’s last surgery, were right there ready to help with anything from bringing me a can of gas when I ran the tank dry in the parking lot next to the gas station to changing the tire on the Hub’s truck while he was recovering. So, no…they aren’t all awful, but they are a different breed. 😉
Oh, and let me clarify…I have worked here for thirteen years, so this all didn’t happen in just a two or three-year period. The most recent situation occurred three and a half years ago. I would have to say that 99% of the time, we have a good time here, and are like family for the most part. (Insert your own off-color comment here, LOL.)
Until next time…
Random Musings From a Type-A Workaholic 
Omg! We MUST!!! Our bad Santa also used chocolate as a bargaining tool! (Yeah, speaking of tool, right?)
First off I don’t know Cordelia and I haven’t meandered over to her blog yet, but her comment about remembering a lost one during lightning storms by thinking they are doing re-wiring up in Heaven just made me lol and want to squeeze her.
Julie I so totally feel you on the personal space bubble thing. I love the story of how you met your DH but “ew” on the other three.
Hey, there, my friend! I thought of you the other night when I put together some spicy chicken and marinated it in yogurt, garlic, cayenne, and *drumroll, please* GARAM MASALA!!! 🙂 holy moly, that was good chicken!
Oh, Cordelia’s Mom’s blog is terrific, and I will now think of lightning as heavenly re-wiring.
I’m glad to know I am not the only one funny about the personal space bubble. Our receptionist is the same way and I originally thought we were just a matched set of odd birds. 😉
There is something about marinating chicken in milk/yogurt/buttermilk that just makes it so freaking tender. Then you add in the spices and it is perfection.
If you grill it you have to do a lime juice/ghee (or melted butter) marinade that you brush on as it is grilling. Yeah…next level type food. My last job I worked with two Persian Ph.D/MD’s foodies and they taught me that trick.
Have a terrific weekend I know yours are grown and all – but they should still offer you peeled grapes at least once a year.
Thank you! You do the same!
I am definitely try the lime marinade!
So… yeah… I’m pretty sure we work at the same hospital because I know EVERY SINGLE one of those guys.
Do you also know the guy who likes to dress up as Santa, whisper in your ear, and say “Santa takes care of his little girls?”
You made me sad, although I know you didn’t mean to. Our Dan (see my very first post) was just a few work hours away from getting his electrician’s license when he was struck by his cancer, and not being able to get his license was very upsetting to him. But – and I don’t know how it was done and probably don’t want to know – a short time before Dan died, the State granted him his electrician’s license. I never saw a happier cancer patient. He told me getting the license proved he hadn’t wasted his short life.
Ohhhhhhh, CookieCakes! I didn’t know! I am going to go read it now!
You’ll have to get into the post itself and scroll down a bit, because it was a re-blog from my daughter’s website. You want to get to the part entitled “Battles on the Homefront – A Mother’s Tale.” (Have tissues handy.)
I did read it, right when I started following you and it didn’t click until I re-read it. I know how heartbreaking thar had to be. 😦
Thanks, but as you know, life goes on. We’ll never forget Dan, and we know he has his place in heaven. Every time we have a lightening storm, I think he’s trying to do some re-wiring up there.
“Mr Coffee!” I love that, Julie! Boy, you knew he was a keeper from the get go. 🙂
No, I’m sure you don’t have “personal space” issues. I with you on that. One of the worst violations is when you’re in line at the grocery store and you can actually feel the person’s breath down the back of your neck…you move forward (to get away) and they move forward too. I hate that!
Happy Mother’s Day, Julie!
Ewwww, Jill, that REALLY makes me squirmy…Glad it isn’t just me!
🙂 And thank you, I am hoping to have a nice peaceful one, by the pool if it isn’t raining.
Oh My Goodness, Julie! You have had to handle quite a lot from those maintenance men, they definitely sound like a different breed! I am so glad you gave us a few examples of redeeming qualities. Now, the one with the nice eyes and smiles, was he single? Just asking!! (Ah, I know he is long gone… Shoot!)
I will be posting tomorrow a Family Award nomination post! You are great and hope you have a fantastic Mother’s Day!
I probably need to add that these things happened long ago, and that I have been employed here for 13 years.
Yeah, I snapped him right up, that electrician. He’s a little defective, but I decided to keep him because he’s cute. 😉
Oh my, I am not always the most careful reader, Julie! Thanks for letting me know that and congrats for catching a ‘keeper!’ Hey, I have my informal acceptance of the family award and you, as my sweetheart that gave it to me, posted! Off to a neat place called, “Horsey Hall,” with a girlfriend for breakfast and some kind of outdoors arts and crafts in the country thingy! Smiles and thank you again!!
Enjoy the weekend! 🙂 I’ve been slack online this weekend-been playing in the yard. 🙂