On a happier note, it is pool season. Opening day is this Saturday and the PFO preseason has officially begun. The past couple of days have involved massive amounts of time in the sun swimming, playing, working out, and a little bit of work. The summer muscles are starting to limber up again and I woke up today with that near total body soreness that tells me life is becoming interesting and productive again. No matter what, this will be the last summer of pool filter operating and I plan on making the most of it.

Well, the unpleasantness went down on Monday. The incompetent man went to his boss, most likely on Friday, complaining about a now unsupervisible employee (yours truly) who clearly is bringing down the moral of the team as well as being a raging racist.

A meeting was arranged for Monday. I was ready for the fight and I’m sure came off a little defensive, but also certainly held my ground and made my point. For the first two-thirds of the meeting, the incompetent man rattled on at length about how I make everyone’s job harder and no one likes me and I’m a really mean, bad man. I fairly calmly deflected, acknowledged where appropriate, and stated my frustrations with the incompetent man’s job performance, but made no personal attacks. The boss listened politely, but also stated repeatedly that I was making valid statements. Were it a boxing match, through eight rounds I’m certainly unanimously ahead on points.

Then, as the boss tried to wrap things up with the old, “well let’s all agree to work on some things” mantra, the incompetent man, now visibly upset, pulls out what I assume in his mind is the trump card and subtly declares that, per our conversation on Thursday, I secretly go home in a white robe and pointy white hat.

I call his declarations ridiculous, brush his statement aside, and decide to put on the gloves of fury. I state that respect has nothing to do with race and everything to do with the integrity and ethics that one choses to carry oneself with. I then vault into the bevy of flagrant violations of common sense and good ethics displayed by the incompetent man over the past year and half. I am not yelling, but the statements are made forcefully and with confidence in their truth.

The incompetent man is now too angry to deny the accusations and instead ackowledges and tries to excuse them. He then openly states that he under no circumstance will he supervise me any longer at this job and at this point I can’t stand the incompetence anymore. I quietly say, “Well. Ok then, I’ll put in my two weeks,” and leave the room.

I typed up a letter of resignation, turned it in and worked out the remainder of my shift with some confused looks from co-workers who I’m sure quickly heard the rumors.

But, here’s the thing. It didn’t feel like a win. The problem being that I walked out, giving the incompetent man his way and leaving me with no feeling of vindication. And also no steady job for the forseeable future (which would be fine if the house were sold and I knew when we were moving, but it hasn’t sold yet). Nothing had changed. The incompetence would continue.

Things looked up on Tuesday though when I asked to speak with the boss to clear some things up and instead he asked me to reconsider my resignation and also asked for more details of the incompetent man’s job violations and clearly was taking the accusations serously. Again I don’t know how it’s all going to play out, but at this point I am reconsidering.

A ruckus has begun at work. One of those beginning of the end kind of ruckuses. The incompetent man was told repeatedly that he is incompetent and is completely lacking in integrity or job-related skills. It was a messy conversation and the incompetent man was riled. I don’t know where things will end up going from here because I haven’t worked since the conversation, but the incompetent man is also a petty and vindictive man so whether the unpleasantness begins now or later is really the only question.

I like this rainy day weather, especially when I have the entire day off to look forward to and I already ran the dogs bright and early. It gives me an excuse to be lazy. Or, if not lazy, at least not productive in the practical sense. I like how dark it is outside my window. I like the thunder telling me not to come out. If it weren’t for my normal Wednesday basketball game (and potentially the church softball game later tonight) I could quite happily spend the whole day playing video games or goofing around on my computer.

Sometimes when I get home from work, sleepy and tired, after an eight hour shift and greet my dopey dogs who’ve been cooped up for close to nine hours, I let them out to do their dirty sinful business, then race back inside, lie down face first on the basement carpet, and proceed to let 150 pounds of dog frolick all over my back. They wrestle and claw and growl at each other or at me if I poke my head up. I love it. There’s something so peaceful about their exuberance. Maybe I just associate it with being free from work for a little while. Sometimes I even fall asleep underneath all the excitement, usually waking to some sort of dog tongue to the face.