I was on a rant roll today

I think I was in touch with my inner Maxine. You know - that old bitchy lady in the cartoon? I was just feeling a bit put out with some things going on at work - and to quote an old movie - finally I became Mad as Hell and I wasn't going to take it anymore.

I love my job. Some of the people there are knuckleheads. I could be one of them! I saw another soup can in the trash can when I tossed my banana peel after lunch. Grrr. We're the DNR. Shouldn't people who work there be environmentally conscientious? The recycling bins are 3 steps from the trash.

I went back to my desk and emailed Communications for a copy of the poster containing recycling information for the building. Then I opened the Microsoft Publisher program and made a sign that said something like "Tree Huggers - recycling bins are that way. Rinse out soup cans and yogurt containers along with other recyclable stuff listed on and sign above (stuck the recycling poster on the wall above my sign) and help protect our environment". I taped both right above the trash can.

We'll see if the dummy can read. Who could work for DNR and not recycle? And another thing...


Henry Wallace

You have probably heard me complain about my workplace - the Wallace Building, named after former Secretary of Agriculture Henry Wallace born in Adair County, just north of our former home in Creston. Sorry Henry - your building sucks. It was built during an era (early 1970s) that in my opinion, few beautiful buildings were designed. On top of that, the rumor is they cheaped it up due to budget issues - no surprise there!

I put up with a lot. Then the paper towel dispenser in the restroom began mis-firing. You had to crank it about 15 times to get a sheet of the brown no ply paper big enough to somewhat dry your hands. The teeth on the Kimberly Clark machine were shot! There are also two hand dryers on the wall in the 5th floor women's room, but nobody uses them. One doesn't seem to work and the other is flakey. When I've tried to use it in the past it is slow to start and stops quickly.

About a month ago, after all of the women on my floor had struggled with the towel machine for weeks, I emailed the operations gal for DNR, Lisa to let her know "Kimberly" had lost her teeth. I also told her the dryer was a no go. Weeks went by. The custodian finally began placing the giant roll of towels on the counter with a note instructing us NOT to swipe it for coffee spills in the break area.

This week Lisa sent me a forwarded string of emails. It seems the operations guys had tested the dryer and it blows just fine. The director of that department said they would not replace a dryer just to replace it. Hmmm. Yes. That makes sense - but did they not notice that it was flaky?

I sent an email thanking them for checking into it - and suggested perhaps we've all gotten used to those vortex machines that blow really hard, so we're impatient. I went on to state that nobody uses the machine because of some reason...so even though it blows, it might as well be a wall ornament. Since nobody uses the dryer we'll continue to use many paper towels. So there - take that! (which I didn't say)

Today I in one of those moods.
If you're female...you know what I'm talking about!
I was ready to snap. The soggy giant roll of paper towels was getting to me. This was after I had dealt with the wayward soup can tosser. I was all set to stick another sign up in the restroom.
Bathroom Users Unite! Rebel against soggy towels and a crappy dryer! But a clearer head prevailed.

Instead of white towels insert worthless brown ones...

I forwarded the email string about the dryer to our bureau chief and explained the towel situation. I told him I was fuming.
Lo and behold a new towel dispenser was installed later this afternoon. Squeaky wheel!  

Pablo arrived home from a work trip to Madison, Wisconsin today. Odie and I are happy to see him. I am going to lunch tomorrow with my longtime pal Jane Flack Conn. Can't wait to hear how her daughter Morgan is doing - freshman at ISU.