She loves me, she loves me not.

If I read yesterday's horoscope, I'm pretty sure it would've read,

"You will receive a great many kindnesses from the fairer sex."

One of our vendors, a woman, sent me a beautiful floral arrangement yesterday because I helped her get 17 past due invoices paid. She'd already emailed me a thank you letter last week, and asked for my boss's info to write a commendation about me.  I replied that it wasn't necessary, and that customers should be treated like guests. Although I'm technically her guest - my company pays her - our accounting department is a little out of whack at the moment, so I was acting as a liaison of sorts.

Carrying them from our front desk to my office was a huge conversation starter. They're really pretty. I put them on my desk as quickly and quietly as possible so as to not have to explain them, but my boss insisted I put them out for visitors to see.  Which didn't go over so well. More on that in a moment...

I got an "A" in my Beginners' Arabic class, so I get the full tuition reimbursement from my company. It should take 3 weeks to process, but the (female) payroll director says to expect it in next week's check. That's an extra $590 next week. WOOT! That's 393 cupcakes.  Or maybe 575 chocolate bars at the dollar store. Stupid state tax.

Then, I came home to find a check for $149 from my home alarm company in the mailbox.  I called the company, and the super nice customer service lady explained the rebate.

And then, I logged into Second Life, and a nice (female) friend bought/sent me a pretty kimono from an old favorite store.

Best day ever. Made me proud to be a woman. I was feelin' the love.  Sisterhood. *sigh*

Cut to today...

So, all of the managers in my new department are women. Pretty catty ones. They spend weeks  plotting and scheming against each other. It's like watching the Borgia family at work.  I feel horrible for the two new managers because they never see the landmines until they step on them. I want to draw a red "x" over each one for them, but they don't know me well enough to trust me. So I stay way away from it. WAY away from it. I stay in my office, focused on my two monitors, with earbuds in. I go to lunch alone, though I end up with company. I ask all of my visitors to call or email me instead of visiting. If I receive a male visitor with no true purpose for visiting, the office goes silent. When the visitor leaves, they commune together and giggle and theorize about my life. 

 

I get "employee of the year" awards and special mentions in executive meetings and a 2m fiscal budget, and I'm arguably the only unmarried woman in the office who doesn't embarrass herself by acting like a cat in heat, but still they find it worthwhile to walk by my door and make snide remarks about dating people you work with.

 

Another one of those "heavier things" I didn't feel like talking about. It really wears on me because I'm forced to go against my nature. I can't joke with them, or sing silly songs, or prank them. I can't give them the benefit of the doubt, because I know their work. I've seen it. And it is sharp and deadly.

 

So anyway, it's only been a day, but I've been getting serious attitude from those other managers since the flower delivery. Having them on display felt like I was bragging. I could almost smell the spray paint from the target on my back.

 

Yesterday afternoon, I removed the thank you card from the arrangement in hopes of laying low and out of the spotlight (and still appease the boss).  One of the aforementioned managers - the cattiest of the group (she complains a lot, flirts a lot, wears super tight, inappropriate clothing, holds entire phone conversations on speakerphone...even the sexual ones...even with men other than her husband [also a coworker],) - complained that my flowers are messing with her asthma, and that I need to take them home. She laughed as she said it, as if she were joking. But even that is way more attention than I ever want from her. She's dangerous. I've seen her in action. She did something really mean to Kristyl because of our friendship, and Kristyl could've been fired for it.

 

So I took the flowers home today.   

 

But...she gets flowers from random guys all the time. And she wears perfume. And I can't really smell these blooms.

 

Now, I just logged out of Second Life. I'm just sort of staring at my computer.  I visited a popular sim, and tried to start several conversations with the "women" in the room. Why the women? Because I'm not a desperate housewife. I'm looking for conversation, not attention. They all either ignored me or told me where they'd like me to go.

 

I feel kind of sad.

Seriously. I don't know how guys put up with us.

 

I didn't read today's horoscope, either. But if I did, it would read:

"Bitches be trippin'."

#99problems