# Talk about your bad timing **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 11, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553 "2000-10-11T16:15:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/1 "2000-10-11T16:15:21Z")
Okay, so it’s not some horrible awful pain in the ass, but I still get to bitch about it. I’m not at work today. I have an appointment (consultation) with a surgeon in Pasadena; my district doesn’t do half-day subs, so I have to take the whole freakin’ day off for what will probably total and hour and a half of my work time. (FWIW, the surgeon is looking at a weird lumpy thingy behind my elbow; feels like a small ball bearing grew there. Probably just a cyst he’ll have to cut out; yay.) So, I’m home, and in fact still working–I’m grading papers. Phone rings; it’s the custodian from the school. Apparently, the 10-gallon fish tank in the classroom is leaking. DOH! So, after my appointment, I need to hustle over there (with a new tank in tow; thank God their cheap), net the 14 baby fish housed within it, drain the tank, rinse the new tank, etc., so forth, and so on. Yuck. Meanwhile, the custodian is moving the tank to another location where it won’t drench the carpet any more. Grumble. Anyone else choose just the wrong day to take a day off/sick day/etc. from work? Stupid Murphy. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/2 "2000-10-11T16:19:56Z")
I know that public education in CA ain’t what it used to be (I work in the field as a consultant) but Gawd- hasn’t this custodian got any duct tape? Or some caulk, maybe? Plug the damn leak & let Ruffian bring the new tank in tomorrow! I feel for you- every day I take off, something happens that is SO DIRE, I must get back asap. Things like, the printer jammed, or there’s voice mail, or the mailman was late… ---
**Author:** ![Lnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Lnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lnix)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/3 "2000-10-11T17:45:35Z")
Monday I took a half day to go to the doctor. Tuesday morning I come in and everybody’s in a lather because a lady in customer service thought she was having a heart attack and THEY COULDN’T FIND ME. What the hell did they think I was going to do? I’m the HR person, not the school nurse. “We didn’t know what the protocol was” was the comment. Huh??? I’m sorry, my fault, I didn’t realize it had to be in the Employee Handbook that if you think someone is dying, HELP THEM. Sheesh. Thank God there was at least one person here with common sense enough to call 911 or I guess they’d still be back there debating it. ---
**Author:** ![Ruffian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@Ruffian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruffian)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/4 "2000-10-11T18:29:11Z")
> [@](#): > > thank God **their** cheap Yeah, that should be **they’re**. And you know, I even did a lesson on they’re/their/there with my kids the other week. Grr. Lnix–that’s amazing! And a big, big DERRRRRR on their (yes their, not they’re) part. Is there a protocol now?! ---
**Author:** ![Lnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Lnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lnix)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/5 "2000-10-11T19:44:13Z")
> [@](#): > > **Is there a protocol now?!** You bet! It reads - When an employee is observed to be in obvious physical distress, the best course of action would be to just stand around and discuss the weather or maybe your income tax refund until a) the employee feels better b) the employee dies c) someone who isn’t a total dipshit comes along and is able to pick up the phone & dial 911. Please note, the Human Resource manager is no longer to be used as a faith healer or surrogate brain as our Worker’s Compensation insurance does not cover it. (sigh) ---
**Author:** ![KimKatt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@KimKatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KimKatt)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/6 "2000-10-11T19:51:23Z")
**Lnix** , I thought you’d like to know that you have caused a spit take. What’s the protocol for THAT?? 😃 (By the way, can I try to sneak that into our employee handbook?) ---
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/7 "2000-10-11T19:52:43Z")
You keep a fish tank in the classroom? Wish you were around when I was in school, jeez! Sorry about the bad day Ruffian, but those little fish were probably _really_ glad to see you! ---
**Author:** ![Lnix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/fbc32d/32.png) [@Lnix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lnix)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/8 "2000-10-11T20:12:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by KimKatt \* > \*\ ***Lnix** , I thought you’d like to know that you have caused a spit take. > > What’s the protocol for THAT?? 😃 > (By the way, can I try to sneak that into our employee handbook?) \*\* a) Remove spit with sleeve b) Take the rest of the week off to recover from emotional trauma. Please feel free… Also look for the upcoming “7 Ways to Call Your Boss a Fucking Liar Without Using the words ‘Fucking’ or ‘Liar’” ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/9 "2000-10-11T21:42:47Z")
Damn, that sucks, Ruffian. Happens to me every time I take a vacation. I come back and my personal life and work life have completely fallen apart in my absence. I always find myself asking, “When I went on vacation, did I take everyone else’s brain with me?” ---
**Author:** ![fierra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58956e/32.png) [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/10 "2000-10-11T22:15:05Z")
No, they just never had one in the first place. I got fed up of changing the toner in the fax machine ( I sat next to it, so everyone thought it was my job…sigh). It took a month for someone else to do it, rather than just wander round the corner to fax elsewhere - it never occurred to them that they were missing faxes coming in too. It was so peaceful! ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/11 "2000-10-11T22:23:58Z")
The tank just spontaniously sprung a leak? Have you considered maybe the fish were trying to escape by tunneling their way out? ---
**Author:** ![mega\_the\_roo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@mega\_the\_roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mega_the_roo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2000, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/talk-about-your-bad-timing/36553/12 "2000-10-11T22:35:51Z")
This has nothing to do with taking a day off, but… A good friend of mine had been openly interested in me for two years… and when I finally realized how I felt about him, he had just recently become engaged.