Thursday 8 July 2010

Sisterly Detente

I’ve blogged before about the two women I work with (M&J) – both not only friends but cliquey with it. I get on with them as far as work goes. And most times things are tickety boo and going along nicely.

Today was a classic though.

I’m the first one in the office and am at my desk when J enters. We do our usual small talk “Hello, how are you, nice day isn’t it?”

So far so good so ok.

Then M arrives and J explodes in an apoplexy of effusiveness: “Oh wow you look lovely and so summery! Your skirt is really pretty. You really look so nice and I love what you’ve done to your hair… oh you are so beautiful really, you should always wear your hair down and that top is just pretty and…”

M is all “thank you, thank you, you are so kind, thank you…”

They stop and a horrid pause descends.

Then J looks at me and says: “Oh you’re lovely too.”

:-)

Charlie says: Looking good is hard work. One has to have baths.

Thank you all so much for reading my little story. I really appreciate that you've taken the time to do so.

Have a tenacious Thursday everyone!

29 comments:

Winston said...

Hehehe that was a little bit awkward! Charlie, I agree that looking good is important so I take lots of baths too. Winston x

Milton said...

Oh, Muttie is with you Old Kitty. Last week she bumped into an old colleague at the railway station that she hadn't seen for years.

"Wow," she said, "Haven't seen you ages. Boy the years have been kind to you!"

"Er, yes, thanks," he said.

Muttie waited for the reciprocal greeting to which he replied: "Boy, it's hot today, eh?"

Milt x

Jacqueline said...

Your coworkers sound very fake; it must be hard to stomach them both everyday, especially first thing in the morning!...Keep your chin up around them and always be glad you are wise enough to see through their bs!...Take care, Jenn, we know, like Charlie, how wonderful you are!...hugs to you and kisses to Charlie...Jacqueline (I couldn't sign my usual J!), Calle, Halle, Sukki

Brian's Home Blog said...

Always look on the bright side of things, at least they didn't look at you and giggle or something! Charlie is just cleaning up for the camera!

Unknown said...

Lol, people are so single-minded sometimes. I was in my classroom one day talking with a colleague with the door closed. Another colleague walked in (no big deal, it wasn't anything earth shattering), walked right up to my desk where I was sitting, proceeded to interrupt the first colleague mid-sentence to say hello to me and ask me something, follow up with two or three more questions (while colleague number 1 is STARING at her in disbelief, since they are obviously colleagues, too), then walks to the door, opens it, is about to go through, and finally (as an afterthought) pops her head back in and says hi to colleague #1.

Granted, this colleague is very self-centered and really only wants to converse about what she wants to converse about, so it wasn't that unusual, but my first colleague was dumbfounded by her rudeness and her complete lack of awareness of it!

Amy & the house of cats said...

Ah yes, the insult compliment. Those are so fun. It sounds good but really it isn't. Don't worry about them - every office is like that. As long as you can tolerate them and work fine with them it will be ok (wait, am I trying to convince you or am I really thinking of my work situation and trying to convince myself).

And Charlie, you are of course correct - baths are very important. Lola is actually taking one right now actually, inspired by your comment!

Ann Best said...

Hilarious! Charlie, I mean. Oh yes, and M&J too. (he he)

It isn't Thursday here in Virginia USA yet, but I certainly hope it's a bit cooler than today. Just checked. Going to be another scorcher. I hear it's cooler in London. Think I'll put a propeller on Jen's wheelchair and fly over!!!

Beth Zimmerman said...

Yep! Been there. Done that! Own the t-shirt! (Stupid American saying that basically means I understand and feel your pain!)

Summer Frey said...

LOL...I'm totally one of those clueless people who says things like that by accident. :D

But Charlie's right--baths ARE good.

Amparo Ortiz said...

Yeah. I get those "Oh, you're lovely too!' moments a lot. And Charlie's right--beauty takes work.

Not that I know anything about that or anything... :D

m.q said...

heyya charlie...

BoBo & ChaCha doesnt have bath for almost 1 month now :(
i cant bathe them, they will quickly scratch me to escape...ouchhhh..

~mq~

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

I think I would have to of said, "Well, I'm sure I look ok on the outside. But the inside is the part I work on the most." Then I would have turned and walked away. You are a beautiful person, Jennifer...And I don't have a clue what your outside looks like. I'm sure when we meet in England we'll find each other to be lovely people. To me that's what matters...I always told my students that I wanted to live my life in a way that made many people sad when I died. (creepy, I know) I think it's all about the hearts you touch. You touched mine especially when I lost Stripes...I think you are beautiful! (Please excuse spelling and punctuation ...it's been a long day of bailing water and moving wet and dry stuff.)

fairyhedgehog said...

What a giggle! They sound so effusive with each other. I bet they don't look as good as Charlie does, though.

Brigid O'Connor said...

They sound exactly like some 12 year olds I have heard in action, as I say to my daughter, the best thing to do is rise above it.

Kea said...

Gag! Are they sleeping together? Always a possibility, though never good to get involved with co-workers!

Nice of them to include you...as an afterthought. LOL!

Charlie looks great without any effort. :-)

Karen Jones Gowen said...

Oh my goodness, how rude. If I was there at your work I'd be all nice to you and ignore them, just to even things up. Ugh, I hate situations like that. Women need to grow up and not still act like 14 year olds when they're adults.

Ann said...

Some pieces of work...as someone or other in my life was fond of saying in similar types of situations. I have also been told that envy is often the catalyst for such behavior. I like that one!!! It salves the bruises.

Baths are good, especially with
lavendar and relaxing music!

Hannah and Lucy said...

Good heavens Jenn how do you work with such sondescending self centred idiots - apart from the money that is!
The only other consolation is that they don't travel to work with you and you don't have to take them home.
Now I know why we are animal lovers.
Hope today is better xxx

KarenMcG said...

That Charlie sure is limber. Great tummy shot there.

And I can so relate to your today's tale about M&J...from "past" experiences. Ugh!

We're proud to have you and Charlie as friends.

Theresa Milstein said...

What is with those women? They mistake work for high school. I just watched "Heathers" last night, which I haven't seen in years. They remind me of the Heathers.

Of course Charlie thinks it's all about bathing. That kitty has a lot of fur to clean!

Marg said...

Oh my you really need to come up with a terrific saying to say back the that B*****. That is awful. Charlie you need to go to work with your Mom and beat those ladies up. Give them a whack.

SASS....Sammy Andy Shelly Sierra said...

LOL........mama thinks most of the mamas have been in the same situation!!!!!

You always look so handsome, dear Charlie. xxxxxxxxxxxx

ANGEL ABBYGRACE said...

When I was working it was in an office with 2 men and 1 other very 'bad' woman. She had a lot of insecurities but that did not excuse her behavior. She was confrontational and bossy and she ruled the office because everyone (cuz crazy me) was afraid of her. Since she knew I wasn't afraid of her she tried to bait me all the time into a quarrel. Well, I knew if I didn't 'talk back' she would not be able to quarrel. That worked fine, but I also had to learn how to keep to myself. As easy as that may sound after a long time you isolate yourself so much that you lose the ability to interact well with other people. I was so glad that I was finally able to retire (and I didn't even tell them in my office, I simply vanished). It was only in retirement that I was able to see the unintended damage of the isolation. It took me nearly a year to work through all of it. I was so surprised.

So, I do understand.

Abby says:
Hello Charlie
We always think you are handsome and that your Mom is gorgeous!

purrs

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Office politics can be rough. My daughter tells me horror tales about how cliquey some women are and how lecherous the men can be. I think it is best not to get discouraged with all that and realize that M & J are very superficial people.

Charlie is so limber! Hope you have nice cool weather today ..we are still sweltering!

PS I think you are the only person who looks at the links I put in my blog posts and I thank you for that! :-) Someday you'll be able to write a story with a NYC location after all the information you are learning about it...tee hee!

Hart Johnson said...

Did you hiss at them? I might have hissed. *snicker* Actually, I have a 'look' I am a bit famous for that my aunt calls me 'you dumbshit' look. brows up, chin down, so your eyes need to look up to see them... deadpan the rest of your face. Makes pretty much anybody feel small. Not that you have a goal of being so petty *shifty*

Pip said...

I agree with Jacqueline, it sounds pretty weird that they so obviously would floof each other up like that. TK says you can have some of his insilin of the sickeningly sweet crap gets to much for you.
You are an amazing women, don't let the shallow, self-absored get to you.

Charlie you are a handsome fellow, baths or not. But we like a clean-machine!

Kat_RN said...

I know a few like that.
Thank goodness for Charlie and Spontaneous to keep things in perspective. Wish I could take her to work with me sometimes.
Kat

Musings of a Mother said...

Offices are funny places aren't they. I work with 2 guys so I usually get excluded on the basis that they constantly talk about sport. I do hear the chit-chat in other departments though from women and it's always full of over-exaggerated 'Oh My God....' type stories and they are generally just unnatural with each other.
Take no heed of their nonsense, I bet they go home and bitch senseless about each other x

notesfromnadir said...

Your coworkers sound like maybe they like to act instead of work? Were they RADA rejects?

Charlie's right -- taking a bath is more important!