The photo has nothing to do with the title there but ya'll know how I hate to put up a post without some kind of pic. Plus, I thought this was really cool how the spider took advantage of the little cubby hole created under this old root I collected.Anyway, this has been a very rough week at work. I hope next week is much better. I often brag about how good the men are that I work with and how great they treat me and all that but this week was one of the rare times that some of them acted like real dickheads. Excuse me for that language but that pretty much sums it up.
I'm working with Daddy Rabbit on a small health clinic and I am the senior carpenter. Until Thursday I was the only carpenter and Daddy Rabbit has had to spend a couple of days at another, bigger job and so, has left me in charge in his absence. I think that is part of the deal, even though I don't tell anybody what to do or try to boss anybody. I'm just there to frame some walls and put in wood blocking. If one of the subs has a question I do consult Daddy Rabbit to see what to do and the sub must go by what he says. I just relay the message.
The electricians are real nice guys but one day the foreman comes and says I have put a stud in his way. I asked where and he showed me. He said it should have been about 8 inches in the other direction; I put it in the wrong place, according to him. I tried to explain he was measuring from the wrong end and he gets all pissy and says,' just forget it' while giving me that, 'you're so stupid you can't understand' eye roll. So, the plumber actually tells him he is measuring from the wrong end ( I laid the studs out starting from an existing wall, as you should). Finally, he sees his mistake and then becomes very apologetic and is very helpful to me after that. Well, that's not so bad but then it's the plumber's turn.
The plumber missed getting his pipe in the wall with his stub-ups in three different walls. This isn't complicated and he has detailed drawings but he missed 'em anyway. I actually moved one of my walls over about 3/4" so that his pipe will be in the wall and he won't have to deal with it. His other pipe is going to be in a cabinet so that will cover up, but his third pipe, I can't help him on. I tried to see if we could move something but Daddy Rabbit said no. So, now he gets all pissy with me cause I ask him to actually move his pipe so that it will be inside the wall. Imagine that. We even held off framing that side so he would have plenty of access to get to his pipe but that wasn't good enough. He comes blowing in at the end of the day on Friday and just shows his ass and tries his best to make me look bad in front of the other guys. I just firmly told him he was going to have to stub out further in order to get through our framing. He continues to mouth off so I just walk off and go back to framing my other wall. He does what he needs to and stomps out. I know some men are really irritated when they make a mistake and to have a woman correct them but there is just no need for that kind of behavior. I know I'm not always right but I suspect if I were ever promoted to the actual position of foreman, I would have to deal with this kind of crap more often.
The funny part, and what does make me feel some better, is that as every one of the other guys left, they each either apologized or made a point to wish me a very nice weekend. And he heard every one of them, even his own helper, because he was the last out. I have been in this business long enough to know to just let stuff like that roll off my back but it's still kinda irritating. You know, just because you got one doesn't mean you need to be one.
*Helen Reddy
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