Emergency surgery

I don't want to hate my co-workers. And when they're merely annoying I can manage to rise above it. I'm sure I can be annoying as well. Though don't tell me about it. I don't want to know. And who thinks I'm annoying anyway? I am a delight to be around! So whoever thinks I'm annoying needs to get a grip!

So with my perspective I can totally handle these annoying co-workers, but when one of my co-workers is appalling, that's a different challenge.

Tonight, after a long and busy couple hours at the front desk, I went to the last two hours of taking care of our big self check in machine. My co-worker preceding me may as well have beaten the machine with a bat and flung all its books on the floor for what its condition was. "Sorry, I didn't get that annoying chunk of work done over there that was my responsibility, so I left it for you." She says blithely. But though what she left me is unforgivable, it is equally weird how unexplainable it is. Everything else she could have done on the machine instead of what she didn't do is in chaos as well. There are full bins, unresolved exceptions, and not that much work to show for all of her neglect.

I can't look at her. I find myself unable to acknowledge her apology, if that's what it was. Did it sound like an apology to you? "Sorry" was in it. That usually means it vaguely has something to do with an apology. I said nothing.

But, as I said, I don't want to hate my co-workers, and after much searching I have come up with a solution. 

I decided that it couldn't have been her fault. I decided a wounded kitten stumbled into the library. Its paw was badly mangled and the little wee fellow was limping piteously. My co-worker dropped everything. Drawing on veterinary skills she hardly knew she had she bundled the kitten in a blanket to help with the shock. Then she carefully cleaned and disinfected the wound, patched it, bandaged it carefully up, and found the kitten a loving home. Just as she saw the now happy little fellow off with a final tender hug, and returned to the library, I came back for our shift change.

And I was all cranky and judgemental.

She was probably annoyed with me. 

Well, I can see it.