Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ILoveDaffy]

Maggie - more than half a cat

Maggie left us today. I knew it would happen. I mean in general but also specifically today. She stopped chatting to me yesterday evening. She still acknowledged me but didn't chat for the first time. And I think I mentioned I think the other two had already said their goodbyes. They are very subdued today.

She died just after I came in for our early morning chat. It sounds silly, but I think she held on until I would accept it. Probably not, but it felt that way.

I have loved all my chickens but Maggie was special. She has been a real companion. She was always all attitude, and always in my face sharing her opinions.

She was just over three and a half years old, which feels like no age at all, but probably isn't too bad in her circumstances. They say cats have 9 lives. Maggie, by my count managed to have five lives. She survived (in order):
- A fox attack
- Hardware disease (two screws and some shards of metal)
- A lash egg (serious internal infection)
- Some neurological event where she lost her balance
- Another lash egg

I will miss her terribly. I will miss her attitude and her company. And I will miss the soft leathery feel of her comb and wattles as she burrowed into my hand for treats. I will miss her energy, her endless nosiness, and how she insisted on killing the water before she drank it (you never know!). I miss her independent spririt that often had her wander off quite far for solo walks (sometimes I followed at a respectful distance to ensure her safety).

I hope you will all bear with me if over the next few days I feel moved to share pictures of her.

So long my friend. I hope you find a sun that never sets, unlimited muddy puddles, and the opportunity to freely express your opinions.

Maggie - all attitude....
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I'm so sorry @RoyalChick. Even through a screen, I could tell she was special. She was a gorgeous girl!

 

[bgmathteach]

So what is a seagull? Sand rooster?

Nope, water pigeons!
Tax:
'Water chickens':

sorry, all older pics, it is a miserably rainy day here...but we need the moisture to recharge lakes and such!

 

[rural mouse]

Part 2

Enter new HR director who started badgering and harassing me about the spreadsheet needing to be kept up to date (dumb ass woman the thing is updated), this was a constant running thing. It got to the point where I was not wanting to see her and would get so anxious with her berating and badgering me about the thing being up to date. She became fixated on the Fleet Vehicles and transponders. I kept telling her if she wanted to know where they were see Project Manager X. His team had them all in Toronto on a project.

Then there was the vacation thing, I tried to take vacation 4 times this past summer and each time she told me I couldnt as my co-worker was too busy with recruitment (did I mention the high turnover there - at least 1 person a week would leave).

Meanwhile my coworker went to Portugal in the spring and the Spain in the summer. OH and the new HR direct took 3 weeks vacation already and she only started in May! Guess I am too important to take vacation.

Doesn’t get me started about working from home ( I can’t but coworker and hr director can). Then she had the audacity to tell me that there were 'complaints about travel'. When I asked her from whom where those complaints coming because the PMO Director just finished telling me I was the best Travel Coordinator he worked with. She wouldn't tell me.

Oh and she was good at brown-nosing to the other Directors - if there is one thing I cannot stand is a person who sucks up to others. And she would give me sideways slap in the face by telling one in particular (he had control of the Fleet Vehicles I guess) that she would ensure I kept the sheet up to date. Even he told her I was not to police the spreadsheet - just enter who has them. The Proj Managers are supposed to check that particular sheet and ensure stuff is sent back to me. But HR Dir kept badgering me about it.

So instead of supporting ME she would suck up to the directors and make it seem that I was at fault for everything. Not once did she ever say good job, things are great, thanks for doing that etc.... Now the guys travelling were great with the compliments - it got so that I told them 'don't tell me - tell my boss - she thinks I do a terrible job!' Bet they never did.

I wanted to work from home, as I had some deliveries, she told me I had to get that stuff done in my off time. I told her those business only work 9-5 mon to fri. So sad too bad was her response. Guess what she did the next week? YES ! got the email stating she was working from home as she had to have some personal stuff done. Coworker same thing - would be working from home constantly! OMG (I am seeing red again just remembering this).

When I was ill with Covid she berated me for not emailing her daily with when I would be back to work. I told her well I was to busy barfing in a bucket - why didn't you PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL THE HOUSE TO SEE IF I WAS OK? Then when my '5 days of being sick' were up she made me come back to the office. I did and I coughed up a lung for 2 weeks I gave it to everyone around me Good Kelly !

Oh and then she would come by my desk and berate me for not wearing a mask - I was having a cuppa tea I told her, next time I will cut a hole in the mask and use a straw to slurp up my tea. And during my lunch she did that too. I finally got mad and said ' I am having my lunch ok? is that alright with you? I am the only one in this office that was still wearing a mask and I still got sick - so can I eat in peace?' She left.

Oh Oh and when coworker came back from Spain, on the Monday she emailed saying she had covid - she worked from home that whole week (convenient to have her 5 covid sick days!). When she returned to work did she wear her mask for the required 10 days??? NO! Did HR Dir harass her? NO!

I tried to take 1 vacation day so my Uncle could help me with some stuff but she wouldn't let me. So I waited a couple weeks then called in sick

To Be continued

Some tax I am owing - is this stained glass pretty?
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The stained glass is pretty

 

[RoyalChick]

Nope, water pigeons!
Tax:
'Water chickens':
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sorry, all older pics, it is a miserably rainy day here...but we need the moisture to recharge lakes and such!

I love the water chickens. They are very cute.

 

[rural mouse]

They are gorgeous. What breed is Pear?

Partridge Rock...thank my middle son for the punny name

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

Gave the boys and girls their corn and explained that Maggie was gone we all sat out there and remembered her. Is it weird that I talk to my chickens about my friends on BYC? Im a lot weird.

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You have nothing to worry about until you hit "Chicken People" weird.

 

[rural mouse]

Conclusion

OK - so about 3 weeks ago I sent notice I was going to take vacation this week as long as the weather was nice. I got the usual push back - we need to know for sure blah blah blah - I told her plan for me being away - if I am not you can adjust I am sure. I need to do some caulking and clean the eves trough and other 'warm weather' work that did'nt get done in the summer like I wanted!

Then on Wednesday last week I started emailing the Proj Managers to let them know the coworker would be the contact during my vacation. Coworker set up a teams meeting to chat with my on Thursday (of course at the end of the day - why not! she knows when I leave), I didn't notice she also invited the hr dir. Oh and guess who worked from home on Thursday (OMG!).

So Thursday we started chatting about the tasks and reviewing were stuff was and HR Dir pops onto the session (oh great), then coworker asked about the fleet vehicles, I told her not to worry that was all Proj Manager X who had them all, of course HR Dir had to ask 'is it up to date?" I felt my pulse going up and BP just climbing, but I told her as far as I know it is up to date - you know the guys, and I don't have time to babysit them. There are more important things.

Well she started going on about it being up to date, I should know blah blah blah, so on and so forth. I told her "Stop going on about the fing spreadsheet, it's fing up to date for f sakes, you need to stop this badgering me and fixation on the spreadsheet'.

She said - it needs to be kept up to date....

Thats when I flipped out and told her 'I am disconnecting from this meeting I am not discussing this with you any further, I have important things to tell coworker and you are wasting my time, let me know when you wish to discuss more important things'. And I disconnected and went and hid in the bathroom to calm down. It's the Executive bathroom mable sink top... nice - and messy with drywall mud everywhere from construction. So I cleaned the bathroom hahaha.

Then I went back to my desk finished my work and went home.

Friday morning I was going to chat with the CFO but he was out all day, around 3:10 he popped by to 'have a chat' - good I thought.

Nope there was HR Dir in the room also (WTH ) If he wanted to talk with me he should not have the instigator there inflamming things! Any HR dept knows that - apparently this HR Dir is a dumba$$.

Anyways I gave my spiel and said I apologize for swearing.

Then she started in on the spreadsheet being updated.....


I just lost it, I told her she was fixated on the spreadsheet, a micro-manager who should concentrate on her own job, but when she said I only gave them 3 days notice for my vacation I about stormed out, I told her check your emails I let you know back the end of September.

Well then she said 'there have been complaints with Travel'.... Well I about had a stroke right then and there, I can really understand how a worker can go postal and do horrible nasty things to others. Thankfully I have a wee bit of common sense - though not lots it seems.

So I had to swallow, I took a deep breath and I smiled WOW how does one go from total fury to calm in 1 second? I told them - 'ok give me 30 seconds - I will be back, just 30 seconds'.

I went to my desk meeting the PMO Director on the way who wanted to discuss a real serious issue with me - I had to tell him 'Can I see you in a few minutes? I am with Paul'... I got my cellphone and security badge (oh that was another thing I started tracking that no one was tracking <i am grinding my teeth>), calmly walked back to the office and laid them on the table.

Paul looked confused and asked 'are you giving notice?'

"Yep sure am apparently I am a horrible worker, so you need to hire someone else who fits the bill. I will finish doing the stuff you interrupted me with, then I shall go home."

So I went to my desk and started finishing up stuff, but they came and told me 'you have to leave now'.

OK no problem - I am sure coworker knows how to do my job also seeing as how she did such a bang-up job before I was hired and when I was sick (not!).

The CFO escorted me to the door, where I said to him 'you know Paul I would never sabotage anything'.

He said 'its not that'

I looked at him and said 'yep sure, I worked in business a long time, bye Paul.'

And I walked to my car and freaked out. I should have just shut my face, said yea ma’am how high ma’am and stayed the plan for a quiet quit!

(Bob - Now I will never know if buddy made his connection at LaGuardia

The End

Now to find something else that pays the bills.

Idiot Kelly Tax
Misty thinking ‘I want to break free’ (great song!)
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You held up well. Time to let the blood pressure cool off....and they can deal with the subsequent mess from the HR micromanagement

 

[RoyalChick]

You have nothing to worry about until you hit "Chicken People" weird.

OK. Now I really have to watch this movie!

 

[RebeccaBoyd]

You should enter that top photo in the caption contest.

It is done.

 

[rural mouse]

If the above pictures look questionable, it is because mom was playing with her. Butter was sunbathing in the sawdust. Mom decided to see just how far she would let her go if she started putting sawdust on her. She stayed like this for almost half a hour.
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Gracie was confused and concerned.
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Enter one of those in POW or the caption contest. They're epic!