Stella's Social Club

[mlm Mike]

......Does this mean you'll be hanging out in a different forum thread and ignoring us?!

No, you all are stuck with me!

The project is to see what I can get away with before DW has me sleeping in the barn. Clues are seasonal layers and the males are rather colorful, with rather long tails. I just hope some hatch.

On a completely unrelated note, the wood shop next to us recently has expanded/remodeled and they now have a peacock on their sign.

 

[The Sheriff]

Wow, this is tough.

 

[debs_flock]

I used to have nothing but trouble with my local post office. It was a fight to see if they could find my eggs. Then to be spiteful, they would start "finding" them at 4am and they would "call for pickup".

I worked so hard at developing a relationship with a mid-level employee. He now goes out of his way for me. They call at a decent time, they place my egg boxes on his desk, if it's way outside of hours they have me come in the employee door. In exchange, I always smile, I bring eggs, I bring pictures of the breed that are in the box so they can see what they have handled.

When I get live birds (not too often), I've got the guys used to looking for my name at the West Sac hub and at the airport. They don't know if I'm expecting birds, so I think they look at every live bird box and check for my name. I've gotten calls from the airport at 8pm. "Hi, this is Jessie at air cargo in Sac. I have birds here for you, did you want to come and get them?" Even if I'm already in my PJ's, I want to encourage that behavior. I say absolutely, jump up, get dressed and head out the door with a dozen eating eggs in my hand. It's only 3 hours RT

and saves my birds another 12 hours in the box in some huge warehouse. I don't ever want them to think the birds aren't important enough to me that I wouldn't drop everything to go after them, even if I know the birds would be fine (last time they had only left the shipper about six hours earlier, they would have been fine, but off I went to the airport.

When my box of goslings were "found" in the West Sac sort facility. They had me go down, drive in the employee entrance ("just don't tell anyone you don't work there"), climb up on the loading dock and go in the employee door. I had four guys escort me through the HUGE facility because they all wanted to see the babies (and tell me stories about seeing baby ducks when they went kayaking, LOL).

I have worked SO hard at culturing these relationships, if I can just get my shipments into northern California, then I have them on my side.

 

[gryeyes]

For some reason, the Postmistress at the Somerset post office seems to like me. She can be gruff, and has ticked off some folks I know, but she IS the Postmistress so I am very ... Well, not meek, but very "appreciative" of her efforts.

Unfortunately, the guy was there when my goslings arrived and he wasn't the least bit interested in seeing the box contents - he shoved it at me without a word when I knocked at the "not open yet" door. And he was the one who had called me to come get them right away.

Guess a noisy box isn't his cup of tea.

 

[debs_flock]

For some reason, the Postmistress at the Somerset post office seems to like me. She can be gruff, and has ticked off some folks I know, but she IS the Postmistress so I am very ... Well, not meek, but very "appreciative" of her efforts.

Unfortunately, the guy was there when my goslings arrived and he wasn't the least bit interested in seeing the box contents - he shoved it at me without a word when I knocked at the "not open yet" door. And he was the one who had called me to come get them right away.

Guess a noisy box isn't his cup of tea.

I've got employees buying eggs from me now at my PO. And they want to bring their children to my house on a family excursion after church to see the birds. The comment "after all, I know your address", LOL

 

[The Sheriff]

You're a better woman then me Deb. I don't want to have to establish a relationship with someone at the post office to have my mail delivered as paid for. Good grief, whatever happened to people just doing their job because that is what they are being paid to do. I refuse to suck up to this bitter old dried up nasty b*itch just to get my mail. I applaud you for finding something that works in your case. As for me personally, the only instance I could see myself carrying eating eggs into the post office would be if I planned to start hurling them at her the moment she starts screaming at me!

When I took over as administrator at a dialysis clinic the entire staff and patient population ran scared of a Haitian dialysis technician who was meaner than hell. Everyone was afraid to cross her. Her personnel file was eight inches thick with complaints, none acted upon in a manner designed to correct the problem. The doctors that had owned the clinic previously were afraid to fire her for fear that she would sue them. My first step as administrator was to call a mandatory meeting of all staff and, of course, she refused to attend. I called her in to discuss it with her and she told me she had seen administrator's come and go and she would be there long after me. I fired her on the spot for insubordination and gave her a little lecture in the meaning of being an "at will" employee. She was never heard from again and the clinic was restored to order. Patients no longer feared the wrath of "Jane Doe." There are ways to deal with problem employees if you chose to do so. The PO here chooses not to.

 

[kathyinmo]

Mary, where is that post of yours for perfect boiled eggs with no green?

 

[galanie]

Mary, I'm sorry you have to deal with someone who doesn't do their job properly.

Mary it's very hard to get any of the "problem" people  removed  - .  Our mail carrier told me about a mail worker that was stealing on the job .  They caught her on tape doing so in different ways. They couldn't fire her so they had her sent to another branch.   That's the government for you. 

I worked for almost 15 years as a letter carrier for the USPS in a LARGE Chicagoland suburb.  I saw three people fired for stealing.  If management does their job documenting, employees can and will be fired.  Also saw two that were asked to resign (and they did) for "misrepresenting" injuries/illness.  Once again, the proper paperwork and footwork done to get the necessary documentation to show there was just cause.  Bad employees can be gotten rid of by good managers.........unfortunately, bad managers are way too common.  A "desk job" is very appealing to those who don't want to trudge through snow for 4 months, put up with high heat and humidity for 3 months and bear the soaking rain in between so they opt for the inside job. Government jobs don't have a monopoly on excess layers of incompetent manager but it seems everyone notices the effects of them more.  Okay, off the soap box..........

Absolutely. When I was promoted to Supervisor in the post office they had Four things to say about employees acting up: Documentation. Documentation. Write it down. Write it down.

Unfortunately all you said is true. I resigned from management after only 1 1/2 years. Went back to carrying mail. That hellish woman needs some dealing with.

 

[debs_flock]

You're a better woman then me Deb. I don't want to have to establish a relationship with someone at the post office to have my mail delivered as paid for. Good grief, whatever happened to people just doing their job because that is what they are being paid to do. I refuse to suck up to this bitter old dried up nasty b*itch just to get my mail. I applaud you for finding something that works in your case. As for me personally, the only instance I could see myself carrying eating eggs into the post office would be if I planned to start hurling them at her the moment she starts screaming at me!

When I took over as administrator at a dialysis clinic the entire staff and patient population ran scared of a Haitian dialysis technician who was meaner than hell. Everyone was afraid to cross her. Her personnel file was eight inches thick with complaints, none acted upon in a manner designed to correct the problem. The doctors that had owned the clinic previously were afraid to fire her for fear that she would sue them. My first step as administrator was to call a mandatory meeting of all staff and, of course, she refused to attend. I called her in to discuss it with her and she told me she had seen administrator's come and go and she would be there long after me. I fired her on the spot for insubordination and gave her a little lecture in the meaning of being an "at will" employee. She was never heard from again and the clinic was restored to order. Patients no longer feared the wrath of "Jane Doe." There are ways to deal with problem employees if you chose to do so. The PO here chooses not to.

Absolutely, you are preaching to the choir. My theory is I was a government employee, I did my job, why can't they?

But they have the upper hand, where else are you going to go? It's not what they do in front of you, so much as what they do when you aren't there, like when you hear about kitchen staff spitting in your food or worse. I tried angry/firm with them initially, I got no where. So I found a guy that seemed to want to do his job and I cultured him as a friend. He has brought the other people along with him. Some of the people were never mean, just inept or they didn't care.

The last time I went to pick up eggs from the will call window, I got one of the sour people. I handed him some eggs and said, these are for Steve (he is my guy and the one that called me). Steve came walking around the corner and took the eggs, then insisted on giving me some money. As they were closing the window, I heard sourpuss ask what that was about. When Steve told him, I heard him say "Really?" in the first friendly, happy tone I've ever heard from him.

I have to say, I'm sure a big part of it might be the new cabinet incubator, but since I've made friends my shipped egg rate has gone to nearly 100% developing and around 80% hatching. I've had MANY 0% shipped eggs in the past.

I just got to where if you can't beat them, join them. I don't want my egg boxes dropped or thrown or sent out in the jeep with the carrier to be left on the side of the road.

 

[The Sheriff]

Right here Kathy: http://www.bucknrunranch.com/blog/2013/03/30/10471/

Came home to a couple of egg, eh?

Sorry I couldn't help myself.



Hey, if you decide you are still going to re-home your emus, find a buyer not close to you and apply to this new program. I think it would be a hoot!


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