Erika's Vent

OK, here is my vent. About a month ago my boss Alfred was told by Vice President Big Shot (BS for short) that she would be coming in on July 22nd to review the life sciences at IUSB. Of course, no one really knows what this means so we wait to hear more from BS. Nothing more comes. I finally call her and ask if she has a schedule set up or if I should schedule a meeting with her and the IRB.  She informs me that she and about 6 or 7 others will be flying in on the IU jet on July 23rd.  We already have a meeting scheduled that day at 2pm and she says that should work fine. Then we hear nothing more for a few weeks when she calls me:

BS: What is my schedule like on the 23rd.
Me: I have no idea, except that you said you planned to meet with the IRB at 2pm.
BS: OK, what time do we get in?
Me: I have no idea; I did not make the arrangements.
BS: OK.
Me: Is there anyone I should call?
BS: No, that’s OK.
Me: Is there anything that I should have ready?
BS: No, that’s OK.

Yesterday, the whole bunch of them land at my door at 8:30am and she says “is there someplace we can all meet?” Well, there would have been if you had told me you needed such a thing. “Oh, and we need to get a parking pass.” I could have had that ready if you had just told me. “Oh, and can you call the following people and set up meetings with them for today.” They had not told anyone else they were coming and now they just expected them all to be available.

So, anyway, they take all of my files down to the Board Room that I managed to secure for the day and start going through them. At about noon they send someone to get me to discuss some “major” issues with my files. OK.

BS: We have some major problems with your files.
Me: OK
BS: You have to stop printing emails out onto scrap papers (the other side was already used).
Me: OK
BS: You have to stop copying things double-sided.
Me: OK
BS: And you have to stop using file folders that have been used before.
Me: OK
Me wanted to say: Should I just go start chopping down trees now?
BS: This is very important.
Me: OK

It was all such simple, stupid stuff that they easily could have told me when they reviewed my files last October, but then they would not have had anything to complain about on this trip to ride my ass.  Also, when the files were put back in my office they were a mess. They were backwards and upside down and no longer in alphabetical order. Aaaargh!!