Too Little, Too Late | Main | Burkett is a sad, sad bit of a man
September 20, 2004
Just gotta vent
For the past couple of weeks I've been helping out one of our customers in another town that is within driving distance. They have been having some problems with a system that my group installed, and I went to go fix it for them and try to train the guy they have assigned to be responsible for it.
Folks, this guy is weird. He gives me the creeps and the willies. Ugh, yuck ick.
First off, he has a a skin problem on his face - his forehead flakes. It flakes a lot.
One day last week, the flakes had yellowed and stuck in the creases of his skin (he's about my age and has some wrinkles). There are flakes on his glasses - I don't even know how he sees through the fog of flakes.
Yuck, ick owwiee. Gag.
He also seem to have problems shaving. I don't know why he just doesn't grow a beard and be done with it - but he misses lots of spots - and it looks kinda icky, but it's not just that.
He has boogers in his nose. Visible boogers. He doesn't seem to be aware of them.
And he sweats. This is a little skinny guy who is about my height, with overly long grey hair and a bald spot who sweats, flakes and has visible snot.
The guy has an awful work ethic. He comes and goes and leaves *his* office a good hour before I do every time I'm there.
So here is this little skinny guy who has greasy grey hair with a bald spot, sweats, flakes, has snot and a terrible work ethic.
He also hates his wife. But they stay together for the kids.
So I'm trying to train a guy who hates his wife, has greasy hair with a bald spot, sweats, flakes, has visible snot and a terrible work ethic.
I'm trying to teach this guy something he has never learned before. I try very hard not to cringe when making eye contact. I have had to have lunch with the guy 4 times. I don't even watch him eat.
Today, I made the mistake of letting him use my laptop as I walked him through some processes (I make people go through the steps, that way they learn them better).
At 4:00 pm, he said it was time for him to go home, so he left.
I looked at my laptop keyboard.
He shed on it.
Flakes, flakes and more flakes. I didn't want to look too closely in case there was dried booger there, too.
Oh, I am sooooo grossed out!
So I shook it out, brought it home, and my wonderful husband, John, vacuumed it and sprayed lysol on it.
I have washed my hands at least 6 times since 4:00 pm this afternoon - it is now 6:20.
I am not a neatnick. I am hardly anal when it comes to personal appearance - but this guy has me so squeamed out I could cry.
Thank God I don't have to go back there until maybe one day next month.
Posted by Beth at September 20, 2004 6:22 PM
Comments
I actually *screamed* when I read that he had shed on/into your laptop.
Am I a bad person for thinking "EEEWWWWWWWW!"? LOL!
Posted by: pam at September 20, 2004 7:56 PM
#1 I am sorry for you!
#2 Now am I sorry for me because I cannot get that image out of my head!!! You did an excellent job describing... I'm completely grossed out.
Posted by: Boudicca at September 20, 2004 7:58 PM
I got it first hand - with all the facial expressions and body language!
Posted by: John of Argghhh! at September 20, 2004 8:13 PM
Thank God I finished dinner a couple of hours ago.
I just hope I'll be good to go by breakfast tomorrow.
Posted by: Allan at September 20, 2004 8:42 PM
Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach. Did he have BO? That would have probably pushed me over the edge.
Posted by: Amy at September 20, 2004 10:08 PM
You're training Goldmember from the 3rd Austin Powers movie!!
Posted by: Stu at September 20, 2004 10:16 PM
No, he did not have BO, thank God!
Posted by: Beth Donovan at September 21, 2004 5:18 AM
:::shuddering::: I feel sick just reading about that guy. {{{Beth}}} That's just ... just.. oogy!
Posted by: Kate at September 21, 2004 5:54 AM
Does he rollerskate and listen to Disco music? If so, it's definitely Goldmember!
Posted by: Stu at September 21, 2004 5:31 PM
Have pity - he's not doing it on purpose to annoy you. There are several medical conditions that can cause this, see
fer example. As there's very little he can do about it he's probably so used to it that he doesn't even notice it anymore.
You might mention - delicately - to his employer that you'd prefer to work with someone else when you have to visit but I doubt that would do much good; he's probably the only techie there who can do his job.
Posted by: Orion at September 26, 2004 2:32 PM