Why Do Plots Have to Get Thicker?

OK... so i know this blog seems to be much more full of navel gazing and general grumpiness than my old one but hey..... If you don't like it, be warned this is a grumpy post!

Work again.....

I thought I had a handle on the Boss situation and had resolved my issues with the LP (Little Princess) but just as I thought I had, it all ups and changes again. And I am cross.

Historically my relationship with LP has been troubled. I often felt like she was trouble making and the way my Boss dealt with us encouraged conflict. I used to be good mates with my Boss until things began to change. It began to look as if all the problems with LP were the result of my Boss. My Boss was also being very unpleasant to me..

Eventually a little group of four of us sat down and compared notes and we were able to see the games my Boss had played with us. Things began to get better at work for me then. My Boss was left out in the cold. After a while she responded to this by having it out with me and this conversation was good because I was able to point out how much of the problem was due to the way she was with me. Things began to get much better.

I still can't resist talking about my Boss though - human - and not always liking everything but that hard edge to it all was gone. I even said to the LP early today that I was feeling much happier because things seemed so much better. She looked momentarily uncomfortable and I thought little of it.

My Boss sat me down today and was really cross. She said she had been hearing things again and she had thought it had all stopped and if it happened again she would be taking it to HR. I was somewhat gob smacked to say the least and we spent some time talking.

LP had been stirring. A lot.

I don't know what is up with her but she has been funny for a few days. Last week a colleague who is poorly and under considerable stress right now, snapped at us both. LP took it to our Boss, which surprised me. My Boss asked me what had happened and I downplayed it, because the fact the colleague was stressed was sooooo..... Not a common occurence at all. I said I didn't want her to have a word with them and LP backed down shortly after.

Today LP made a brave and edgy fashion choice, not likely to go without notice in the male environment we work in - even if just because women tend to compete a little in places like this! Another colleague bought it up jokingly and I got sucked in to the conversation. Then another colleague made a comment and that was it.... Off to the Boss again. Except this time there was a lot of bitching about me and things I had said about my Boss and the job.

I was very, very pissed off. Some of the things being bought up were out of context. Some of the conversations were badly interpreted - they had never been nasty - just innocent job orientated chats. Other things were things that both I and the LP had said at different times! (not that I was going to say that to my Boss) And all this stuff could only have come from her.

Another of my colleague was given a chat today as well for the same reasons and he denied their was any problem as well. Neither of us backed down so once my Boss calmed down she was open to things - like that LP is seriously trying to cause trouble. Having within the last week, complained about three different close colleagues (everyone who sits anywhere near her) and a colleague from another department.

I also made it clear that she often makes mistakes and I clear up quietly behind her without making a thing of it or getting her in to trouble. There was mention of her not liking being told what to do - I vehemently denied that I tell her to do anything and said that for a long time I had been very careful to give her a choice of the duties we had to so we both knew which ones we should do but I had not told her to do anything or gone and done everything myself.

So.... My fragile and recent friendship with LP is in tatters and I am very, very cross with her. My colleague is too. The third colleague has no idea LP tried to get them in to trouble as well and I am not about to say. The thing is, it is all sooo pointless! What did she hope to achieve? How did she expect it to be after? Did she expect me to just take it? I know she would have had no idea of the HR threat but all the same, getting colleagues in to trouble is not something you should do on a whim!

Now I feel like I have to watch everything I say to her. I sure do not trust her.

I have no idea where things will go from here. But I don't think I am going to stop covering for her - I just don't like the unpleasantness of not covering for her mistakes a bit.

But today bought back a dream from a few weeks a go that I puzzled over and now wish I had written down. What I can remember was that there were three snakes. Two had been tamed and were no longer dangerous to me (no venom left I guess). The third was still dangerous. I assumed the dangerous snake was my Boss. Now I know different - the two tamed snakes (for now at least) are my Boss and S's Mum who recently buried the hatchet. I guess the third is LP and that she is done hiding in the grass.

but what now? The close team we formed when it all came out is slowly falling apart - LP is back to being difficult, one colleague is ill and growing increasing stressed and unhappy - he is getting grumpier for sure. And now I have to be so careful what I say to the fourth, because I do not wish to cause any more trouble to rain down on us both....

And I am still cross!