Ugh. I had a migraine last week during a client call, and while I was able to give updates I was not enthusiastic and chipper (for a couple items was like “just tell me what you want and I’ll do it” rather than “sure I can totally do that, would you like X or more Y?”). And now I’ve gotten a talking to about my attitude (the person who did was very kind and I’d told her after that I had a migraine and was logging off, so she told the client when they asked but apparently I was also not chipper enough some mystery other call, and she was like “so let’s not let this become a thing?”) and I mostly want to say “screw them, I quit” but I really can’t/shouldn’t but I also can’t suddenly take multiple days off which I want to do (and because then things would just pile up as I didn’t do them and the thought of the additional work waiting for me would make me more stressed).

I'm OK, I'm tired (well, exhausted), I'm grieving. I also want this war to end so I can grieve properly.

Here's a good reading [link] I thought I'd go insane reading hot takes from people who are not directly impacted by the horrors here on how only one side is suffering and deserves all of the empathy and the other side is totally evil and should disappear from the face of the earth (and I mean one and other side interchangeably - it's like people watching feel like they have to choose if they should go with antisemitism or Islamophobia and... Ugh. The stupidest timeline). I do not subscribe to this newsletter.

And in hope for today: [link]

Edit: added clarity, I hope

Oh meara, your head and employers both need to give you a break.

Thank you for the links, Shir. The news here focuses on the destruction. Your links are much more personal and meaningful. I hope you get some rest soon.

Ugh meara, that's no good. You should be allowed not to be chipper! i know that's not the reality of many jobs but it really should be.

{{{Shir}}}

That is stupid, meara, and likely sexist. edit to fix autocorrect mangling of board name

Thank you for checking in, Shir, and those thoughtful words (both yours and others).

Seeing Kesha tonight by myself! Hope it’s the glittery rainbow queer fierce soul mending I need right now.

Ooh, have fun smonster!

Oh it’s almost certainly sexist but the biggest issue is that it’s all other women, so they expect “niceness” as something of a performance. And the client expects it even if they aren’t, of course. But at this point I’m stretched super thin trying to cover “vaguely competent” and “please read my mind and say “great, thank you!” afterward and be sure you include an exclamation point” is really pushing the bounds of my abilities right now

Somehow, I've become responsible for the calls that come in to our main number. Our voicemail tree sucks swamp water, which callers complain to me about. A lot of the calls are cold calls for various things and I often jus hang up on them. One guy called, wanted to speak to our Executive Director, so I hung up on him. Then he called back and wanted to know why I did so, so I said we don't take cold calls and hung up again. Then he called back AGAIN and complained. Then there was the man who called repeatedly and wanted to speak to someone in such and such a team and I transferred the call ... but he called back within five minutes to complain that there was no answer and he didn't want to leave a voicemail. I'm really, really tired of it.

Yeah, client's unreasonable expectations cannot be called out as such. Sucks.

Your situation also sucks, Toddson! Boo.

You guys, I stopped working before 8 for the first time in...three weeks? I have no idea how lawyers and investment bankers and whatever do this on a regular basis. 12 hour days plus several hours on the weekend? Stupid Canadian client.