My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge
Craig is, without doubt, the worst manager in the history of managers. Ever. I could write my dissertation on his lacking managerial skills, but I’ll spare you and just fill you in on the highlights.
Because of his ignorance - or disregard, I’m not sure - of the request off folder, Craig continually schedules people when they cannot work but never when they can. Example: Eric can’t work weekdays, only weekends. Guess who works all week but gets the weekend off. I only have to take two finals. Both on Tuesday. Guess who gets the whole week off. . . .except for Tuesday. It’s almost uncanny how it works out.
Because he turned the heater up way too high, the film stuck one day and ended up causing a wrap. As a result, about ten minutes had to be cut out. We get nothing but complaints all week. Craig orders a replacement reel. Only he orders the wrong one. Bravo.
Oh yeah, and then there was that time during Thanksgiving break when he decided that he wasn’t going to work. . .for a week.
But tomorrow we have the big manager meeting. I’ve made a list of all the things he’s messed up because I know I won’t remember them all. Good Lord, there were three in the past twelve hours alone: He left the ladder in the ally behind the theatre, he locked his keys in the office, and he didn’t bother to tell me that there was a new combination to the safe so I couldn’t get the money when I opened this morning.
Craig’s faults aside, today was one of those days that reminds me why I work at the theatre in the first place. I’m scheduled to be there at noon. I show up at about noon fifteen and unlock the place. I check the e-mail to see if there is anything that needs my immediate attention. Surprise surprise, there isn’t. So I head over to Capital and peruse the used DVD and CD section. They had Say Anything a few weeks ago. I really dropped the ball when I didn’t get that. So I’m here now to redeem myself. And I’d like to think that I did. I managed to find Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited (the one Dylan album that I’ve wanted that I didn’t have) and The Velvet Underground with Nico (I’ve downloaded so much Velvet Underground in the past year I figured I should go ahead and buy an album). Just as I’m about to buy these albums, some guy brings in some CDs to sell. Amongst them is Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. It was something like number six on the Rolling Stone 500 greatest albums list so I figured I’d get that as well and see what all the fuss was about.
I head back to the theatre and buy some hot chocolate on the way. I pop What’s Going On into the theatre CD player and sit on the balcony with newspaper and hot chocolate in hand. I finish the hot chocolate and hop on my bike. For the next ten minutes I ride my bike up and down the aisles as the sweet sounds of Marvin Gaye fill the theatre. I manage to pick up enough speed going down the aisle that I can actually hear the Doppler effect as I get closer to the screen. Though I suppose this is a fairly common natural phenomenon, I find it incredibly cool that I can tap into such a wonder on my bike.
Roderick and Autumn show up a little after one. This is going to be a good day. After much consideration I have realized that I can work with almost anyone (key word - almost) and it is a supershift - though Joe and the lovely Miss Shields are two of my favorites.
In honor, I suppose, of the pink shirt and baby blue cardigan Roderick brought me, I declare the day casual day. I figure no one works well wearing faded maroon anyway.
In the spirit of the season we adapt a Macy's Loves Gimbels policy à la Miracle on 34th Street. “Well ma’am, Haunted Mansion is missing about ten minutes, and it really wasn’t that good in the first place. But the Cinema has The Last Samurai, not to mention much more comfortable seating”.
I freely give out Craig’s number to some customers irate at the missing reel in Haunted Mansion. At one point some lady actually calls the theatre to get the number as word reached her that “they were giving out the manager’s phone number”. We give it to her making sure to let her know, “the manager’s name is Craig”.
About an hour later Craig calls asking why we are giving out his number.
“Well Craig, they wanted to speak to the manger”
“But you are a manager”
“Yes Craig, but I’m not, the manager”
Before he can say anything else I quip, “so Craig, when were you planning on telling me that the safe combination was changed?”
Craig is more or less speechless and only manages to squeeze out some primal grunts in reply. Filling the silence he left I say, “Yeah Craig, way to drop the ball. . . again.” I say this with such detestation that even I was surprised at myself.
I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine.
The box mysteriously finds itself $30 over. The three of us use the money to buy some Christmas decorations. Fantastic. I can use this in the meeting as an example of how people at the theatre have such pride and are willing to spend their own money to make it a better place.
Defy that, Craig.
I am not often as confident of my position as I am right now. I’m ready to go in guns a-blazin’. Theresa and myself have told off Doug once a piece in the past week. We hardly look Craig in the eyes. There is nothing but facts in our favor and Craig has nothing but a list of mistakes to his name. Craig is the whale killing pharmaceutical company to our wheelchair bound flipper baby. The point is, we have hand.
Tomorrow is going to be spectacular.
Because of his ignorance - or disregard, I’m not sure - of the request off folder, Craig continually schedules people when they cannot work but never when they can. Example: Eric can’t work weekdays, only weekends. Guess who works all week but gets the weekend off. I only have to take two finals. Both on Tuesday. Guess who gets the whole week off. . . .except for Tuesday. It’s almost uncanny how it works out.
Because he turned the heater up way too high, the film stuck one day and ended up causing a wrap. As a result, about ten minutes had to be cut out. We get nothing but complaints all week. Craig orders a replacement reel. Only he orders the wrong one. Bravo.
Oh yeah, and then there was that time during Thanksgiving break when he decided that he wasn’t going to work. . .for a week.
But tomorrow we have the big manager meeting. I’ve made a list of all the things he’s messed up because I know I won’t remember them all. Good Lord, there were three in the past twelve hours alone: He left the ladder in the ally behind the theatre, he locked his keys in the office, and he didn’t bother to tell me that there was a new combination to the safe so I couldn’t get the money when I opened this morning.
Craig’s faults aside, today was one of those days that reminds me why I work at the theatre in the first place. I’m scheduled to be there at noon. I show up at about noon fifteen and unlock the place. I check the e-mail to see if there is anything that needs my immediate attention. Surprise surprise, there isn’t. So I head over to Capital and peruse the used DVD and CD section. They had Say Anything a few weeks ago. I really dropped the ball when I didn’t get that. So I’m here now to redeem myself. And I’d like to think that I did. I managed to find Dylan’s Highway 61 Revisited (the one Dylan album that I’ve wanted that I didn’t have) and The Velvet Underground with Nico (I’ve downloaded so much Velvet Underground in the past year I figured I should go ahead and buy an album). Just as I’m about to buy these albums, some guy brings in some CDs to sell. Amongst them is Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On. It was something like number six on the Rolling Stone 500 greatest albums list so I figured I’d get that as well and see what all the fuss was about.
I head back to the theatre and buy some hot chocolate on the way. I pop What’s Going On into the theatre CD player and sit on the balcony with newspaper and hot chocolate in hand. I finish the hot chocolate and hop on my bike. For the next ten minutes I ride my bike up and down the aisles as the sweet sounds of Marvin Gaye fill the theatre. I manage to pick up enough speed going down the aisle that I can actually hear the Doppler effect as I get closer to the screen. Though I suppose this is a fairly common natural phenomenon, I find it incredibly cool that I can tap into such a wonder on my bike.
Roderick and Autumn show up a little after one. This is going to be a good day. After much consideration I have realized that I can work with almost anyone (key word - almost) and it is a supershift - though Joe and the lovely Miss Shields are two of my favorites.
In honor, I suppose, of the pink shirt and baby blue cardigan Roderick brought me, I declare the day casual day. I figure no one works well wearing faded maroon anyway.
In the spirit of the season we adapt a Macy's Loves Gimbels policy à la Miracle on 34th Street. “Well ma’am, Haunted Mansion is missing about ten minutes, and it really wasn’t that good in the first place. But the Cinema has The Last Samurai, not to mention much more comfortable seating”.
I freely give out Craig’s number to some customers irate at the missing reel in Haunted Mansion. At one point some lady actually calls the theatre to get the number as word reached her that “they were giving out the manager’s phone number”. We give it to her making sure to let her know, “the manager’s name is Craig”.
About an hour later Craig calls asking why we are giving out his number.
“Well Craig, they wanted to speak to the manger”
“But you are a manager”
“Yes Craig, but I’m not, the manager”
Before he can say anything else I quip, “so Craig, when were you planning on telling me that the safe combination was changed?”
Craig is more or less speechless and only manages to squeeze out some primal grunts in reply. Filling the silence he left I say, “Yeah Craig, way to drop the ball. . . again.” I say this with such detestation that even I was surprised at myself.
I have a love in my life. It makes me stronger than anything you can imagine.
The box mysteriously finds itself $30 over. The three of us use the money to buy some Christmas decorations. Fantastic. I can use this in the meeting as an example of how people at the theatre have such pride and are willing to spend their own money to make it a better place.
Defy that, Craig.
I am not often as confident of my position as I am right now. I’m ready to go in guns a-blazin’. Theresa and myself have told off Doug once a piece in the past week. We hardly look Craig in the eyes. There is nothing but facts in our favor and Craig has nothing but a list of mistakes to his name. Craig is the whale killing pharmaceutical company to our wheelchair bound flipper baby. The point is, we have hand.
Tomorrow is going to be spectacular.