The Anthesteria that sadly wasn't
My Anthesteria plans, such as they were, were sadly not executed. Unfortunately situations at work have left me so goddamn fucking pissed off that I have been in a considerably less than celebratory mood. I did hold at least a small ritual for Dionysos both nights and intend to do so again tonight, but there hasn't been much of a holiday feel to the whole thing.
Allow me to explain. Monday we did not go into work for reasons that are still not entirely clear to everyone. Tuesday was fine, but Wednesday (the day the Anthesteria began of course) our usual supervisor Mick was not in (there are conflicting reports as to why, he has problems in his leg that were bothering him, or it could be he had a minor fight with his girlfriend who is the woman who owns the company and was using the leg as an excuse to not come in and deal with things right now, I really don't know one way or the other) and so we were forced to deal with his cousin Seth instead.
How shall I describe Seth for you? I can try but I'm not sure you would believe me if I did, you may feel certain I have to be making him up because no one could possibly be that bad. I assure you, not only am I not making anything up but I think I'm being generous as well.
If you were to look up the word nerd in the dictionary (you could probably substitute loser in this scenario as well), you would find a picture of someone much more socially together than he is. And I'm usually a bit more sympathetic when it comes to people who have poor social skills because I of all people know that its not always your fault that you wound up that way (if you're never included in the group how can you possibly learn to behave in one?). But this guy is not even trying, in fact he seems to be going out of his way to be disgusting. He looks like he just about never showers, shaves of brushes his hair. He almost never changes his clothes, I saw him wearing the same goddamn shirt two days in a row, he skipped a day (to wear a t-shirt with a gigantic hole running up the side of it) and then wore the damn shirt again. He wears his pants often unbuttoned and half zipped (thanks the gods for that belt holding everything together, I don't know what I'd do without it). He seems to enjoy keeping his shirt pulled up over his big hairy stomach and will walk around this way, or keep pulling his shirt up when he's talking to you (Dominic tells me he often has his ass crack hanging out too, I have not noticed this myself because I'm not even looking there, but I'll take his words for it). He scratches his balls constantly, and he's not even remotely subtle about it either, he could be in the middle of giving you instructions and he'll have his hand down there two or three times merrily picking away (I keep wanting to yell at him, "See a fucking doctor already, get some fucking cream!"); I wouldn't even do something like that in front of people I knew well, let alone people I hardly knew at all or people who are supposed to be working under me.
This is the first time any of us have ever had to work directly under him, he's usually behind his desk all day on the phone while Mick is supervising us. If Mick were to ever leave and Seth become the new boss I am looking for another job (and from what I've been able to ascertain, so will everyone else working on a regular basis now). We spend the first day tabbing flyers through a machine, he had to call me over from doing something else to help Dominic clean up the cards that were covering the table and spilling onto the floor because Seth was sending them through manually at a machine gun speed, had the belt speed turned all the way up so they were really flying out of there, and there was no possible way just one person could've kept up with it. So he called me over to help, but the thing is he didn't stop sending them through while we were cleaning up the mess already there, so for every one card we managed to pick up five more would immediately take its place. Less than five minutes there I wanted to punch him in the face and Dominic, whom I've never seen angry before, had his eyes bugged halfway out of his head. He basically kept going until we ran out of cards for that tray and then walked away to let his finish cleaning up the mess he created.
The entire day he was hovering around everyone, nothing we did was good enough or fast enough, and finally he came in and rudely kicked us all out at five thirty before we could make even eight hours that day. This was after he went out of his way to inform us that he doesn't get paid by the hour the way we do, he gets paid based on profit, basically the faster we get the job done the more money he makes. I get the sense he could really give a rat's ass if we make any money at all.
Dominic and I walked home earlier than we should have, both enraged and talking about how we'd like to push that fucking kid under a bus. I spent the rest of the day trying to calm down but I remained annoyed. I had wanted to pick up a small bottle of wine for Dionysos that night, but by the end of the day I didn't feel like hunting down a liquor store, I didn't even really want to be around people by that point I really just wanted to go to bed.
But I did a small ritual anyway, because it seemed important I do something even if its not to the scale I wanted to do it; I sense this would be a good opportunity to build inroads with Dionysos, establish a relationship with him. I presented him with the candles I picked up earlier and the book I had copied down hymns in, I sat in meditation for a while. He took my bad mood away from me for which I was grateful, and before long I became very tired. I'm not adjusting incredibly well to getting up everyday and going to bed at a reasonable time, I've been kind of exhausted so I called it quits sooner than I would've wanted to and went to bed two hours earlier than I have been; I had a feeling that would be all right.
The next day I had wanted to try maintaining a ritual silence, as per
sannion suggestion in his how to celebrate Anthesteria article. I did well for a short while and while I knew I couldn't maintain total silence at work I could try speaking much less than I usually do. Unfortunately we arrived to discover Seth in charge yet again and that plan was soon discarded when I could no longer keep my anger at bay.
If we thought the first day was miserable, Seth actually managed to make day two of his supervision much more unpleasant. He was even more of an impatient asshole, I was the one working next to him at the tabbing machine while he sprayed them out at me like a miserable shithead neither noticing nor caring that I couldn't (not that anyone could) keep up with that pace. At one point he even went over to Dominic and James who were stuffing envelopes for another job they had just got maybe an hour ago, and out of nowhere screamed at them for not being done with the job yet even though there was no possible way they could've been done in the short amount of time they had to work on it. He accused them of deliberately dragging their feet on the job so that they could bilk more money out of him, and he's not Mick he won't put up with their crap. Good thing I wasn't over there then, that accusation would've dragged some sarcastic response out of me, "Yes Seth, you've caught us, you've unraveled our master plan. We've been purposely moving slowing so we can stay at work for eight hours a day and make enough money to, you know, live. Oh and maybe buy that small yacht I've had my eye on."
There was a small bit of revenge when Seth went out to the post office (leaving me, Dominic, James and Ray to bitch about him freely for a while). When he came back with Anna we learned Seth had left the printing machine one while he was gone, we figured this out when the ink cartridge started to smoke. That sucked a great deal of the arrogance out of him and we got to watch him moping sullenly about for making suck a dumb fuck mistaken before he went into the other room with Anna and closed the door. Then at five thirty, he burst out to order us all to leave, once again before we could make eight hours. He also announced that no one would be coming in for work tomorrow either. Because his day sucked and he wanted some time off the rest of us had to suffer. Dominic and I went home having not made even a hundred and sixty bucks this week, Dominic unable to make rent.
To top things off, Dominic later got a call from Mick the good boss. Whereas we thought Seth was likely crying about his stupid mistake while Anna was coddling him, he was actually telling Anna that Dominic and James had been giving him shit. He painted that earlier scenario like he was being a sane and rational human being and Dominic and James were being unreasonable assholes to him. Anna was angry at all of us without having even gotten our side of the story (and sadly we had both given her far more credit than that) but Mick, who knows well what a little shit stain his cousin is, called for Dominic's side of the story. We've been assured our jobs are in no danger and Mick will talk to Anna for us and has promised us he will be back on Monday.
There are several warning lights that were sent immediately flashing off in my head where Seth was concerned; he is not someone that should ever be in charge of another person because he can't handle it, he wants that sort of power for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately I've met way too many people like him in my life so I know how it goes. If he was working in a group home, he would be the guy that would yank privileges for no reason whatsoever, the one who would make up stories to get you in trouble, have you restrained because he didn't like the way you were looking at him, the very first one to start smacking people around once he was sure no one would notice or that no one would care. Sadly for him he isn't in a group home and so he's limited in how he can display his power. I have a feeling he has many bad memories of being beaten up on the playground regularly by kids that looked like me and everyone else who works there, and now he's the one in charge and we're all going to pay. He wants a supervisor position because it comes with respect, and he knows he doesn't actually deserve anyone's respect, he knows no one would ever respect him any other way. If he thinks for a second you are disrespecting him in even the slightest way, he'll screw you over first chance he gets, and he'll do it behind your back too because he's spineless.
I can't possibly work for this fucking kid, I can't go through another week like this. Mick may be an asshole too, but he's a decent asshole, the kind of asshole you can like. Mick also knows what its like to be a worker, it hasn't been that long since he was one and he's in no way power hungry; he knows what we all have to go through and he treats us with respect. Seth on the other hand, I doubt he's ever had to do any real labor in his entire life, and as he pointed out he gets paid completely differently than we do, making hours isn't a problem for him; I think he views us all as his personal slaves to help him make a profit and he could care less if we get anything out of it, if we make enough for rent or not.
I am willing to let this week slide. But if there is another week like this one, another week where I can only work three days less than eight hours each and have to put up with that snot nosed little fuck, I will be looking for another job.
And that's why I haven't done much celebrating, after all this I hope you (and Dionysos) can understand why I just wasn't in the mood. I held another small ritual last night but I just wasn't able to put my anger out of my mind and it was distracting.
On this, my unexpected and unwanted day off, I am trying to do a little better. Dominic and I are going to see Zodiac and try to enjoy ourselves. I think I'm about done trying to actually celebrate the Anthesteria as is, but I will hold another ritual for Dionysos tonight, try to build those inroads as best I can. I hope I haven't offended him in anyway.
Damn that fucking loser piece of shit. I really didn't need this right now.
Allow me to explain. Monday we did not go into work for reasons that are still not entirely clear to everyone. Tuesday was fine, but Wednesday (the day the Anthesteria began of course) our usual supervisor Mick was not in (there are conflicting reports as to why, he has problems in his leg that were bothering him, or it could be he had a minor fight with his girlfriend who is the woman who owns the company and was using the leg as an excuse to not come in and deal with things right now, I really don't know one way or the other) and so we were forced to deal with his cousin Seth instead.
How shall I describe Seth for you? I can try but I'm not sure you would believe me if I did, you may feel certain I have to be making him up because no one could possibly be that bad. I assure you, not only am I not making anything up but I think I'm being generous as well.
If you were to look up the word nerd in the dictionary (you could probably substitute loser in this scenario as well), you would find a picture of someone much more socially together than he is. And I'm usually a bit more sympathetic when it comes to people who have poor social skills because I of all people know that its not always your fault that you wound up that way (if you're never included in the group how can you possibly learn to behave in one?). But this guy is not even trying, in fact he seems to be going out of his way to be disgusting. He looks like he just about never showers, shaves of brushes his hair. He almost never changes his clothes, I saw him wearing the same goddamn shirt two days in a row, he skipped a day (to wear a t-shirt with a gigantic hole running up the side of it) and then wore the damn shirt again. He wears his pants often unbuttoned and half zipped (thanks the gods for that belt holding everything together, I don't know what I'd do without it). He seems to enjoy keeping his shirt pulled up over his big hairy stomach and will walk around this way, or keep pulling his shirt up when he's talking to you (Dominic tells me he often has his ass crack hanging out too, I have not noticed this myself because I'm not even looking there, but I'll take his words for it). He scratches his balls constantly, and he's not even remotely subtle about it either, he could be in the middle of giving you instructions and he'll have his hand down there two or three times merrily picking away (I keep wanting to yell at him, "See a fucking doctor already, get some fucking cream!"); I wouldn't even do something like that in front of people I knew well, let alone people I hardly knew at all or people who are supposed to be working under me.
This is the first time any of us have ever had to work directly under him, he's usually behind his desk all day on the phone while Mick is supervising us. If Mick were to ever leave and Seth become the new boss I am looking for another job (and from what I've been able to ascertain, so will everyone else working on a regular basis now). We spend the first day tabbing flyers through a machine, he had to call me over from doing something else to help Dominic clean up the cards that were covering the table and spilling onto the floor because Seth was sending them through manually at a machine gun speed, had the belt speed turned all the way up so they were really flying out of there, and there was no possible way just one person could've kept up with it. So he called me over to help, but the thing is he didn't stop sending them through while we were cleaning up the mess already there, so for every one card we managed to pick up five more would immediately take its place. Less than five minutes there I wanted to punch him in the face and Dominic, whom I've never seen angry before, had his eyes bugged halfway out of his head. He basically kept going until we ran out of cards for that tray and then walked away to let his finish cleaning up the mess he created.
The entire day he was hovering around everyone, nothing we did was good enough or fast enough, and finally he came in and rudely kicked us all out at five thirty before we could make even eight hours that day. This was after he went out of his way to inform us that he doesn't get paid by the hour the way we do, he gets paid based on profit, basically the faster we get the job done the more money he makes. I get the sense he could really give a rat's ass if we make any money at all.
Dominic and I walked home earlier than we should have, both enraged and talking about how we'd like to push that fucking kid under a bus. I spent the rest of the day trying to calm down but I remained annoyed. I had wanted to pick up a small bottle of wine for Dionysos that night, but by the end of the day I didn't feel like hunting down a liquor store, I didn't even really want to be around people by that point I really just wanted to go to bed.
But I did a small ritual anyway, because it seemed important I do something even if its not to the scale I wanted to do it; I sense this would be a good opportunity to build inroads with Dionysos, establish a relationship with him. I presented him with the candles I picked up earlier and the book I had copied down hymns in, I sat in meditation for a while. He took my bad mood away from me for which I was grateful, and before long I became very tired. I'm not adjusting incredibly well to getting up everyday and going to bed at a reasonable time, I've been kind of exhausted so I called it quits sooner than I would've wanted to and went to bed two hours earlier than I have been; I had a feeling that would be all right.
The next day I had wanted to try maintaining a ritual silence, as per
sannion suggestion in his how to celebrate Anthesteria article. I did well for a short while and while I knew I couldn't maintain total silence at work I could try speaking much less than I usually do. Unfortunately we arrived to discover Seth in charge yet again and that plan was soon discarded when I could no longer keep my anger at bay.
If we thought the first day was miserable, Seth actually managed to make day two of his supervision much more unpleasant. He was even more of an impatient asshole, I was the one working next to him at the tabbing machine while he sprayed them out at me like a miserable shithead neither noticing nor caring that I couldn't (not that anyone could) keep up with that pace. At one point he even went over to Dominic and James who were stuffing envelopes for another job they had just got maybe an hour ago, and out of nowhere screamed at them for not being done with the job yet even though there was no possible way they could've been done in the short amount of time they had to work on it. He accused them of deliberately dragging their feet on the job so that they could bilk more money out of him, and he's not Mick he won't put up with their crap. Good thing I wasn't over there then, that accusation would've dragged some sarcastic response out of me, "Yes Seth, you've caught us, you've unraveled our master plan. We've been purposely moving slowing so we can stay at work for eight hours a day and make enough money to, you know, live. Oh and maybe buy that small yacht I've had my eye on."
There was a small bit of revenge when Seth went out to the post office (leaving me, Dominic, James and Ray to bitch about him freely for a while). When he came back with Anna we learned Seth had left the printing machine one while he was gone, we figured this out when the ink cartridge started to smoke. That sucked a great deal of the arrogance out of him and we got to watch him moping sullenly about for making suck a dumb fuck mistaken before he went into the other room with Anna and closed the door. Then at five thirty, he burst out to order us all to leave, once again before we could make eight hours. He also announced that no one would be coming in for work tomorrow either. Because his day sucked and he wanted some time off the rest of us had to suffer. Dominic and I went home having not made even a hundred and sixty bucks this week, Dominic unable to make rent.
To top things off, Dominic later got a call from Mick the good boss. Whereas we thought Seth was likely crying about his stupid mistake while Anna was coddling him, he was actually telling Anna that Dominic and James had been giving him shit. He painted that earlier scenario like he was being a sane and rational human being and Dominic and James were being unreasonable assholes to him. Anna was angry at all of us without having even gotten our side of the story (and sadly we had both given her far more credit than that) but Mick, who knows well what a little shit stain his cousin is, called for Dominic's side of the story. We've been assured our jobs are in no danger and Mick will talk to Anna for us and has promised us he will be back on Monday.
There are several warning lights that were sent immediately flashing off in my head where Seth was concerned; he is not someone that should ever be in charge of another person because he can't handle it, he wants that sort of power for all the wrong reasons. Unfortunately I've met way too many people like him in my life so I know how it goes. If he was working in a group home, he would be the guy that would yank privileges for no reason whatsoever, the one who would make up stories to get you in trouble, have you restrained because he didn't like the way you were looking at him, the very first one to start smacking people around once he was sure no one would notice or that no one would care. Sadly for him he isn't in a group home and so he's limited in how he can display his power. I have a feeling he has many bad memories of being beaten up on the playground regularly by kids that looked like me and everyone else who works there, and now he's the one in charge and we're all going to pay. He wants a supervisor position because it comes with respect, and he knows he doesn't actually deserve anyone's respect, he knows no one would ever respect him any other way. If he thinks for a second you are disrespecting him in even the slightest way, he'll screw you over first chance he gets, and he'll do it behind your back too because he's spineless.
I can't possibly work for this fucking kid, I can't go through another week like this. Mick may be an asshole too, but he's a decent asshole, the kind of asshole you can like. Mick also knows what its like to be a worker, it hasn't been that long since he was one and he's in no way power hungry; he knows what we all have to go through and he treats us with respect. Seth on the other hand, I doubt he's ever had to do any real labor in his entire life, and as he pointed out he gets paid completely differently than we do, making hours isn't a problem for him; I think he views us all as his personal slaves to help him make a profit and he could care less if we get anything out of it, if we make enough for rent or not.
I am willing to let this week slide. But if there is another week like this one, another week where I can only work three days less than eight hours each and have to put up with that snot nosed little fuck, I will be looking for another job.
And that's why I haven't done much celebrating, after all this I hope you (and Dionysos) can understand why I just wasn't in the mood. I held another small ritual last night but I just wasn't able to put my anger out of my mind and it was distracting.
On this, my unexpected and unwanted day off, I am trying to do a little better. Dominic and I are going to see Zodiac and try to enjoy ourselves. I think I'm about done trying to actually celebrate the Anthesteria as is, but I will hold another ritual for Dionysos tonight, try to build those inroads as best I can. I hope I haven't offended him in anyway.
Damn that fucking loser piece of shit. I really didn't need this right now.