I have a dark side. I get very irritated when I am trying to concentrate and am either getting constantly interrupted, or when there is lots of unnecessary background noise. I work in an open plan office, and so try to be considerate about not making too much noise.
Long story short. Today a woman from our accounting firm is working alongside me, doing some end of financial year journals etc on our software. This lady cannot make a single key stroke or touch her mouse without discussing it with herself. She is slowly driving me insane.
"So OK, that goes there... and then I'll just put this here... and where did that go to?... oh, why is that balance different to?..."
I just tried to give her the hint by asking if she was talking to me, because we aren't talking whispered conversations here, we're talking about regular conversational volume. Her answer? "No, if I'm talking to you I'll say 'Andrew'..." Well, ok then, glad that's clear. (Bitch.)
[Updated: Ok, she has just left. She apologised for annoying me by talking to herself constantly. Yes, I'm a mean, mean, mean and terrible, horrible person... not really, but I did feel a little guilty for letting my frustration show. The fact that she got where I'm coming from straight away would seem to imply that I'm not the first person to find it annoying though. Gosh, sure is quiet in here all of a sudden. ::crickets:: ]
16 comments:
Glad work is so, erm, enlightening for you Andrew.
The Kid and I are sitting here at an Internet Cafe in the Brisbane CBD after trawling Queen Street Mall, the Botanic Gardens and Southbank. Sunny and 28 degree's here today. Rabbit arrives on Friday night (only two more sleeps ... yaaaaaaay!), then 10 whole days for the Unholy Trinity to ravage across this state.
Anyways, must get back to the sunshine, shopping and countless cuties ...
Bodhi & The Kid :-)
Brisbane, Australia
Hey Bodes! Nice to hear from you. Have fun, give a big kiss to The Kid for me... actually, give one to Rabbit too. :-)
Sure has been quiet around here (and Pipedreams) while you've been gone. Have fun!
Isn't talking through your actions a thing you're meant to stop doing once you turn 4? You know, when you actually develope an internal monologue?
I bet she developed it as a way to avoid being interrupted by other people because she was 'obviously' busy.
I understand your 'wall of sound' theory Harry, but she was being left alone. It's just who she is apparently, and it's her normal mode of operation. Somewhat maddening.
As to the internal/external dialogue - don't we all have issues with that sometimes. "oops, did I say that out loud?..." :-)
I used to work with someone who did the same thing. Whenever she wasn't verbalizing her fractured thought processes, she would revert to her constant default high-hat sound.
I had to verbally berate her, pick apart her appearance, and generally make her look like a poor employee until she finally went away.
Feel better about what you did?
My officemate is always talking very loudly in Spanish. Very loudly. The other day, I made some comment about how people are always talking in the hall, and he was all, "yeah, they are so loud, that is disrespectful". I was thinking, you know what, you are right... but you do the same thing!!! And in SPANISH!!!!!
*loud-ass conversation on the phone with someone in Spanish, blah, blah, CIAO!* I hear that a lot. My sympathies.
It IS irritating. You were right to inform her.
And you're even better to feel guilty. I think the day you stop feeling terrible when you've been mean to someone is the day you're no longer a good person.
I remember that day well.
Michael, I'm so staying on your good side, m'kay?
Duane, that would drive me nuts. What's worse, I don't know any Spanish! How could I eavesdrop? How maddening. Prehaps try doing the same, only in Japanese, Icelandic or your very own version of Esperanto.
The absolute worst thing for me, above self-talkers and loud phone converastionalists... whistlers. People who whistle. Drives me crazy.
Of course I was just trying to make you feel better. I'm busy and oblivious at work, Nutty Professor-stizz, so people could do all manner of annoying things and I'd be none the wiser. I mean, I missed blatant embezzelment for months. We did have someone who did the high-hat tsh-tsh-ta-tsh sound all the time, but I didn't drive her away. She retired after being percussion-y background noise for ten years.
Oh, dear. Is this going to ruin the blunt and horny homo personae that I so carefully cultivate?
Gah. I don't even know you any more Michael... :-)
I can get into that whole single-pointed concentration mode too, but I seem to be really sensitive to some annoying noises. Then, of course, the more I obssess the more I can't help but listen for them. Like a dripping tap in the middle of the night.
I'm kind of intrigued by what you do for a living...
I'm a nickel whore!
How soon they forget.
I thought you were a 'two bit' whore...
TOA, sometimes I have a tendency to hum Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass tunes when I'm busy.
that would never irritate you, would it?
miss speedy
Speedy, at least it's a classy taste in tunes to hum, but yes, I would have to kill you.
Argh! The unending infinite variety that is the Tijuana Brass! At least it's not The Baby Elephant Walk as done on the mouth trumpet.
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