I'm going to start shopping for a flask...or a briefcase.

First, I need to let you know that I have a pretty good sense of humor in day to day dealings with people that I work with. The people that I work with? Most of them are self-absorbed assholes who feel like they are the only right ones. You know...just like me. So I try to remember that I have more freedom of speech than anyplace else I've worked and usually that helps me calm down if someone says something that is offensive to me.

Yesterday in a production meeting (with about 15 participants) that we have three times a week, we were talking about...well...production issues. Because I handle a specific product line that few other people handle, I announced that one of our plants (that makes this specific line) was closed for the week for inventory purposes.

It went like this:

Me: Our (specialized) plant is closed for inventory this week- so nothing can be shipped out of that facility.

Him: Is someone else there to handle orders?

Me: Yes. The inside sales group is still working.

Him: Yeah, but what I'm asking is what about emergency orders? Is someone going to be there to field my calls?

Me: Yes - actually, the quote that we discussed earlier for 30 thousand dollars --

Him: (interrupting) No. Stop right there. I know what you're going to say and that's not going to answer my question.

Me: Oh, you do?

Him: Yes. What I'm asking is about emergency orders. Is someone going to be able to handle those?

(silence)

(more silence)

(people in the room look to me)

Me: (raising my hand) OOOH! Pick me! I know the answer!

Him: What?

Me: As I was saying, the quote that we discussed earlier was an emergency requisition for these parts. They are for (I name three different parts) and will be shipped out, on an emergency basis, direct from the factory's vendors. So yes, they can handle specialized emergency orders.

Him: Oh.

So I forgave that...I mean, it was a jerky thing to do, but really? I have been trying to not be upset about the "little things" that people do. And to be honest, I was a little embarrassed that my reaction to his rude thing was to raise my hand and be overly sarcastic about knowing the answer.

UNTIL

Larry and Lance have been doing that to me ALL THE TIME since the meeting yesterday morning. In fact, I was in Larry's office talking about an issue that I was having with our inventory and he held up his hand and quoted this other manager verbatim. And then he cracks up hysterically laughing. So I start saying what I was going to say and then Lance will pop his head in the office and say the same thing that the manager said.

(sigh)

I think I'm going to start bringing a flask to work. It's either that or be prepared to serve time in prison.