I didn't want to give up the vacation - but I didn't want MPH to be telling his mother that we couldn't afford to go to see her at Xmas and then turn around 3 months later and go to Mexico. So we're doing both.

Everyday it seems like I'm repeating to myself at some point as I'm getting ready to go to work or driving to work "I'm not going to say anything negative about anybody" over and over. It never fails - I end up saying something negative.

Our Bozo budget officer gave us the wrong accounting codes. First we had to have our next fiscal year procurement requests into the system by a deadline (a couple months ago) so that contracting can do the workup and awards before the beginning of the Fiscal Year. Then we had to have the PRs sent back to us to insert new accounting codes - then after that Bozo sent us another format for this same accounting code, but on this set of instructions the Bozo reversed two of the codes. The guru budget officer (who I really like - she reminds me of Sandra Bullock) was faxing to us today the instructions for inserting the codes in to the system, which wasn't what the problem was. Bozo gave us the wrong codes is what the problem was. I'm 100% certain that Bozo would blame all of the problems on us, so I faxed a printout of the email with the wrong instructions that Bozo gave us to the Guru - so that she could see we were doing only what we were told.

Bozo is not one of my favorite people - she's annoying and she puts down people all the time behind their back. She's exaggerates things way out of proportion - and she's a sickly person. There's always something wrong with her. It never fails that she's out of the office at critical times too. She asks us for redundant ridiculous information constantly and it has to be inserted in programs and in paperwork in multiple places.

The Guru is fairly new to our organization. She was an auditor in a former life. The first time I met her was in a meeting with some high level auditors who were going over a couple hundred financial records with a fine tooth comb. Our organization was being raked over the coals big time. The Guru in a friendly, almost competitive, bulldog, manner, wrangled over each and every perceived wrong that the auditors found and didn't give in. It was fun to watch. I just sat there entertained. I was there because Bozo - (guess?) couldn't make it. I had never met the Guru before that day. To me it was obvious that the auditors had an agenda to make the organization look as bad as possible. I wouldn't have wasted my time or energy to try to convince them of anything, but the Guru put up a good defense of an agency that she hadn't even been with for long.

I was impressed. I like the Guru. They also call her the Martha Stewart of the office. She makes cool stuff. To me she really does look like Sandra Bullock. She has the same coloring, same build, her voice even sounds the same. I couldn't visualize the Guru driving a bus on the freeways of LA with Keanu Reeve by herside. I could see her debating acccountability records with him though.

Have you ever watched TLC - and seen that one advertisement for a show about medical miracles, and they keep showing that one lady with the before picture and then they show her talking with her left temple gone and she says (I've heard this a hundred times) " . . and I still have the bullet right here. ." and pointing at the left side of her head. That lady is another version of the Bozo. Same looks (without the left temple indentation), same nasally condescending voice.

My supervisor reminds me of a doll with the eyes that open and close when you lay them on their backs. She has black long shiny hair and long black eyelashes that curl perfectly. Her skin is like porcelain. She's petite, and is consistently always in the same mood or disposition, which is mostly sunny. I'd have to say that her strongest trait is that she is so consistent - she doesn't bother to learn much in-depth about things, but she overall manages things okay, and she's just dependable. She never lets anything drop through the holes - she might not get to it right away but she gets to it eventually. I had my doubts about her at first, but now I like working for her.

Anyhow - everyday I try to tell myself that I'm going to be impartial, I'm not going to say anything that might be perceived as negative about somebody else. I'm going to be fair, quiet, and just stay at my desk and get my own things done. Tomorrow is another day and maybe just for tomorrow I will do this. I guess the best way to do this is to just stop myself when I find myself being so judgmental about people.

Maybe it would help if I didn't write about it too.