Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
What method had you used in previous years to arrange your volunteering schedule?
Same one as this year, as I recall. I may have called him on his cell. He'd rather have people do that than call his office, since he's not there most of the time. He never, ever, ever returns phone calls, though, so I figured that if I were to text him, he'd be more likely to remember to get back to me than if I were to leave him a voicemail. I wouldn't even think that much of it if I hadn't been there since 2010.
I wonder if his friends would tell you he doesn't return phone calls. If I were you and not having multiple phone calls returned, I would cease calling. As I said, not returning your phone call is a message in itself. Listen to the message. And this person is not your friend.
I wonder if his friends would tell you he doesn't return phone calls.
That's how I found out. It was not by personal experience.
Quote:
If I were you and not having multiple phone calls returned, I would cease calling. As I said, not returning your phone call is a message in itself. Listen to the message. And this person is not your friend.
Today, I called the visitors' center and when the woman picked up (it was someone I knew), I told her who I was and asked if Joe was around. She said, "Yes, he is. Hold on, and I'll get him." I held the line for a couple of minutes, at which time she returned and said, "He says he's too busy to talk right now, but that he'll call you within a day or two." I'm pretty sure he won't, but one way or the other, that will be the end of it.
And I know he's not my friend. I never thought he was. And I'm not actually taking this as personally as it may sound. I figure he likes me about as much as he likes any of the other people who work under him. This is just how he is. He is self-centered and avoids any situation he can that will be uncomfortable for him. He knows he has bad news for me and would rather just let me wait and wait and wait for a call and then give up, rather than have the common courtesy to just pick up the phone and call me, or even text me.
I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said, Katz, except...I didn't know SLC had a light rail system! (Worked in public transportation all my life.)
Too bad this didn't work out for you. I'm sure you were good at it.
I have nothing to add that hasn't already been said, Katz, except...I didn't know SLC had a light rail system! (Worked in public transportation all my life.)
Yes, we got ours in 2001, just before the Winter Olympics came to Salt Lake. My husband worked in purchasing for Utah Transit Authority, so you and he have something in common.
Quote:
Too bad this didn't work out for you. I'm sure you were good at it.
Yeah, it's a bummer. I actually was very, very good at it, and I loved the work. If I could have made a decent living at it, I'd have gone for a career in tourism. It would have only paid me a fraction of what I made in IT, though.
Here's an interesting update to my story, if anyone is interested. You'd probably have to reread my OP for some background.
So finally, midway through June, I e-mailed Marc (the #2 man), just to ask him if he knew what was going on. I told him I wasn't trying to get Joe in trouble or make problems for him. All I wanted was a response of some sort. Well, the very next day, Joe e-mailed me and asked me to come back to work for the rest of the summer. I was surprised but happy.
At the end of October, once the crowds had slowed down considerably, I was working (i.e. volunteering) on my next to the last day. Joe comes up to me and says, "So, Katzpur, we're really not going to be using volunteers in the future, but would you be interested in a part-time paying job?'
Huh? I say, "How many hours a week?" He says, "Whatever you want."
I say, "Which days?" He says, "Whichever ones you want."
I say, "How many hours a day on the days I'd be working?' He says, "Whatever you want.
I say, "What time would I need to be in?" He says, "Whenever you want."
I say, "Sure." He says, "You're hired."
So apparently, they're fine paying me. They just don't want me to work for free. Go figure. Anyway, I'm working about 10 hours a week in the winter (which is extremely boring) and about double that in the summer (when it's fun). I don't think I'll ever figure out exactly what happened.
And since you know that Joe is not your friend - he's a sort of friendly boss but FRIENDS confide in each other and he's under no obligation to do so, so there's your answer - then you're right - you will probably never know exactly what happened and that's OK too since you've got your 1 or 2 days a week. Everybody wins!
I have been volunteering for years as a job skills teacher. I can only do this one day a week, one particular day. Well I just found out due to elements that probably have nothing to do with me, that that time slot is not available for me to work as a teacher. But I can be a receptionist! Or work in the kitchen!
I will never know all the ins and outs of the schedule, the classes, the needs of the students, the staff, etc. And frankly, the administrator is friendly - but she's not my friend. She's not paid to be my friend either, she's paid to run the program.
I know you know this about Joe, and I'm not preaching at you, just stating that this stuff is precarious. One of the biggest changes in my mindset happened after I quit working full time and moved - so I had to recreate a whole social structure, without the inbuilt work structure of coworkers that I was friendly with - who were NOT MY FRIENDS. It's easy to slip into considering them friends without really thinking it through, because we spend so much time with them. Well quit working there and see how much you actually gravitate toward one another outside of work!
Sounds like your work situation has worked out well though. Congrats!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
