Friday, May 14, 2010

F-Bomb Friday...3 Fold

Since I'm a slacker, and didn't post yesterday, I must start out this post by saying:  HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY MIMI!!!  I just love that girl!  Obviously-since I link up with her every week.  Plus, I stalk her constantly, not only through the blogosphere, but also through Facebook.  There's just nowhere she can hide!  Hope your birthday was great!  You don't look a day over 21!

So, this F-Bomb Friday post is a 3 part special.  No, I'm not going to split them up into different posts, but they may seem a little scattered, if I don't group them by individual "episodes".  For those of you who know me in real life, you already know "episode 1" because I blogged about it back in October, on the family blog.  I also must preface this by saying that I have learned one thing in my life that I know for sure.  Never trust someone who goes out of their way to say they hate drama.  Especially if they mention it out of the blue.  They are usually the biggest drama queens around!  Here it goes...

EPISODE 1:
It all started when I went to a PTO meeting at the end of last school year.  I decided that I wanted to play an active role in my children's school, but I knew I couldn't devote too much time, since I had 2 little ones at home.  Luckily, there was an "assistant" position open.  I jumped at the chance.  Throughout the summer and the beginning of the school year, I did everything I was asked.  Most of the things I was asked to do by "bosswoman"   had nothing to do with my particular PTO job, but I was okay with that.  I was clear with her that I could only be at the school a set number of hours a week.  She SAID she was fine with that.  I thought we were friends.  As the demands she put on me got more and more great, I started refusing.  Not so much refusing to help as forcing her to choose which of several things she wanted help with.  She got more and more pushy.  With every phone call and email, she laid the guilt on thicker.  "You signed up to help, and you need to help".  Having enough guilt on me already as a mother, I started dodging her phone calls.  I let her know when I would be at the school, and told her I would be happy to meet her during those times.  The last straw was when she called me one Sunday evening to yell at me for being useless.  She basically said that it was all or nothing.  I could either be her "assistant" or I could hit the road. 
I graciously packed my bags.  So much for that "friend" idea...

Episode 2:
A month or so after "the phone call" I received a notification from Facebook.  Bosswoman wanted to be my friend.  Needless to say, I was shocked!  I thought after the way we left things, being friends with me would be the furthest thing from her mind.  I didn't know what to do.  So, I posed the question to my Facebook friends...
I wrote a status that said something along the lines of "someone friended me who I thought hated me.  What would you do?"  I received several bits of advice, and was going to let it sit a day or two to see how I felt about it.  Only, I got an email.  From bosswoman.  It was about two pages long.  It started out with a statement that basically said "I'm assuming all the commotion on Facebook has been about me." 
WHAT THE CRAP?!
How did she even know about that?!  We're not friends!  Oh, but my settings were set up so that people in my "network" could see my status.  She could see my status.  DANGIT!!! 
To make a long story short, I emailed her back and forth a little, explaining that it was in fact, her I was talking about.  But, I explained, that it was not meant to be ugly.  I just had a different view of our friendship, obviously.  After several more emails of her spewing her drama all over me, I blocked her email address, and went merrily on my way.  For the past few months, I had seen no trace of bosswoman at the school, so I thought she had moved. 

Episode 3:

A week ago, I was approached by a friend who needed help with the book fair.  She explained that it had recently been dumped on her.  Since the Book Fair was one of bosswoman's jobs, I concluded that this meant my suspicion was correct, and that she must have moved away.  I volunteered enthusiastically, secure in my mind that it wouldn't mean a very tense interaction with the bosswoman. 

Wednesday, I arrived at the school, walked into the book fair, and my heart sank.  There. Was. Bosswoman.  Crap on a cracker!!!  Now what do I do?! 

Well...what every person who detests confrontation would do, of course!  I smiled politely and pretended that nothing had happened! 
Luckily, she and I are apparently both pros at making the best of an uncomfortable situation.  Although, she mentioned Facebook, and people she is friends with on Facebook, she never brought up the incident.  We made pleasant conversation, and got along alright. 
 I guess the moral of the story...is check your settings.  You could avoid a lot of embarrassment in the long run, if you know exactly who can see you... Or, maybe it should be as Thumper says "if you can't say something nice...don't say nothin' at all!"  To each his own, really. 

So, I know this is already incredibly long...I so sorry!  But now it's your turn to go link up with MiMi, and wish her a happy belated birthday.  Hey, I just realized next year, her birthday will be Friday the 13th...ooo-spooky! 

 I also want to remind everyone that tomorrow...8 am (while I'm in the dentist chair), my next Quince Quote is scheduled to post.  I need players!  Come one, come all!  There are even more chances to win this time.  I know you really want to!

4 comments:

Emmy said...

Oh no! That would be so awkward and horrible... And it sounds like you did everything right some people are just dumb like that. I had a church leader when I was 15 call me up at about 9:00 at night to ask if I could call the girls to remind them about the activity the next night. I had just gotten home from play practice and still had homework to do, I explained this to her and asked if she could call obe of the other girls and ask them. She then went on to say, "well I can see that I can never ask you to do anything again." and hung up... Oh and the next night at church she pullled me aside to talk with me some more... i.e. Yell at me. Needless to say that was a turning point for me, adults had to earn my respect after that.

Myya said...

That is so funny.... ok well not really funny but kinda. Probably because I have had this same issue within the last month. Only mine was a longtime friend. We have known each other since we were 5 & were BEST friends most of our school lives. The falling out started right after my 1st was born. She called when I got home from the hospital & set up to come see me the next day. Never again did I hear from her??? Then a few months ago she friend requested me. I let it go not 1 but 3 times... then finally I spilled my guts about why I was upset. She completely took the fall for it & said someone had planted something in her head that told her that for some reason she didn't fit into my life... ummm after 25 years of friendship??? I still haven't added her... not sure if I will. I waited around for over 4 years for a contact from her & was heartbroken. Not sure if I want to go thru that again. Why am I rambling??? Ok I guess my point is... Facebook is awesome, except for the freaks who just want to stalk you & see what you are doing without "really" being your friend. DUH!!! Speakin of... how come we aren't facebook friends???

shortmama said...

Im sorry but this was downright hilarious! Only because I can so relate. I had a horrible experience with being on the PTO earlier in the school year and then one of the people that originally tried (and failed horribly) to make me look like an idiot sent me a friend request on FB too...I ignored it!

Macey said...

It's not funny, but then it IS funny too.
It's like all the miscommunication and crossed wires and everything and it can be so hard.
I never put anything really personally about anyone (except Jacob, of course) on my fb because I KNOW I would make someone mad. Someone would see it that isn't supposed to.
I just know it. Cuz I have that luck. The kind where I don't even have to do anything wrong or say anything wrong and I'm STILL in trouble.
Thank you for the birthday shout out!
And, yep, Friday the 13th....which is funny cuz the day I was born? WAS FRIDAY THE 13TH! LOL