And another thing...

After three, you get a free scarf.

All I had to do was avoid a CAP. Corrective Action Plan. Translation: you hurt my feelings pissed me off, this is your first warning. If you are on a CAP you cannot move to another project.

I was happily on my way to tech support. All the planets were in alignment, plans were made, appointments shuffled. "All you have to do is avoid a CAP." That's what MO said. I have been here 3 years and only ever had one. How hard could it be?

Well it is tough to do when you can't trust anyone. The other night I was irritated with my TM. Another TM was lurking around, you know the type, mixing with the underlings, pretending to be one of us.

Joking around I made a comment referring to my TM, "...he emailed me and he was sitting 2 feet away, the little weasel." To which she commented, "That's not what WE call him." Ha, Ha! Laughter, conversation over.

Next thing you know, my TM is calling me in the huddle room and telling me she spilled her guts, told him everything. Everything? I am pretty sure she left out her comment. He has been to HR, he says, they said he should CAP me. WTF? "Why wouldn't you just come and talk to me? It was not a malicious comment."

After speaking with him, I conveyed to him that as a manager, perhaps he should learn to take care of these things himself, before running to Mommy with his problems. Ok, not in so many words. But its hard to deal with superiors who are half your age. I think I got through to him. I explained to him that I can't go to tech support if I am on a CAP, and if I don't go, then he would be stuck with me.

He says he doesn't want to hold me back. He is going to give it some thought. Hope his head doesn't explode.