Seven Months of Hell (or where I've been)

So, as some of you know, until recently I was in the hotel industry (I have now- thankfully- made the switch to IT).  While I have always loved the industry itself, there are many draw-backs (the low salaries being a big one).  Perhaps the biggest one is some of the people you have to put up with every day.  While I know that there are douche bags in every industry, typically it's either the customers or the coworkers- not both.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I have worked with a lot of great people, and made some great friends.  However, it seems that the nicer the hotel, the more assholes you will have to put up with.

One in particular example was probably one of the single worst coworkers I've ever encountered- if not one of the worst people in general.  (Note: I have to tread very carefully here as to not give away the hotel's identity).  I recently worked for a fairly posh, high-end hotel downtown.  This person (let's call her Bitch From Hell, or BFH) had what my friends and I refer to as "bitch face."  She is one of those people who is always scowling.  I knew from day one she and I would not get along.  My assumption was reinforced when I first tested her sense of humor with a "that's what she said" comment (come on, who doesn't love twss?) and was treated to a blank stare.  I tried a few more times before calling a friend and asking "I'm funny, right?"  According to that friend I do have my moments.

During week one, I overheard this person on the phone with a friend, talking about one of her previous coworkers.  Now, we all do it (hell, I'm doing it now), but generally we criticize the person's personality, lack of intelligence, or general inability to do his/her job (or in this case- lack of soul).  Those of us with a conscience tend to draw the line at the person's difficult childhood, income, family or pet deaths, etc.  Well, not BFH.  It seemed everything was fair game.  I think it does bear mentioning that BFH had a considerable amount of money (family) and nice clothing (everything looks good on you when you're bulimic).  The things I heard her saying about her former coworker left a sour taste in my mouth. 

And it didn't stop at her former coworkers.  As she became friends with other catty (and soulless) people, our coworkers became fair game as well.  At any time, we could walk past one of their offices and hear them laughing about a coworker.  Unfortunately, one of those other catty women was my boss at the time.  The sad part of the whole situation is that I had previously been friends with that boss (before she began working there).  But in hindsight, I'm better off without her as a friend, especially considering how easily she fell in with (re:followed) the "cool" people.  It was actually a bit sad to see her so eagerly wanting to belong.  You really lose respect for a boss when you see them pathetically changing their whole personality to fit in. 

But I digress. The situation just kept going down hill.  I was a nervous wreck going into work every day.  When you have to take a Xanax just to go to work, the situation has clearly become unhealthy.  The boss (or as my good friend LR dubbed her "Thunder C") began writing me up for every trifling thing she could come up with.  In one case, I was written up for a mistake in a formula on a spreadsheet that she created.  Apparently I was supposed to not only check my work but hers as well.  I also was written up for taking more than 30 minutes for lunch on one occasion (this from the boss who regularly took two hour lunches and could rarely be found at her desk actually working).  Needless to say, said boss became BFH's little puppet.

Either way, as they say, everything happens for a reason.  After over a year (seven months with that boss) of traveling an hour and a half each way for a job where I was treated very poorly, I found a temporary solution.  I made a lateral move to a hotel closer to home, where I was able to work until I actually found a permanent solution (which I now have).  And I am more happy in this job than I have been in years.  And the best part of the IT industry?  No prima donnas in designer duds with "bitch face" here.  People come to work, do their jobs, and go home.  Intelligence is rewarded, rather than ass-kissing.  It's such a relief.  And, with the increased income (woot!) I am finally able to buy my own home.  I would call that a happy ending.  I may not have my Prince Charming (yet), but I'm much more likely to find him now that I'm not so stressed out (or angry/tired/depressed/feeling threatened) all of the time.  And had it not been for BFH and Thunder C I may still be making that long commute and working at that same hotel.  But I'm not quite ready to say thank you to those two....maybe in time, but definitely not yet.  I just hope karma bites them in the ass.