the gubmint took mah brain-waves

i am the only person manning the unmanned office today. yes, it is ironic that we need someone to answer the phone and get the door here at Robots. i wouldn’t mind at all, truly, for it is quiet and dark and i can sing out loud and eat leftover party foods, except: it is insanely busy.

i came in a few minutes after 9 a.m., and there were already two messages on the operator line. there has been a phone call every 20 minutes. i had to get the door for the print delivery man, the mailman, the ups man, the fedex man, and a sales man. and it all happens at once. a woman from scandinavia called, and in the middle of that call the delivery man rang the bell. twice i’ve been on the phone and heard the beep of another incoming call. it’s not even 2 p.m. and EVERYONE has questions.

now, i was warned there would be a lot of questions. i was told many people would wonder about the event that everyone else is attending. and there are a lot of questions, except that only TWO of them have been about the aforementioned event.

and my favorite part of the day, so far, is the fellow who works for the government who would like to attend the conference. except he didn’t register in advance, so we only have on-site registration. and he needs an invoice before the accounting person will pay. except we don’t do invoices, just receipts. so i sent his call over to the registration desk. a bit later i got a call from my Robot Director, asking me to e-mail him the on-site registration form. which i did, and just after i press send, i get a call from the nice accounting lady that this man is trying to make pay for this conference. i mistakenly explained to her what was going on, and she said it wouldn’t work, she needed an invoice, and after a bit of unnecessary explanation on her part about why she needs an invoice, not a receipt, i started backing out of the conversation, telling her i didn’t know what he was going to do, i understand, etc.

she was very nice, mind you, not angry at me at all. but she was clearly annoyed with the fellow who was attempting to register, and she told me all about what options she gave him, and how he waited to the last minute, and she told him that wouldn’t work, and this wouldn’t work, and she would just send it right back, and if he didn’t have an invoice he just wouldn’t be able to go to the training.

i said i was sorry i couldn’t be more helpful, and she said thank you, and that was blissfully the end of the Tragic Tale of the Government Accounting Woman and the Man Who Didn’t Register In Advance.