lizbee: A sketch of myself (Default)
lizbee ([personal profile] lizbee) wrote2008-08-01 08:48 am

Various things

1.  There is no tea in the house.  This is because I told myself again and again to buy tea after we saw The X-Files last night, and of course, I forgot.  So my morning caffeine has come in the form of coffee, instant.  I am not overly pleased.

2.  Yesterday I saved work from BURNINATING IN FIRE. Sort of.  The manager was on lunch, and I looked up and said, "Do you smell something burning?"

"Oh yeah," said the new guy, "it's sort of plasticky."  We frantically checked all the computers and powerpoints, but nothing was out of order.  Then he said, "I noticed a couple of hours ago that the bin outside was on fire..."

So I strolled over and had a look, and OH BOY WAS THE BIN OUTSIDE ON FIRE.  As I watched, a lady emptied her bottle of water over it and walked on, with no noticable effect.  I wandered back to the counter, picked up the phone and called triple-zero.

Fifteen minutes later, a fire truck turned up, sirens blazing, and six handsome firemen jumped out, brandishing an enormous hose (what?) and put out the fire.  By the time they were finished, the plastic bin within the metal shell had fully melted.  It was quite awesome.

Then I had a quick talk with the new guy about how fires should be put out when they're small, before they get big and stink out the whole store.

3.  I quite liked The X-Files, despite the fact it had a PLOT OF FAIL.  Yes, those caps were necessary.  So much fail!  And yet, so much win, especially in the bits where it forgot it was a Serious Movie.

4.  Recently, our company has started importing customer orders via a third company.  Which is to say, instead of directly ordering from our UK or US wholesalers, we place the order, and Company C takes it from there.

Unfortunately, Company C has some competency issues, which lead to the following conversation:

"Hi, this is Liz from [company], I just wanted to chase up some outstanding orders.  [Here are the ISBNs.]"

"Oh yeah.  It took us a while to figure those orders out.  It turns out the books are from England."

"...Right.  Now, there's also this order: [ISBN]."

"Yes, we did receive that book, but we lost it.  Do you want us to order another copy?"

*KEYBOARD SMASH*

5.  The problem with reading breast cancer memoirs is that, for weeks after, instead of thinking, "Hmm.  My boob hurts.  I really need to get a properly-fitted bra", I think, "Hmm.  My boob hurts.  I hope I get a book deal before I die."  It's a bit fail.  Also, Lopsided by Meredith Norton was ultimately unsatisfying, for reasons I shall go into in more detail in my Vox.
elbales: (Default)

[personal profile] elbales 2008-07-31 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
AUGH. SO. MUCH. FAIL. I cannot decide whether 2 or 4 is my favorite, though of course fail involving burninating things wins over mere fail.

Maaaaaaan.
ext_6531: (Default)

[identity profile] lizbee.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd go with the fail involving fire, myself. Fail involving delayed orders is just frustrating for everyone.
elbales: (Default)

[personal profile] elbales 2008-07-31 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, so true. Still, "but we lost it" is going to hold a Verrah Speshul Place in my heart forevermore.
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[identity profile] lizbee.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
The worst bit is, the customer who ordered that book? WAS ME. On the one hand, at least I don't have to call someone and say, "Er, our dodgy associates lost your book". But I do have to wait. Grrr.
elbales: (Default)

[personal profile] elbales 2008-07-31 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Booo! It's bad enough waiting for the publishers to issue the things. I've got three books coming out in September from three of my favorite authors (all in hardback, ouch), and the waiting is killing me. If I had to order one of them someplace and then got told, Why, yes, we did get that, but oops, sorry, some idiot lost it--I think I would be, uh, literally furious with rage.

[identity profile] binka-boo.livejournal.com 2008-08-01 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
lol. literally.
:D

[identity profile] penwiper337.livejournal.com 2008-07-31 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
My brother-in-law, the Boy Scout, once decided to use some Special Boy Scout Technique For Determining That Coals Are Dead, instead of, say, just soaking them with the hose. As a result of this, he managed to burn down their trashcan.

This was not a little trashcan. This was a giant plastic-and-metal behemoth of the Mickey-eating variety. It burnt so hot and furiously that the trees on either side were severely scorched and the trashcan was reduced to a little puddle of molten plastic and twisted metal. The contents of the trashcan were completely incinerated.

No one noticed. My brother-in-law, who was home all day, never noticed. The neighbors never noticed. No one driving or walking by on the busy road noticed. The fire department, which is one short block away, never noticed. It must have been shooting high flames and smoking BLACK smoke and he only discovered it when he found the smoking, bu self-extinguished, remains afterwards. Pure luck was the only reason the fire didn't spread to its surroundings.

He's not allowed to throw coals away any more.

[identity profile] binka-boo.livejournal.com 2008-08-01 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
"I noticed a couple of hours ago that the bin outside was on fire..."
O_O
Oh new guy... *shakes head*
So much to learn to save yourself from a Darwin Award...

"Yes, we did receive that book, but we lost it. Do you want us to order another copy?"

O_O
*thinks up plan to save Liz from the IDIOTS!

[identity profile] rivrea.livejournal.com 2008-08-01 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
*offers you a virtual cup of tea to cope with the massive fail*