Entry for May 10, 2007





OK, feeling better now.

Thought I would throw in this pic of a couple of friends and I with Jay Leno. (I'm on the right) We were invited for the "Military families show" while our DH's (all on the same ship out of San Diego) were over in . . . it was in '02 or '03.

Not sure why my alligator picture won't show to some . . . that was the only pic I had available that expressed the way I felt, GRRRRRR - SNAP! Even when I bring up my 360, the last entry that shows before I hit the "blog" button is the desert rose picture.

Anyhoo . . . that whole little rant was about the lady who took over as our home school group's president half way through the year, when we had gone without thus far. She is slowly driving me insane. In general, she is a nice enough lady. But she has this need to be in control of everything.

My husband was "asked" (it's usually called begged and pleaded, I believe) if he would put together the yearbooks this year (after he made an off the hip comment at DD's swimming lesson about last year's books - "I could do the whole thing on my color printer at home for half the price they paid to get them done at Staples in black & white". Ta-Da! Instant "volunteer"). Anyhow, when he was "asked" it was a desperation thing, no one had signed up to do it and the year was half over. So he was told, anything you want to do, go with it! Well, Ann was voted in as president at the same meeting.

Evidently she doesn't believe ink jet printers are very good, and if anyone were to spill anything on the book (why?) it would be a runny mess. She mentioned this at a leadership meeting and everyone freaked out and said they wanted B&W for the book (because he has a B&W laser printer, but only an ink jet for color), with color only for the cover, senior pics and family pages; what individual kids and their families have done during the year, that people pay extra for. And these were to be either sent out to a color laser printer (for way too much $) or we were to purchase laminating paper for the ink jet pages. So this PO ed my husband - just a bit. Then Madame President keeps asking for proofs, and other such things that make total sense for the business owner that she is . . . but doesn't fly well with volunteers that are real hard to come-by in groups like these (everyone wants to input, but no one seems to want to get in there to help get the things done).

Anyhow. This is one of those instances when something could be delegated and left until it's done. I can see her asking if it's coming along, but asking for proofs and wanting certain parts by certain dates. My DH has said more than once, "If she wanted to do this her way, why didn't she just do it herself in the first place?"

I am NOT her employee. But she really doesn't seem to know how to work with people. You are either a friend/associate, or an employee. Not in her vocab to be a CO WORKER - an equal. And I just don't get paid enough as a VOLUNTEER (read $0) to do the subordinate thing. SORRY.

But our school year is almost "officially" over - we personally do year round school, but the group takes off the summer. So I won't have to deal with her much longer, for awhile. I agreed to return to my position as "Hospitality Coordinator" next year, so that is another page to this saga I am sure!