Grinch

The US published this morning, right about on time. It's three reams of paper long, as usual. Five of six copyeditors are on vacation, which I hadn't accounted for. So it's a bit shorthanded in my corner of the world. I got two volunteers and then my boss had me shanghai three other editors into the effort; they were not pleased. Then my boss insisted I rope in the Grinch at the far end of the hall. I girded my loins and went to tell her she was to help with the data entry.

Um, ok, but first she wanted to ask about how there are all these lines missing from our version,* and she's heard all these complaints about it** and when she asked before*** she was told there was no PIB**** and all the lines have to be there for classification***** - it's really really important that all the lines are there****** - and what is going on with all these missing lines? And gee, could I calm down?

I took a deep breath and said, "Fine. But since it is my job to make sure that our book matches the US book exactly, you telling me that this book is systematically riddled with errors is pretty insulting."

At which point she informed me that I just can't take it personally. And doing it by hand the way we do is going to mean there's an error rate.******* And what did I need done again?

I told her, fairly calmly.******** Then I went back to my desk and tried to work while I shook with rage.

I didn't leave until almost seven.


Today's earrings: diamonds, suns

Bedtime reading: Christmas at Candleshoe, Michael Innes
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* Say what? My job is to make sure that all the lines are there and complete. What lines are missing, exactly?
** Well, one complaint. From a customer. Well, she'd heard the guy in the office next to hers mention that he'd had a complaint from a customer. When? Oh, a while ago. What lines were missing? Oh, she didn't know. How many? I mean, are we talking about the occasional typo, or something bigger? We do this by hand; there are typos. If it's something bigger, how big and who was it forwarded to for correction? She wasn't sure if that complaint had been forwarded to editorial. So... she's not sure if the example she's built this speech on was a problem worth getting fixed, but she is sure that LINES ARE MISSING.
*** Asked who? Dunno.
**** I have no idea what PIB is, so I can't say whether we have it or not. I think she may have meant QA. Which we have. We call them "proofreaders."
***** Yes, indeedy. All the lines do have to be there for classification. I was first introduced to that concept when I first took the job, several years ago.
****** Yes, I know it's important. It's been mentioned to me several times since I took the job. By this Grinch, among others. She was just as condescendingly explanatory every other time she brought it up, too.
******* I just said that.
******** I did not share with her that the half-hour she'd spent telling me my work sucked was time I was going to be spending at my desk, long after she'd gone home. And that I am really sick of her total disrespect for me, my time, and my work. Because then it would have been an hour or more of my evening flushed down this drain.