Instant Message Excerpts: On Being a Network Engineer, 13

Posted By on April 21, 2011 at 9:55 pm

After having been on conference calls non-stop since 2pm, and in the middle of one such call, an IM from my manager appears…

[manager](20:38:41): Russ, can I throw you under the bus?
Russ(20:38:55): ?
Russ(20:39:33): if it has anything to do w/ that load balancer problem for later tonight, you’d be throwing the customer under the bus – I’d be driving
[manager](20:39:50): that is the one…
[manager](20:39:58): dont need expertise, they just want us involved
Russ(20:41:27): You’re not making any friends here in Apex, y’know. OK, what’s the scoop?
[manager](20:42:04): dont worry, we dont even have access
Russ(20:42:19): oh, it just gets better and better, doesn’t it?
[manager](20:42:21): so [vendor] will be sharing their machines
[manager](20:42:40): nothing to really do but be the calming factor I guess…
Russ(20:43:10): I hope they don’t mind if I read a book or something
[manager](20:43:39): yeah it is a waste of time
Russ(20:43:50): they’d better not be counting on me for anything useful or important or relevant
[manager](20:44:17): that is why the vendor is there now
[manager](20:44:31): they even know that we have zero documentation for this customer
Russ(20:45:00): wait…. now? the call is now? you do know I’m still on with [other customer], right?
[manager](20:45:48): you can drop that, we’ll assign someone else
[manager](20:46:05): I think they only need us to make sure the new call doesnt lose focus
Russ(20:49:32): if this kind of thing keeps up, forget Xanax, you’re going to start seeing me file expense vouchers for anti-psychotic medications

Sometimes it doesn’t pay to have management’s full faith and confidence.

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