clockwatching...

i had an awkward conversation a bit ago with one of the women i do work for at my temp job. she was calling to make sure i had processed one of the invoices she had sent up to me. (btw, the fact that i just used the term "process" to refer to one of my essential job functions makes me cringe!) all of these invoices have claim numbers on them, in addition to actual client names. my job entails a lot of typing in numbers, matching them with other numbers, filling in some information on form letters, and a little bit of arithmetic. it is incredibly (and exceedingly) dull and unengaging. so when this woman called me to ask what was the status of the [insert client name here] invoice, the first words out of my mouth were, "um, wait, what?"

yeah. well, she interpreted my lack of recall as an admission that i hadn't done it yet. the truth, folks, is that about 75% of my time in this temp job, my inbox is totally empty because i have nothing to do. i pretty much get paid to sit here every day, do an average of 8-10 hours of work per week, and play on the internet and read wikipedia articles for the other 30-32 hours per week. and it makes me miserable!

i think i managed to smooth out the conversation once i figured out what she was asking me for. i went through everything on my desk (which consists of stuff that has already been, erm, processed, and which is ready to be passed along (have you ever seen the movie _Brazil_? sometimes i kinda feel like that.) and since the invoice in question wasn't here, it means it's already been done and passed along. this was, of course, after she suggested that she and i sit down together so she can explain how things work around here. ouch! just because i was a little caught off guard? again, once i explained to her that i pretty much do things as i get them and don't let them sit around collecting dust, there was no further mention of such a meeting.

i think the real challenge is that i'm up against some bad precedent. the woman who had this temp slot before me (and who handled the bills for the same examiners i now work for), messed a lot of things up and didn't do a lot of things and, as the rumors go, failed the bar exam like six times. now, i don't mean to discredit the bar exam or anything -- that test was freaking hard as hell. but after the fourth or fifth failed attempt, well, maybe it's time to re-think your strategy... and this job is pretty tough to mess up. i get all my work done AND have plenty of goof-off time. too much, as a matter of fact. i'm pretty sure it's making me stupider.

and i REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY want a lawyer job! i'm so antsy. i'm not really making that much money and i've got nothing really to do but sit here and think about how eager i am to actually use the degree i just went into so much debt to obtain...

dad and daniel are coming up here for my swearing-in in early december. i really hope i'm working for real by then. ugh.