It will probably help if I explain that I'm a lab tech.
One of our clients came by to pick up his cell lines. My boss had e-mailed me and told me he was coming and told me to get ready. I'm very organized so I really didn't feel I needed to do anything to be ready. The culture medium is organized alphabetically, and the cell lines themselves are also ordered alphabetically in the freezer.
I was busy freezing down some other cells when they guy came, so I asked my boss to get his medium and cell lines for him. She says "Where are they?" and I said "On the N-S" rack, because the guy's name starts with S. This system of organizing things has been in place for years before I came and my boss has worked in this lab for several years, so she knows the system. She just never thinks to look for anything in the place where it should be. On the weekends, when I'm off, she's constantly calling me to ask where stuff is, and I tell her, and the place I tell her is right where it should be.
Here is the exact e-mail she sent, but I took her name out.
Rachel,
Please prepare Solter's samples, sera and media for him to pick up. He
might come over on Monday.
Thanks,
Apparently, she wanted me to place the cell lines in a ziploc bag. I didn't think this was necessary since they're neatly on the rack, but she's convinced we'll give someone the wrong thing ie, someone else's stuff. (Note: I have never, ever done this in over 3 years that I've been here) I don't know what she wanted me to do with the medium. They are in liquid form. The last time I put someone's medium in a bag for them, she was unhappy because the liquid got all over the inside of the cap of the tubes. When I pointed that out, she said she meant the frozen cell lines. She also wants me to make them a list to take with them of what we have given them. OK, fair enough, but does it say that in the e-mail? Furthermore, we have our own list on the project sheet, where I have carefully listed all cell lines that were frozen down.
Also, a few cell lines had to be frozen twice, and there's medium left over from each freezing. The reason is because she goofed and left them in the refrigerator instead of putting them in the -80 degrees celsius freezer. There was one that I froze the Monday after the weekend that she goofed. That one only had one tube of medium because it had just been frozen once. She kept insisting that there were two and asking me where the rest was. I told her that one was only frozen once. I also told her that everything I froze was put on that N-S rack (because that's where it's supposed to go). Then I tried telling her I didn't know where the rest was. She was like "How can you not know." And I said "Because there isn't any more."
OK, now comes the rant part. So she's making out a list for him, and she's taking forever because she keeps looking at the same tubes over and over again, still thinking there should be two of everything when I've explained to her why there's not. So as she's taking all this time, the guy gets a parking ticket because he didn't put enough money in the meter. She says "Oh this is our fault." Then as she's continuing to work, she turns to me and says, "This is all your fault." I was in such shock, I couldn't believe it. I was going to cry, and I didn't want to start crying and look like a butt in front of one of our clients, so I just didn't say a word and I walked out and went downstairs to cool off. It's too cold to go for a walk outside, especially since I didn't grab my coat.
I came back once the guy was gone, but I'm still feeling like I'm going to cry. OK, I really hope no one walks in right now.....Ugh! Now I am crying, can't let her see, can't let her see.
Anyway, if you actually read this whole thing, I appreciate it, really. I'm going to do some more work now.
One of our clients came by to pick up his cell lines. My boss had e-mailed me and told me he was coming and told me to get ready. I'm very organized so I really didn't feel I needed to do anything to be ready. The culture medium is organized alphabetically, and the cell lines themselves are also ordered alphabetically in the freezer.
I was busy freezing down some other cells when they guy came, so I asked my boss to get his medium and cell lines for him. She says "Where are they?" and I said "On the N-S" rack, because the guy's name starts with S. This system of organizing things has been in place for years before I came and my boss has worked in this lab for several years, so she knows the system. She just never thinks to look for anything in the place where it should be. On the weekends, when I'm off, she's constantly calling me to ask where stuff is, and I tell her, and the place I tell her is right where it should be.
Here is the exact e-mail she sent, but I took her name out.
Rachel,
Please prepare Solter's samples, sera and media for him to pick up. He
might come over on Monday.
Thanks,
Apparently, she wanted me to place the cell lines in a ziploc bag. I didn't think this was necessary since they're neatly on the rack, but she's convinced we'll give someone the wrong thing ie, someone else's stuff. (Note: I have never, ever done this in over 3 years that I've been here) I don't know what she wanted me to do with the medium. They are in liquid form. The last time I put someone's medium in a bag for them, she was unhappy because the liquid got all over the inside of the cap of the tubes. When I pointed that out, she said she meant the frozen cell lines. She also wants me to make them a list to take with them of what we have given them. OK, fair enough, but does it say that in the e-mail? Furthermore, we have our own list on the project sheet, where I have carefully listed all cell lines that were frozen down.
Also, a few cell lines had to be frozen twice, and there's medium left over from each freezing. The reason is because she goofed and left them in the refrigerator instead of putting them in the -80 degrees celsius freezer. There was one that I froze the Monday after the weekend that she goofed. That one only had one tube of medium because it had just been frozen once. She kept insisting that there were two and asking me where the rest was. I told her that one was only frozen once. I also told her that everything I froze was put on that N-S rack (because that's where it's supposed to go). Then I tried telling her I didn't know where the rest was. She was like "How can you not know." And I said "Because there isn't any more."
OK, now comes the rant part. So she's making out a list for him, and she's taking forever because she keeps looking at the same tubes over and over again, still thinking there should be two of everything when I've explained to her why there's not. So as she's taking all this time, the guy gets a parking ticket because he didn't put enough money in the meter. She says "Oh this is our fault." Then as she's continuing to work, she turns to me and says, "This is all your fault." I was in such shock, I couldn't believe it. I was going to cry, and I didn't want to start crying and look like a butt in front of one of our clients, so I just didn't say a word and I walked out and went downstairs to cool off. It's too cold to go for a walk outside, especially since I didn't grab my coat.
I came back once the guy was gone, but I'm still feeling like I'm going to cry. OK, I really hope no one walks in right now.....Ugh! Now I am crying, can't let her see, can't let her see.
Anyway, if you actually read this whole thing, I appreciate it, really. I'm going to do some more work now.
