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I swear, we could have our own reality show, or I could just publish a book of the crazy e-mails I have collected with their names blacked out, but no one would believe it....


I know what you mean, Ellemm. I used to work at a small company where the owner was probably certifiable. The stories I have from that time are outrageous, and will someday --if I ever get around to writing it -- make for a very entertaining book. (I expect it will have to be published as fiction unless I can wait to write it until I hear the old boss (my age) is dead...

To give you some idea, how's this for one example: I was making a presentation to a number of clients, all women business owners, at a monthly networking breakfast we used to hold for them. I'd come in to work at 6 AM - all dressed in my power suit, etc. -- to MAKE the breakfast, first.

Just before 7 AM, when it was to start, I got a call from a new member of the group, who was a prospective client (all the rest of the women were current clients) saying she'd had car trouble and she would not be able to attend.

As the rest of the women came in, I greeted them, seated them, put out the food and began the presentation, which was about legal hiring and firing procedures.

My boss walked in at 7:30, took a look at the group, and as I continued speaking, she handed me a note. It said I was fired.

I read it, skipped not a beat, and professionally continued my presentation. When it was done, I received several accolades from the clients, and a good discussion ensued.

When the women left, I confronted my boss. She said she had fired me because the new member had not been present. To her, the new member represented someone she wanted to "close" (make a paid client) after the meeting.

(These days, now that I am a business owner, I understand that my boss probably had been counting on getting a check from this new client in order to make payroll, pay the rent, or something just as crucial, but not being a business owner at that time, none of this made sense to me.)

The boss said I should have offered to leave the meeting and drive 25 minutes each way to go pick her up. (Clearly, the meeting would have been over by the time we returned.)

I said: but then I would be leaving the rest of the guests alone and with no speaker.

She said: I should have co-opted one of the more long-term members of the group, and asked her to run the meeting in my absence.

The story goes on, but I am so totally getting off track from the topic of this thread, that I will stop now.

But surely these stories - yours and mine -- are not the ONLY crazy family or work stories. Anyone want to start a new thread on this topic?
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