One More Time

I am not stupid, but, apparently, I'm required to play one at work.

There's one manager, who until about 6 months ago, was okay--actually cool, in a way. Funny, friendly, and tolerant. Even of my potty mouth.

At some time (and I have an idea of when) in October, he got this wild hair, jammed sideways, up his ass. It's not attractive, and even just saying, "Good morning" to this man can set off a series of asshole attitude that is just not worth it.

He's been on this rip--apparently his New Year's Resolution was to write up everybody in the store (except the ButtCrack, she's exempt).

What irritates me about this is not just the in-general someone-pissed-in-his-oatmeal sort of attitude, but the fact that my mere existance seems to be a problem for him. I don't personally care, because I know that I did nothing involving literal or figurative pee, but it's the idea that even if I have a legit reason to be speaking to him, he seems to get defensive on others' behalf and give me a sarcastic attitude, moments before he stop listening.

Even if I'm speaking clearly and slowly. He actually admits that he has "stopped listening"--I get, at best, 60 seconds to get my point across, and if I get interupted (usually by his pissy attitude), I'm screwed.

He's worse than Useless, at his worst. At least with Useless, I can confront the passive-aggressive attitude and he'll curb it near me; with this jackass, all confrontation (meaning I pointedly ask him if I've done something to piss in his oatmeal and he denies it) does is make him sneakier about getting it in.

As if me and my journalling habit aren't going to see it.

The most recent incident involves a snowy Friday night, my being *extra* coverage that we're not used to, and his pissy attitude exhibiting itself totally full-blown. I get the sarcasm, I get the tone, I get told he's stopped listening, and, best of all, I get to finally say, out-loud, "Well, I guess I'll just go back to playing stupid when you're here."

He heard me, at least that sentence, loud and clear--because no only did he stop with the pissy attitude, he actually listened when I spoke, the next time I absolutely had to. And I got no sarcastic comments or rolled eyes.

I know where the prevailing stupidity winds come from. And I know that at this point, my only way to shield myself from them is to

1) only speak to him when spoken to, unless
2) it's totally necessary to my job
3) document, document, document, in the meantime.

Sooner or later, something will give, and somebody is going to non-chalantly ask me what was going on (and by somebody, I mean somebody who can do something about it.)