[Ringo1]

She's four hours away in WV; I'm a traitor that moved to Ohio; so now she has to drive up one a months and manage four of us in OH - which does kind of suck for her, I'll admit. I showed her around our big office; helped her find her hotel . . .

She loves to walk so maybe if she comes up when the weather gets nice I'll take her to a nice trail. I think, too, that she doesn't want anyone to think that she's playing favorites just because we used to work together.

So, for a few weeks. . I'll try NOT to complain; try NOT to work at home (though all her WV folks do); and maybe she wants me to keep my distance and not try to be too chummy; yet still try to be welcoming.

Lordy, this is exhausting!

In my looong career, I've only had one boss that I could not get along with; he took an instant dislike to me despite the fact that my team produced fantastic numbers and he even gave me an Exceeds evaluation! When I finally (after years of stress) asked him why he talked to me the way he did; he told me it was 'for my own good." I knew then that things would never get better for me if I continued to work directly for him. So I stepped down and no longer reported to him. Everyone called me and said they understood why I had to get away from him. My new boss was one of the ones who called me and said she understood what was happening but sometimes he just took a dislike to someone. I felt like all that was behind me. I still see him in meetings and even conference with him from time to time on issues and everything is fine - now that I'm once removed. So, I guess I have a history; I made trouble one time over 5 years ago. So far, no one has held that against me.

It's an experience that I have never forgotten and never will. Because I had always gotten promotion after promotion, good reviews . . and all of a sudden, here came someone with the power to derail my entire career - just because. It was so stressful and scary; I needed that job. I finally ended up consulting with an attorney who orchestrated my every move for me - just to help me keep my job. Nothing like that has ever happpened to me before . . but it really affected me. I never, ever want to be in that position again. SO, prob I am a tad paranoid.

See? I just went off on a tangent just thinking about it.

Sorry!