Natalie Joy's Musings

7/21/2005

I... am... slowly... going... crazy...

It's 3:49pm on Thursday, my fourth day of doing receptionist duties at J.R. Menard Ltd. J.R. Menard is a building supply company that my Dad co-owns in St. Isidore, Ontario. I've worked here off and on since 1999. I started as a receptionist, became a salesperson and later took on various accounts payable, accounts receivable and crediting duties. Now, it's like a flash from the past because I'm manning the phones while the regular reception is on vacation. It's not so bad... Dad is also on vacation so I can use his computer to get work done and I can do my readings for my MFA. However, after 6 hours of repeating the same sentences over and over again, you brain starts to die, just a little...

...Good morning, JR Menard, Bonjour...
...Good afternoon, JR Menard, Bonjour...

After a while, the words seem to completely lose their meaning.

...Marc line 101 please, Marc line 101...
...Je m'excuse, Alain est sur une autre ligne presentement, est-ce que voulez-vous patienter quelques moments?...
...I'm sorry, Frank has stepped out of the office (again), can I transfer you to his cell?...
... NO, I HAVE NO IDEA IF WINDOW NUMBER 256714379-02 IS ONE OF OUR BRANDS, I'M THE RECEPTIONIST!!! Would you like to be transfered to the windows department?...
...Un moment SVP...
...one moment please...
.................................................................................

I am completely brain dead right now. Either the repetitive nature of the job is doing me in, or the jacked up air conditionning is freezing brain cells. (Sorry to rub it in Pat, but I'm not completely sure that extreme cold is better than exteme heat to be honest!)

Anywho, I'd best get back to work. Though I don't know what I'm worried about... I've answered approximately five calls while writing this blog... which took me 20 minutes to write! So, that's an average of one phone call every four minutes. Wow, with all this excitement, I don't know if I can handle it!