welcome to corporate hell

So, this is how my week has been going...

I finally heard back from the help desk TWO WEEKS after I submitted my trouble ticket because my laptop hit the deck. They sent me a bunch of links to "do it yourself to fix your problems" web sites. Of course, all the links were broken. Which doesn't matter because the problem is fixed...

I'm supposed to be learning new software that I can't install on my laptop because it requires Windows Server 2003. I spent all day yesterday downloading a VMWare image that may or may not have the tool I need installed on it - the tech notes were vague. I did have a log on to a demo server, but for some reason the server isn't working. I've sent three emails trying to get the problem fixed but, of course, have had no response...

I decided I would watch some recorded demos of the software since I can't actually play with it. The demos were recorded using software that requires a license to install it so you can watch the demos. The software is not on the list of free software my company provides. So I have to apply for approval to buy the software which I may or may not get. In the meantime, I can't watch the demos.

So I decided to do some prep work for an engagement I'm doing next week. I of course did not get approval to make travel arrangements until yesterday because who ever in my company had failed to contact the customer to make sure the statement of work was signed. So I ended up with a crap flight that cost a lot of money.

I have to teach a client how to build diagrams like the ones they were shown in the sales demo. The sales guy who did the demo sent me a ppt with the diagrams in it, but they were so minuscule I can't read what's on the diagrams. Then he sent me a file with the diagrams in it that I can't open because it was created using a different version of a database than I have on my laptop (and I can't get his version because it costs money). So finally I asked him to send me an XML version of the diagrams. Of course, no response...

And Monday some knuckle head fellow consultant arranged a 5 PM - 7 PM meeting with a client that is supposed to be my client. Aforementioned consultant apparently wants to keep the client for himself. I was supposed to do the call but the other consultant wouldn't stop talking long enough for me to get a word in edgewise even though we had a call before the call and had exchanged emails outlining how the call was going to go. The consultant brought up a bunch of stupid ideas for the client, so I'm actually glad I'm not working that account. The best part was when, 1 1/2 hours into the call, the consultant finally asked me to do a demo that I was supposed to do 15 minutes into the call. Five minutes before he asked me to do the demo my power went out. In the 6 years I've lived here the power has never gone out. So I couldn't do the demo. Ech.

Really, this is my life. Really.