My Sick Cat and (Almost) Dead Co-Worker

My cat Emmy is sick again. Shortly after finishing this last round of antibiotics, her sinus infection slowly came back. By this weekend it was back in full force. I called the Vet on Monday to plead for more antibiotics without another expensive office visit.

The Vet was out of the office on Monday, but called me back yesterday and prescribed more antibiotics. I left work mid-afternoon and jumped on an uptown train. I got to the Vet’s office, obtained her medication, and went back to my apartment to squirt liquid antibiotics down Emmy’s throat (which she hates). The total cost was $12.90. Yes – less than $15, as compared to hundreds.


After Emmy was taken care of, I returned to work only to find out that the preparations for a large dinner group had not been done, and the manager was nowhere to be found (he was at the bank, I would later find out). When he returned, I let him HAVE IT for failing to staff enough people for my group, and for failing to oversee the setup himself.

One of the things I do well is win an argument. I’m not going to bother fighting with you if I’m not right, and I’m going to make sure you know that YOU ARE WRONG. I’m sure I got this from Mama Bunny. And, like my mother, I am no dummy, so I know what I need to say to get my point across.

In the middle of my attempt to “enlighten” this manager as to his failure, he made a comment to the effect of: “Well, maybe you should just let your cat die!”. His implication was that if I hadn't left the restaurant to take care of Emmy (which took less than 1 hour), I could have made sure the group was taken care of. Which is HIS job, btw.

I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe my ears. I immediately left the office, because if I hadn’t, I would have gone to jail. I’m not lying, I was THIS CLOSE to grabbing his skinny little neck with one hand, and punching the fuck out of him with the other. I am probably twice his size (even though he goes to the gym daily) and would have hurt him badly.


After a minute outside the manager’s office, I returned and told this manager how low and disgusting he was – as I packed my shit up. I walked out the door 1 ½ hours early – and told him that my group BETTER be taken care of.

I jumped on the #1 Train (that’s when I saw Carlos Leon) and went home and took care of things around the apartment, and looked after my poor, skinny, sick kitty.

I don’t like to talk a lot about work, but this was a MAJOR incident. I still cannot believe someone would stoop so low, just to take the focus off their failures. I have to say, if his goal was to shut me up, it worked. And he and I have argued enough that he KNEW the only way to keep me from “expressing my viewpoint” was with a low blow.

My co-worker is off for the next two days, and I have no idea what I will say to him when he returns. He left a note on my desk to apologize - because he doesn't have the balls to pick up the phone and call me. What do YOU think I should do?...