TL;DR: had a fund raising event through work yesterday. It's a big event that goes hand in hand with work. And while it ultimately went well and we raised over $1000 for the charity - I got nothing but complaints about things I didn't do right yesterday.

It started first thing off in the morning when the place I ordered vegetables from gave me the wrong order and instead of sliced onions - I got a Greek salad. There was no time to fix it so we didn't have onions

Then the Bash car wouldn't start. This is our Bash car: a 1979 Ford F100

So I'm in the back ripping through my packing trying to find the jump start pack we have when someone who was on the team about three years ago came up to me to ask how it was going.

I bluntly said that it was going really bad at the moment. That we were running late because I couldn't get the car started or find the jump start because it wasn't where it was supposed to be in the car.

People often borrow it and just put it anywhere when they're done with it. Or sometimes they do put it back and I'm just screwed in that's the case.

And he just went - uh huh, so you need to keep up with recycling more. As we have containers around the office to collect bottles that we need to then count, sort, and take to a recycling centre. Money raised gets to go to the charity.

This guy also takes a cut because he runs an after work social each night.

And we've had a discussion over email already that because, right now, it's just been me doing everything for the charity at work due to one teammate being useless and the other being in a different state that I want to hire a company to count/sort/collect the cans. Because I don't have time on my own

For the 20% of the funds they'd take - I feel it's worth the time save. Unless he can help out more. As right now he just comes out to help count now and then. He doesn't empty the bins or do any of the running the cans to the recycling centre.

Which I appreciate the counting help, but the other stuff takes up a bunch of time too.

Especially when I'm already juggling everything else. He said in the email that he didn't like that idea. Wouldn't tell me why he didn't like it, but we could discuss it later.

Apparently later meant when he saw me in the middle of scrambling to try and get the car working

And it was to remind me that I wasn't doing the recycling enough. When I brought up wanting to hire someone again, he just said he didn't like that idea, but he could see I was busy so we'd discuss it later.

Oh. So you COULD see I was busy?!? Good. Good to know. Here I thought I was looking like I was slacking and needed more work to do.

The only reason I think he wouldn't like hiring someone is he'd get less of a cut. Then he should be stepping up to offer more help if that's the case.

Whatever. Maybe Monday I'll offer that he can take more of a cut after the people we hire take their share. Because I don't really care. The charity will still get something

And the loss of what the people I hire would take feels worth the less stress I'd feel trying to find time to do everything else that needs doing

So, yeah. Already starting off in a good mood.

Finally found the jump start. The car almost still wouldn't start. Was just about to give up and just shove everything into my car when it finally got working.

Got there late and as we got started setting up - I just got told how much I didn't get right.

The onions came up again. I got napkins instead of paper towels. I didn't get the "right" mince. Why didn't I bring any tongs for the lettuce? Sure we used gloved hands last year, but tongs would have looked better.

The part that nearly broke me was when someone said: you didn't think to pack a knife for the buns? How could you not think about that?

I don't know. Maybe because I was stuck doing everything else and forgot one item.

It's not like I had someone to bounce thoughts off of to help me think about stuff I might have forgotten

Ended up getting the box cutter/Stanley knife out of the car and wiping it with a wet wipe to use as a knife.

The only thank you I got all day outside of people saying thanks when I handed them burgers was the chair of the charity came by. As he was a guest invited by work.

He remembered me from last year and said thank you for last year and how great the set up looked. That he hoped the day was going well.

During the rush useless teammate showed up to help cook burgers and we did have the one nice person who came on their day off to help out during the day when she didn't have to. But they left before the end.

It left me and the new teammate for the year as this event is seen by work as their introduction to every thing.

He seems like a nice guy, but he's not great at figuring out things without being told. It's hard to explain over text. But, he was on burger making area all day. Where when we got an order, the idea is after the person grilling puts patties on a bun, he would take it to put tomato, cheese, and lettuce on it before handing it to the customer

And each and every time someone would have to prompt him: time to put stuff on burgers.

Before and after the useless teammate came for his 3 hours - we offered if he wanted to grill, but he kept asking us when he should flip burgers. Clearly he wasn't looking overly comfortable - so I took over the grilling

We tried to let him take the money and run the small dart game we had going, but he didn't like talking to people or working the ipad. Burger assembly was the thing he liked doing the best out of the roles we had I think.

But it also meant it was just me and him to pack up and it was... awkward.

He didn't just start doing things like - closing containers, picking up trash, or putting things back in the car. Things you can see needs doing unless I directed him.

Like - hey, can you wipe the tables. Hey, can you pack that up while I do this. This pile of stuff I'm walking back and forth to the car now that you're done with that - want to help with that?

Clean up took ages with just the two of us by the time we got the grill cleaned and everything packed up into the car.

Then we got stuck for a bit when someone told me I could go around an area to get the car out as someone had parked and blocked the area we had come in on.

Except the area they said we could drive around was blocked by the golf club's golf carts. So got to do an awkward 1000000 point turn in a tight area with a car that is huge, has no power steering

AND WAS ON AN INCLINE

Doubled with the new teammate who I asked to get out and help me with the backing up, but would just.... stand there.

Instead of... you know, waving? Or saying anything

Luckily, I'm glad I realised I wasn't getting much feed back as near the start I finally went: I feel like I'm getting really close to the wall. Are you sure I can keep backing up?

And he went: oh, yeah, you are getting close. Maybe you should stop now.

THEN HE DITCHED ME ONCE WE GOT BACK TO WORK.

He needed to run into the building before we get locked out at 7pm. So I said sure, go get what he needed from inside. I was going to start the car clean out.

I got a few things put away and was going to take the garbage around when he came back with a thumbs up that he got everything done.

I said I was going around the side to toss the garbage, but to grab the cans he wanted and the leftovers we said we'd split when we got back.

I tossed the garbage and the guy was gone. So were the cans, but the rest of everything else was still in the back. I thought: oh, maybe he's taking the cans to his car as we said he could have them instead of adding them to the charity pile.

I thought he was coming back. So I kept working. I broke down some cardboard boxes. Dumped the water from the esky/cooler box. Separated the leftover we said we'd split. Got the car locked up and it was then that I realised he wasn't coming back.

So. Guess I split the leftover food for no reason

Just based on the one day I've spent with this guy? I think he honestly just forgot we were splitting the leftovers and probably just forgot that we had to... you know, do SOMETHING with all the stuff we brought back from the cook out.

I really don't think it was maliciously done. He also has kids. So I bet he was anxious to get back to them as it was pretty late in the day by then

But I forsee this as a sign that I'm not going to be getting much help with fund raising this year.

I'm mostly still seething about the guy I bluntly told I was stressed and having issues, who decided to still complain at me about the recycling without offering any help.

Don't complain about a solution someone is suggesting unless you're willing to at the very least talk about why you don't like that solution

Especially if they're in the middle of fixing a major problem

And I ended up not getting to see any of the trick or treaters with how late we got back. but I'm glad Nu was home and could give out candy. She said our efforts to be a 'cool house' was a success. That there were excited cries of: a whole bag?!

As we gave out bags with 4 random pieces of chocolate, a bag of mini oreos, and a mini bag of chips in each

There aren't a lot of houses that do Halloween in Australia. I want our house to be worth visiting for those kids brave enough to go out!!

I want to be the house that kids talk about going: guys, we got to go to this house. Last year they gave out good stuff

I still remember the popcorn ball lady and the home made cookie lady from my youth. I may not be as dedicated as those two - but I also remember the house that would give out full sized candy bars.

I want to be: bag full of goodies house

But I do feel a bit better getting that off my chest. Going to attempt sleep again

/just hooooooooolds

He's got kids? And a wife presumably. I feel so very sorry for her. Imagine living with someone who needs that amount of guidance

Actually, his wife passed away 10 years ago, so he's a single dad

Oh wow, maybe his brain really is just fried.

Yeah, could be.

I wouldn't have even minded if he was like: shit, I got to get back to my kids. Would have suggested packing up sooner or would have told him to leave and not worry about helping clean out the car. But he didn't say anything