How do you manage to keep your job???

This is a story about Administrative Assistants who can't Administrate and are not incredibly Assistive. 

I don't get along very well with our Grad Secretary, mostly because we're both pretty jaded and crusty.  The difference between her and I is that my job does not require me to assist people and it really doesn't matter if I'm pleasant. 

When I first signed up for this Grad Studies crap, she sent me on the run-around for signatures and then wouldn't let me register for classes until after classes had started.  This was a problem when it came to applying for student loans.  Not helpful.  That was just a taste of what was to come I guess.  I should have seen the next two coming. 

The second time she managed to "forget" to invite me to Seminar, which only happens once a year, for an entire day.  You have to attend Seminar to get your degree.  I was a little panicked, and I didn't find out that I had missed it until the next day, when Brian managed to ruin a good Steak-Day Wednesday by asking about how I managed to talk my way out of going to Seminar.  Now, because of her oversight, I have to go out of my way to get a letter signed by my advisor when I get the chance to go to a conference.  Thanks useless secretary. 

The third time she screwed up my record was Friday.  She also almost screwed up another record in my research group.  Here's the background:  Monday was the last day to change timetables and classes.  I thought I had all my shit figured out over the summer.  I did the run-around to get signatures I knew I needed, then stopped in at the office to make sure that everything was kosher at the beginning of the term.  She said it was all fine and she can get all the info she needs from PAWS.  Turns out she forgot to mention that everything wasn't kosher and I still needed to to the run-around to get signatures....and here's the kicker.....I had 3 hours to do it, mostly because it was Friday and she wanted to go home early.  Turns out the joke was on her because of the 4 signatures I needed, only 1 happened to be on campus last Friday.  Either way, she's managed to piss me off a few times. 

I think having a crusty attitude and not informing students about deadlines is a requirement for Grad Secretaries.  I just hope that she doesn't fuck shit up when it comes time for me to hand in my approved thesis. 

***This post is vague and less ranty than usual because I was so mad that I needed 4 days to cool down.  Sorry for the boring.****