Co-workers who suck

We all have them, the co-worker who we would love to see fired. Of course everybody feels this way about this person, but due to some extenuating circumstance (she's the boss's niece, or he's the boss's son-in-law, etc.) they will never, ever, not in a bizzilion years, no matter how badly they screw up, will they ever be fired.

Now, I've worked a few (ok, a lot of) places and in each place I've had the joy of having such a co-worker. However, not until my current job have I ever had such passionate feelings of hate for the person. Let's just cut to the chase. This person, lets call her Michelle, is an ignoramus.

Scene Set-Up....I work in the health care field, in a hospital where a mistake could cost a person his/her life. Michelle has a bachelors degree, God bless her, in Physical Education. She spent the early part of her career as a high school P.E. teacher. That is, until she was fired from that job for having inappropriate relationships with her female students. (I know ewwww). She then spent the better part of a year searching for local employment (small town, not much for an out of work P.E. teacher who likes young girls). After failing at various odd jobs somebody at the hospital (ok her church leader who is also the hospital administrator) offered her work in the lab. He insisted she had repented of her sins and was on the track to righteousness, she just needed a little help getting back on her feet (don't get me started on the church crap). So here she is.

Now, I have been going to school for three years on my way to my own bachelors degree .A year ago I earned an associates degree in Laboratory Science. I was offered a job in the local hospital laboratory, and I was thrilled to say the least. I started making good money, even for an associate. Then, this angelic little child molester started picking my brain for every little bit of knowledge I obtain at school. At first I happily gave it (hey, I'm a nice gal no matter what anybody says) until I realized I was feeding her information I learned my first semester of college. Here was a woman who didn't know what any first year lab science major knew, and she was working in the lab, generating patient reports, and the real kicker is she's making about three dollars an hour more than me because of that damn bachelors degree. I promptly quit feeding the knowledge and began scheming her destruction. A year of scheming later I am still making three dollars an hour less than her and she is still using me. GRRRRRR. Only now instead of picking my brain she figures since I'm a better lab tech she'll let me do all the work.

All this information has a point I promise.

Tonight my son has a baseball game which I promised I would attend. I was suppose to be off work at 6 o'clock and the game was at 7 o'clock. Perfect, I could even run a little over 6 and still be safe. We don't leave work until all patient samples are resulted. As Michelle sits in the corner of the lab talking on her cell phone (again with the cell phone talking to God knows who) I am hurriedly trying to finish up for the day, all the while encouraging her to help me. Eventually I finish, at 8:15. Damn it I missed the ball game. Try explaining this story to a six year old whose life revolves around sports. Not easy. My one salvation is that in a year I will be finished with school and make more than her and with any luck I will be offered a supervisor position which will give me the authority to fire her.