To be or not to be....Present

One of our faculty will be retiring in about a week, so my co-workers decided to throw her a retirement party and I was asked to send out a mass e-mail in my department only telling the peeps about the party. The e-mail specifically said NOT to bring any sweets because a big cake was ordered and the person who will be throwing the party didn't want excessive amounts of food left. The e-mail also said DO NOT respond if you can't attend, only respond if you can attend, that way the person will know about how much food to get. I must include one important factor about this party.... a co-worker decided that the party should be at her house.

So she gave me specifics about what to put in the e-mail and I did just that. She said, "Now please make sure you tell them they DO NOT need to say they can't make it or why they can't make it and if anyone had any questions, to see her. I did just what she asked and do you know a message comes through my inbox saying, "I will not be able to attend this party because of...." Didn't I just tell this idiot  man that he didn't have to send me any regrets. I just hit the delete button and kept working. (There's a message from you) - This is what my computer says when yet another e-mail comes through at work and the message was yet from someone else saying they will not be attending the party. I had to go and read what I sent just to make sure it had DO NOT RESPOND IF YOU CAN NOT MAKE IT TO THE PARTY. Yep, that's exactly what it said.

Well wouldn't you know that the guy who sent the first message comes down to my office and ask me if I got his e-mail. I told him I did. He went on to say, "Well I won't be there because I will be out of town." I said to him that I didn't need to know that because Ms. Paula only needs a count of who will be there to know how much food to get. He goes on and says, "Yeah I read the e-mail, but I just thought I would tell you anyway."  Now I see why their students can't follow simple directions. And to think I work with these nincompoops!!

Lovingly yours,