Crappy people & you

I've had this on my mind for a little over a week now and I've talked myself out of posting it. I'm just so ticked about it that I have to get it off my chest.

*Warning: Major whining and complaining ahead. Turn back now!*

I volunteer at the Aquarium here. VOLUNTEER. I do not work there. I do not get paid. I spend one day a week(9 hours) busting my butt for them. I've been doing this for a few months now and I've really enjoyed it. Except for last week.

I understand people have bad days. I understand that some days you're just not in it. But I do not understand a paid staff treating a volunteer like crap for no good reason. This was the second time I've worked with this trainer, the first time being my first day when she "trained" me. She was nice the first time. Not warm and fuzzy, but nice. Last week? Not so much. The day started with her making a snide comment to me about standing there when she walked in.....HELLO I always wait until the TRAINER gets there, moves the birds so I can go in and clean(since I can't go in when the birds are in there. it's against the rules)......apparently me waiting for 2 min wasn't ok, I needed to FIND something to do. Whatever, I get it. So I went on to do the other things that needed to be done. At one point she made a comment about how I should just know what to do(and what she wants done. like she expected me to do something I have NEVER done before and got mad when I said I'd never done it. HELLO lady, i'm not a mind reader!)

The day went on and a few more comments were made. Not big nasty ones but enough to get under my skin a little bit. The big one came right before lunch. Everything was done. All she was doing was writing in the log book. It was 10 min until we went to lunch so I was waiting to see what the game plan would be after we got back since I hadn't really worked with her before and I wasn't used to how she liked things done. She decided that she didn't like that and sent me out to scrub the beach. Now, normally I would be fine with this....BUT the birds hadn't been outside in two days due to the weather being too bad, so there was NOTHING to scrub! I knew it was time for lunch so I went back inside(from the 15 degree cold) and washed the brush so I could go. She looked at me, rolled her eyes and told me to go back out! I just looked at her! Whatever. I went back out for the nest 30 min until she came out to get me. She then asked me if I saw what she told me I needed to scrub, when I said no, she looked around and said "Oh. Well I guess there is none today. You need to make sure you stay on top of it. You can go to lunch now. Make sure you're back by 1 to prep for the feed. I'll be a little late".  By the time I got my food I had 20 min to eat when I should have had 60....then she showed up almost 40 min later then me! So she got a full lunch break but I didn't AND I had to do all of the prep work by myself.

The rest of the day went on fine. For the most part, I was up there alone so I didn't have to deal with her. I'm mad though. I did 95% of the work. Besides feeding the penguins and writing in the log books she did nothing. At one point she said she had a feed so I had to wash the bucket(She walked the bucket down(decent walk) so she could go to a feed at 2.) I walked down at 230 to wash it and she was sitting with her friends BS'ing. Then I had to make the hike back to the room to finish what needed to be done. She later told me the feed got pushed to 245. She didn't wash the bucket, she talked with her friends instead...she could have come back to help me!

Now if I was paid staff I would suck it up. BUT I'M NOT! I don't volunteer to do her job for her! AND I SURE AS HECK don't volunteer to get treated like crap.

I would have walked out if it weren't for two things 1) I had things in the back room I needed. 2) we are staying at the aquarium for my birthday this weekend and I don't want to see people if I just walked out. lol.

I called in sick this week since I didn't feel great and I needed a break. I think I'm going to talk to the volunteer coordinator this week and tell her how I feel about it. I don't mind bad moods at all, but I do mind how I'm talked to and treated. It may sound petty, and I bet I will think so when I cool off.

But for now. I'm ticked.