As many of my fellow knit group buddies know, I worked for several years as a veterinary technician before starting grad school. Over the five years I worked at the veterinary clinic, the staff stayed fairly stable – and by stable I mean that there wasn’t a high staff turnover, the staff mental stability is a whole different story. Anyway, besides the occasional UConn pre-vet students (who, on average, would stay for about two years for the purpose of getting practical experience to put on their vet school applications) I worked with basically the same group of people my entire time there. However, in the last year my old boss has had two of her long term employees abruptly quit, so on a recent visit I walked into a clinic where I only recognized one person (besides the veterinarians).
One of the employees who left in the last year was someone I was never particularly close to. She started about a year after I did, and immediately I was put off by her high maintenance, bossy, bitchy, selfish attitude that only progressed during the four years I worked with her. She and the boss were always at eachother.She was good at what she did, but difficult to work with. When I visited the clinic a few weeks ago, I learned that she had abruptly quit several months earlier and was now pregnant and living with her boyfriend.
Because of our lack of closeness, I was beyond surprised this morning when I received an invitation to her baby shower. Her mother probably called the clinic to get the addresses of all her former coworkers, because I truly doubt my pregnant former coworker would have my NH address.
I’m kind of stuck on what to do. Do I politely RSVP no, or do I say yes and spend money on a baby gift for a former coworker I never really liked?
On the positive side, this will be a chance for me to see some of my old coworkers. Plus, this is an opportunity to get more socks knitted for the mini plunge. She’s having a girl, and I definitely have girly sock yarn.
