will the real gabrielle romero please stand up

picture this -

a staff assistant from my office goes down to security to sign in a candidate, gabrielle romero*, who has come for an interview. as good manners requires, the staff assistant greets ms. romero by name and brings her to the conference room for the interview. i then meet her at the door with a hearty and welcoming - "you must be gabrielle romero. i'm the flipflop fed. let's go and meet the rest of the interview panel."

we enter the room and i announce - "may i introduce gabrielle romero." at which point the panel stands and each of them, without exception, begin their introduction with "it's nice to meet you gabrielle." niceties complete, we all sit and ms. romero begins to toss around her business cards like she's dealing us all in for a quick hand of texas hold 'em. while dealing, gabrielle romero mutters something about it being holiday time and how this is the best time to do a little business.

we were all so confused! first, by the random throwing of the business cards, then by ms. romero's seeming desire to sell us something at the beginning of her interview, and finally by the fact that ms. romero's business cards bear the name of someone altogether different - charlene tomczak*.

it was then that i inquired - "who is charlene tomczak?" the woman calmly replies - "i am. isn't this the small business meeting?"

turns out that this woman wasn't my interviewee, but a random woman who decided to answer to a name that wasn't hers and end up in an interview with the department of education instead of her small business training with the department of housing and urban development!!!

go figure!

fyi - the real gabrielle romero showed up for the interview 45 minutes late never having called to report her delay and never apologizing once she arrived.

*names changed to protect the moronic