Can't help it. I'm ANNOYED!

Four of us share a space, and I hate it, hate it, hate it. Because one of my coworkers seems to go out of her way to get on my nerves, and when we're sitting on top of each other it's impossible to ignore her.

The week started when we revisited a project we did six months ago, last February. Our client had approved a piece of creative and wanted the content -- just the content -- in a word file. She had the creative and so I asked her if she would make it a word doc.

Oh, my! You would have thought I'd asked her for an internal organ!

"But it started out as a manuscript. Why don't you just send them your manuscript?"

I explained that the manuscript went through internal changes from our account team, then changes from the client, then revisions from the client's legal department, and so it was no longer an accurate reflection of the final, approved creative.

"But can't you just update it?"

Mind you, in the time it's taken us to have this conversation, she could have just done as requested. It would have taken her less than 5 minutes to copy the creative file and convert it to a word doc.

"No," I said, trying to patient. I explained that when legal revisions and fine print are involved, it's better to not try to reproduce it. It's safer to convert it. She was still resistant.

"Just give me your creative file. I'll do it," I finally said. And I did.

Monday we had to retrieve the project and she said she had no recollection of it. I reminded her that it was the one where I made the word doc's because she wouldn't.

"Why wouldn't I? It would only take 5 minutes. That doesn't sound like me!" She actually insisted that she wasn't the lazy slug she was.

Then yesterday, I was fiddling around with LinkedIn, checking on a coworker's rumored promotion. I saw that my high school friend Judy tried to contact me through this networking site, and mentioned her sister's illness. I said, "Oh, no, I don't feel like dealing with this right now." It was more to myself than to anyone else but because we sit on top of one another ...

Annoying Coworker said, "So just call her."

"It's complicated," I said. "And just seeing her message leaves me feeling really sad and guilty." (Actually, "responsible" would have been a better word than "guilty.")

Annoying Coworkers snapped, "Well, that's your problem."

"She's telling me her sister had a massive heart attack and almost died. That kinda thing always bothers me," I snapped back. And haven't spoken to her since.