Category: In Which We Mock Our Employers

  • Elevator

    The other day at work, five women got into the elevator, followed by one man. He had said “ladies first,” as is encouraged by the company. Seriously, gender-based elevator access was discussed in my orientation. They do it because the company wants to be polite, and genteel, and because ovaries are magic. He then said…

  • Funeral

    Last week a co-worker’s mom died, and I went to the funeral with another co-worker. Let’s call him Mr. J____. There was a reception before and the service after. I had previously polled the office to see if it was appropriate to attend the actual funeral of someone you had never met, if you knew…

  • Work Shuffle

    My department is doing a mighty desk shuffle, and I’m one of the few people not moving. All that’s happening to me is I’m losing a bookcase and a cabinet, and someone else is moving in to share my cube. Logic says: I do not need to pack. I just have to stay put.Movers say:…

  • Rage

    I stepped off the elevator at work and I could hear Marcia hollering about something. Stomping. Cussing. Marcia’s been counting down to January 1st, when we both hit our fifth year and earn three weeks of vacation. This morning the boss of all bosses sent an email announcing that starting in the new year, people…

  • Two Points in Search of a Bullet

    Downton Abbey Do the kids of today know they are watching Upstairs Downstairs? I never followed that show too closely back in the day, but I saw the episode when Prince Edward visited and the one with the servant showing up at the back door pregnant. Today I got far enough in Downton Abbey to…

  • This is What I Live For

    At work, I’ve switched from programming in a language I know well to another, more difficult language. Today I scaled a wall. In Ninja Warrior terms, I hit the buzzer with seconds to go. Metaphorically, I spent today trying to scale the Warped Wall. See the guy hanging on to the top of the wall…

  • Suggestion Box

    Kind of a horrifying thing happened at work this week. We are blending two departments together, and one thing that’s been instituted is a suggestion box. I saw the Change Committee team get on the elevator carrying the suggestion box. They were heading for a meeting. Here is where I have to rely on my…

  • Convertibles That Pass in the Night

    A few weeks back, I was handed a United Way pledge card, scribbled $20.00 on the paycheck line and tossed it back on the coordinator’s desk. Later, emails thanking me for my generous contribution to the Arts and Entertainment Council arrived. Oops. They thanked me with two theater tickets and a viewing of our Partner’s…

  • This is how I start my day

    Each morning I walk past this sign and wait for the day they shovel snow directly off the top of the parking garage and onto the snow dumping area. And then I think, “Do not taunt happy fun ball.”

  • Putty (NOT safe for work)

    Sigh. So let’s say you pick at your nails and you have taken up Silly Putty as an alternative. And then let’s say you bring in some red and yellow neon Silly Putty and foolishly store it in the same tin as your old school light green Think Geek putty. So lets say then you…