The intervening moments of life

I know I promised to continue my previous post, but I have neglected in my brief moment of laborial satisfaction to post a few things. First, congrats Camille, for getting that new position at the institution. True, I'll miss you like crazy since you won't be in the cell/cubicle next to me anymore. What will life be without those ridiculous calls between two people less than 15 feet apart? Also, who will I exchange catty gossip with about senior staff (besides Marie, or Bonnie, or Adelaide or a handful of other people such a the head of HR)? But props to you for escaping this cellblock and building. I only wish you were a) not located next to the desk of that media guy who loathes me and b) seated a little closer to the girl with the Scharfenberger chocolate. I take comfort in the fact that it all might change really soon, since they are undergoing the joys of curling for beginners in that building.

Secondly, I would like to say I have reclaimed my brother from the brink of banality. Just as far back as July, he was saying Travis was his favorite band. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate Travis, but really, if they are your favorite band you probably are going to eat banana cream pudding for your crazy-go-wild dessert and finish out the evening watching My Best Friend's Wedding. Not a horrible fate, but he is a 21-year-old boy, he should like something really far-out (in either the direction of vile taste (ie. Linkin Park) or towards something surprisingly good (in the realm of My Morning Jacket)). It's like what I think Oliver Wendell Holmes said about politics, there is plenty of time to play it safe when you get older. Anyway, brother dearest has since backed down from his dangerously boring position.

Third, Earnesto will be gone for 3 of the next 4 weeks. Say no more.

Fourth, and most importantly, NBA season starts on Tuesday, opening with the Boys playing Portland. Guess who's leaving work early that day??

In support of the last fact, I link to this. No, I'll embed it. Enjoy!!

Team Positivity Strikes Again

More Later, I think I have to go to sleep so I can go to work to waste time tomorrow, but thought I would give an update.

UPDATE:
Last night I decided that I would retry Team Positivity, which is not an organized team in a uni and matching socks sort of manner, but more a group of individuals that believe in things such as personal mantras like "Something wonderful is going to happen today." Notice it isn't, "Today is going to be wonderful." That's just too much to believe every day, even for Team Positivity.

I have tried T.P. before, and usually it is short lived. The sarcasm gene is alive and present in me, I'm, afraid, and I can be critical. (Warning: that last sentence was a gross understatement) But in the past I have always been forced to turn in my metaphorical jersey in when I succumb to sneering at optimism.

But yesterday they decided on the final course of office moves, and my office is being cut by 1/3. And I'm okay with that. Not that I am not having occasional panic attacks about how to fit things and arrange Earnesto's office, but I can handle it. Thanks to my new subscription to Positivity Today.

I can make a list of things that are positive about the move. Let me share:

• It means that Rusty no longer will know where my desk is , curtailing his obnoxious tendency to needlessly walk by repeatedly. In essence; I won't be stalked so much.
  
• Earnesto's office will no longer have a large window onto the main hallway, cutting down on people making faces at him while he is on conference calls. It will also eliminate the possibility of this one guy Flashing Earnesto again. ( He was trying to get his attention)
• I won't be in charge of answering the front door anymore. Meaning I'll have a lot more time to waste uninterrupted.
• I may get a new desk, since my current one (I hate it) is too big for the space I'm going into.
• I will be by a working printer
• I'm leaving in two months.

So the last point isn't a benefit of the move, but it is what has me reconciled to the chaos. And also back on the team.

Curling for beginners

Oh, who doesn't love the Winter Olympics? I certainly do. And not just because I will always cherish fond memories of folding nearly 600 paper cranes for a dear friend's wedding in February of 2006 while watching the games. No, I love it because it inspires people to take up sports that seem so much more doable than synchronized swimming, such as curling.

I haven't actually ever curled (played curling, done it, whatever the proper term is). I am not trying to demean curling. There is a lot of strategy that goes into it. And having hefted a curling stone, I know it's not like tiddly-winks. But I have seen curling fever strike. Random people will decide to get together and opine strongly over how great a sport it is and how they have a yen to give it a go.

Be warned. Resist the urge. Curling is not for beginners. It is for people who feel at ease in icy situations. And it should never be attempted in the Workplace.

I know, because I have just watched my boss (Earnesto, let's call him) perform the equivalent of beginner's curling with office arrangements. Let's just say that one hopes that they way an office is set up has more to do with strategy than it does gratuitous movement and the random shifting of heavy objects. I mean, when does it make sense to split up a department and move an office just to move an office? This isn't Art for Art's sake. It's a workplace.

Until now, when it is the office version of curling for beginners.