The watering hole...

Do you ever consider the interactions that take place in or around the office water cooler? Its a marvel. Somehow every time I get up to get a drink of water, or a sip of coffee by the nearby coffee stand, some guy realizes that he's thirsty as well and comes over to join. Its an awkward place. Its a place like no other. Its a place where meaningless conversation, and mindless banter occurs, all for the sake of...simply taking place. Its an excuse to get up and stretch and a place to tell inside jokes or quote favorite movies. Its a place to reminisce about the days activities and gossip about your fellow cubicle dwellers. Its a place to release emotion, sadness, and joy. Its a place that cannot be replaced, and shouldn't.

But, does the water cooler increase production or slow it down? Does it help morale and serve as a refresher for your employees? I appreciate my water cooler and wouldn't change it for a thing.

The watering hole...excuse me, the water cooler, somewhat resembles your local bar - cozy, comfortable, and a lot of small talk.

Check out my watering hole, and send me pics of yours.

The view from atop!

Hello down there! ... I said HELLOOO DOWN THERE!

Phew! I assume you can't here that. Unless your hearing is unconventionally keen, it would be difficult, when standing on the ground, to hear me greet you with salutations from my lofty view here in my new cube. After relocating several times and finally arriving at a cozy cube by a window overlooking a pond and a mulberry tree. Everyday I fixate on birds of all species, colors and sizes. This week a scruffy Robin perched on a branch near the window and cleaned himself. It was one of the oddest things i've ever seen. This dirty little robin was scratching his head with his claw. It took him ten minuets to do it and I watched him the whole time...like a creeper.

This brings me to my main point. Maybe it is better for efficiency and workflow to put your employees in a cube facing a wall, much like my old cube. However, I am indeed much happier with my pleasant view and the work that I do gets done with a smile on my face and is completed with better quality.

So, I ask you: Do you think its better to have happy employees who get less work done but do it better because they are more relaxed and happier? Or do you think its better to have a somber employee without a view that gets more work done, but the quality is lacking?

See my view in the photo above. And Goooooooodddd byeeeee! (but you probably didn't hear that either)

From cubicle to shining cubicle!

I've made myself comfortable in a new cube. I had to pack up my picture frames, my ethnic tissue box, scenic calender, and my tac-board and relocate to a new company with a new cube and a new chair. Its a 21 century cube, smaller, retro with modern colors, and complete with a Herman Miller air-on desk chair.

It was a fascinating experience, moving to my new home. I had to adjust to the modern theme, the new smell, and the new atmosphere with new people. I have a window, rather I HAD a window. I was relocated thrice and ended up in the windowless cube in the corner. But, the caramel colored walls will substitute for now.

The main difference is the noise. There are lots of cubes, and lots of people. And, I must try to convey my thoughts to you through the chatter of salesmen answering phones, mothers talking about their daughters boyfriends, and the managers trying to make sure their people aren't saying anything to customers that might hurt the business.

I sit here both in bliss and sadness. I am gleeful of the change and interested to see what life will be like in my 21st century cube, and I am saddened to leave the old cube behind and the memories and countless blogs that took place there.

When it rains... the cubicle gets wet

It is indeed an unfortunate moment when you walk into your cube Wednesday morning, excited to embrace another day, and you step in a puddle. A puddle? Yes, it seems that thunderstorms not only bring lightning and hail, but they also bring with them a furry of rain that can penetrate even the strongest cubicle walls, and do it with malice.

Three cubes down from mine, Dave's cube, got a good two inches of water sitting in and around his office chair, the power cords, and the most humorous piece of equipment with googly eyes taped on the side ( i wish I could explain this piece better, but you will just have to imagine).

Instead of bringing in a fan to start blowing on the water logged carpet, they are brainstorming what to do. I didn't need someone to tell me what to do before I jumped into action. I made my way to the bathroom for some towels to provide my little cube with an immediate solution. However, it seems as if we are out of paper towels so I was able to suffice with an entire roll of toilet paper that I brought back to the cube with me.

Toilet paper in hand, I got down on my knees to assess the situation at a more intimate distance. As I discovered, little damage had been done, and my quick thinking saved a few office products from getting splashed by the angry flood.

My toilet paper was not as successful as I would have hoped. In fact, residue from the one-ply Charmin is still stuck to parts of the carpet, but most of the water is gone.

Unfortunately, Dave's cube was the hardest hit and he was forced to evacuate and seek shelter in a cube on higher ground.

I'd love to hear some solutions that I could pass on to Dave as he struggles to get by in his unfamiliar cube. I'd like to help him assimilate back into his cube as soon as possible. It seems the thunderstorm, and trailing water damage has, (pardon the pun) dampened his spirit.

A Tragedy of Growing Old

One of the great tragediennes of growing older is that you must give up some things that keep you quite comfortable and safe. For instance, your crib keeps you from falling out of bed while sleeping, the Binky keeps you from crying, and the sippy-cup, a friend of all clumsy hands and forgetful elbows keeps us from spilling our drinks - brilliant!

Some of us wish that we hadn't graduated so quickly from the safety of our sippy cups.

It was another Friday morning in the cube, the fluorescent lights were shining, the air conditioning was rustling through my hair, and the smell of fresh brewed coffee could be detected from my cube. I was quite complacent, until I went for the coffee pot. I'd spent a good 8 minuets grinding the Starbucks Italian Blend coffee beans and watching the liquid peculate in the jar. I poured an especially large portion and brought it back to the safety of my cube, much like the safety of my crib... the cubicle walls keep me from falling out of my cube when I'm sleeping. What?

As I was truly enjoying my cup-o-joe and studying the countries of Europe, I quickly reached for my cup and destroyed it! POW! I knocked it, with zero finesse, right into the keyboard, onto my lap, and soaked the mouse pad (which is sitting underneath my desk to dry out now). I stared for a few seconds at the coffee, my coffee, dripping and bumbling through the keys. It was gross. I mean really gross.

I jumped up quickly, tripping over the power cord, and stumbling into the hall. I had the attention of my co-workers at this point, especially because I am now running( and I do mean running) to get some paper towels from the bathroom, because the coffee, my delicious coffee, was soaking through my key board and ruining whatever components were in its path! Oi Vey!

I start wiping off the keyboard, which is still plugged in, and every time I ran the towel over the keys it obnoxiously went *ding*, *ding*, *ding*. Audible enough for my neighbors to hear. From whipping off random keys I sent an e-mail with a title "lhgfdgfdhgfk" and no content to one of my co-workers. It was also dripping on my foot and I happened to be wearing sandals.

It was a pathetic scence.

All of this could have been avoided if I wasn't so prideful and would just drink my coffee out of a sippy cup.

Baby in a Cube!

A fascinating thing happens when a co-worker has a baby. Its a wonderous time for cube dwellers, somthing strange starts to happen. You hear about the baby's progress, when its due, what color the bedroom they just painted is, the baby shower, the new crib, the car seat, the baby monitor, and the collection of names they've come up with, most of which sound absurd to you. When the baby finally arives, they have to bring it in to show off. Maybe its Mommy picking Daddy up for lunch and she just happens to come inside, baby in toat.

Today, someone came in to pick up a check and brought their baby with them. *Crash, Bang, Boom!* All productivity in the office came to a screetching halt. People get out of their desks and walk towards the baby. Some linger close by to get a peak, and others jump right in with their goo goo eyes, talking loudly into the baby's face and making strange noises.

It was amaing. Nothing could be done for the 25 minuets the baby was there. "He's so big!", and "look at those toes!", of course "he looks just like you", and "he is soooooo cute, I bet he's gonna be just like his Daddy someday." Its quite a show.

Then, after the baby leaves, the conversation begins. One of two things is discussed: 1. The Mom's suddenly yearn for another baby of their own, and reminice about their past, or 2. people talk about how ugly/cute the baby was and rehash everything over and over.

I just sat there, opened mouth, eyes afixed on the little one and the scence around me.

I couldn't believe what happened when the unfarmiliar makes its way into the cubicle maze. It's an upset of balance, and people shift into a new form.

I think its just incredible.

Of the Endangered Species List

I've got sticky mouse syndrome. My mouse refuses to budge. I shake it, I blow on the little ball, and I bang it against the desk, but the mouse still sticks. I know they sell wireless/balless mouces(mice?), but I don't have one. So, I have to suffice with what I've got, and that happens to be a mouse with its ball still in tact. She's an endangered species, and one of the least sought after items in an office. However, I continue to caress her and hope the cursor glides across the screen at the same time and, more importantly in the same direction, as my mouse.

I always wondered why they would make such a device, obviously technological advances in science have allowed us to operate a finger pad on our laptops and a balless mouse with a sensor, but I still wonder how long it will take until all offices rid their cubes of the very last mouse-with-ball.

It's clear that I am now the minority, most have switched over and are advancing in exponential ways. Will I be the last to own a ball mouse? If so, should I save this little guy as a collectors item, or throw it away in the trash?

During these frustrating times, I want to throw the sticky icky mouse in the dumpster along with various other office products.
Enjoy this little bit of technology. It's the Kiwi Mouse from New Zeland by Microsoft. I think its time I get one.


I hope that I've captured some unanimous frustrations. Do you still have a ball operated mouse? Or do I have a rare collectors item?