Monday: AJ called us together and said he'd decided over the weekend to implement a "presence" policy to ensure the shopfloor know we're all part of the same Team. We all have to take five minutes a day and go wander around on the shop floor and introduce ourselves to "our fellow workers." We don't care - he's going away for two whole weeks!
He's hired the MD's villa in Greece - and is telling everybody about it like it's some big furry deal. Donna's daughter Carly (on the Head Office switchboard) told her the MD lets it out to anyone who'll pay the rent for it, apart from in April and September when he goes out there himself.
AJ also told us we're going to get a new automated phone system and voicemail by the end of the month, so Amy went into hysterics. Next month should be fun.
Tuesday: The real plants for AJ's "environmental office" policy have finally arrived. They were brought in and stood in the middle of the break room and AJ volunteered Donna to hand out the plants, so we all went over to have a look at them. AJ took one look and decided he doesn't want the one he ordered for his office after all, as he likes the minimalist look he's got by taking out the plastic one. So there's his big vine-looking plant going spare.
Andy waited until AJ had gone and said he'd pick his own, so he took a pot and went. Donna lined us all up and started handing them out. She gave Mike the choice of either one with lots of little yellow flowers on or a green and red leaved plant with fat pink flowers on it. He had the little yellow flowers, so James got given the fat pink ones. James also took in another one - it's got long stringy leaves with green and white stripes, and looks like it's trying to escape out the pot and get down to the floor. Amy had a fountain plant. It should be OK for her - it's just a mess of red leaves. Fiona picked out a real nice-looking plant with heart-shaped fuzzy green leaves and purple flowers with yellow middles - she says she's going to feed it on natural organic stuff. LeeAnn said she'd have the plant that already looks like a dry stick, as it won't matter too much if she forgets to water it. There was a small sad fern-type thing on the edge of the plants, so I said I'd have that one. Donna said it was too small to survive and tried to get me to have another fern one instead - a big thing with lots of little white flowers on it, but I said I'd stick to leaves for now and try for flowers later. There's about nine unclaimed so Donna's going to have two of them and put the others around in the office and the break room.
Wednesday: The big vine-looking plant AJ was going to have is still on the floor by the break room door. We all tried to get Andy to take it in, but he said he wouldn't have it as he'd already got his plant. It's a small pot with a few bright green tiny leaves in it that he's put on the corner of his filing cabinet. Fiona said it wasn't a plant, it was only moss, but Andy said if he had to look after a plant, he'd settle for moss.
The big printer wasn't working after the lunchbreak again. Walked over, pulled Mike's mobile charger, plugged the printer back in.
Thursday: I heard from Guru Bob this morning. We're one of the few sites who don't have email linkage to Head Office - and that's because we don't have email. He told me we'll be getting it by the end of the month to go live in September, so I'll have a new server to look after. It's going to be NT though, unfortunately. He told me I'd have to train up the others to use email, and wanted to know how long I thought it'd take. When I said about a year or so he told me I'd have to try to get them using it competently by the end of September. After I'd laughed a lot, he said OK by the end of this year then. Next month is definitely going to be fun.
The big vine-looking plant is still in the break room. After the lunchbreak we all tried to get James to take it as there's room in his office, but he wouldn't. I said they could stop looking at me as it'd die in mine - there wouldn't be room enough for both of us in there anyways. It's a big thing after all - bigger than me. I said it was a hungry-looking thing as well as big, it'd probably get even bigger and start grabbing at people going by. I then said look out - it's moving! Amy promptly had hysterics and said she didn't want it near her as she'd die if it lunged for her. Donna said I was an insensitive pig as I knew saying that would frighten her, and took her off into the break room to calm down. Mike said he was having hysterics too, and James said I shouldn't make him laugh when he's drinking coffee. LeeAnn said if it turns out to be a killer plant, she'll have it. I said she'd better, and I'd set my fern on her if she didn't.
Friday: AJ wandered around before the lunchbreak making sure everyone knew he was flying out to the MD's villa in Greece this weekend. He says it's going to be really hot, as did we know Greece is in the Mediterranean (which is further south than Britain,) so they'll most probably be by the villa's private swimming pool all the time. He thinks we'll start to envy him if talks about it enough - we're all just trying to hide the fact we're so glad he's going for two whole weeks!
read 00/07/24-28 or read 00/08/07-11 