We had a happy event in the office this week, and the promise of ten more!
Monday: AJ called us together for the morning meeting and said he'd decided over the weekend to implement an "added asset" policy. He got a little incoherent trying to explain it, so it looks like it's going to be another good week where we all can just get on with our work.
He'd forgot he'd told Andy to have another surprise fire drill at nine this morning, but we all hadn't, so he was the only one that panicked when the alarms went off just as he was getting into his stride. We all got up and began to calmly walk out, but he moved faster than I've seen him move before - even that time Amy was about to hang up on somebody from Head Office and he got there just in time to grab it - and he got past us all to the door and out first.
AJ came over to Andy while I was getting the roll call sheet from him, and said why on earth did we had to have another fire drill today, Andy? I think you're overdoing it, then he went back in the office before Andy could remind him who'd arranged it. Steve from Stores and I both told Andy it's OK, we know it was him - everybody knows it was him, and Andy said well, as long as everyone knows it was him - I don't like doing this, you know. We both said yes, we know, it's OK.
I marked AJ as 'killed' again because he'd gone back in the office before the fire drill was over. James said I should add the comment 'while bravely trying to rescue essential paperwork' but I said the only choices I had were 'evacuated', 'saved' or 'killed' - and if I had the space to write comments I'd write 'Darwin Award Winner' anyways.
Tuesday: The high spot of the week happened today, when Amy's red leaved fountain plant (renamed Geri) finally gave birth.
Over a month ago now the spike coming out the middle of the plant started to put out small bobbles. It grew more and more of them until two weeks ago, when it'd got to eleven bobbles and stopped. They start off bright green and about a millimeter across, and then they swell up to about the size of a pea and go darker in color. Donna said yesterday the first bobble that appeared looked as if it was going to split open any minute.
At about ten-thirty Amy got excited and called us all over as something was happening to the bobble, so we all were watching as it trembled a bit and then just popped open - and a baby red flower started opening out!
After a while when we'd all calmed down, Donna said what's the matter Amy - we thought you'd be pleased? Amy said yes, I am. She sighed a bit and then said I don't want to, but I'm going to have to let you look after Geri from now on, Donna, because I'm just so allergic to flowers. Donna said well, obviously you haven't got an allergy to Geri's flowers, just to other flowers, and I said they're only baby flowers anyways and baby flowers probably can't give you allergies. Amy brightened up a lot and said well, in that case … I'll keep her until I actually feel ill.
There's ten more bobbles to open so we'll all watch for them now. We all thought she'd been watering it too much, but it turned out OK as it was obviously drinking for twelve.
Wednesday: The big printer wasn't working after the lunchbreak again. Walked over, pulled Mike's mobile charger, threatened him with LeeAnn, and plugged the printer back in.
We all had yet another surprise fire drill just afrter the morning break at ten, but it was raining hard. I marked AJ as 'killed' again because he didn't bother to come out - LeeAnn said she wouldn't have bothered if all you got was 'killed'.
Thursday: I'd done most of my shipping by the early afternoon, so when I went down to give the paperwork to the Packers I had time to go annoy Steve in Stores for a while. He said you're just in time - we're running a sweep on the National and there's nine left including the favorite - do you want a horse? I said yes OK, put my pound in, and drew a horse called 'Brave Highlander'. Steve said bad luck, it hasn't got a hope.
While I was in there, Andy came down and everybody but Steve and I scattered. We both stayed where we were in Stores, as Steve could say he was inputting movements and I could say I was asking him for stock balances, and we could watch him wandering about through the issues hatch. He didn't seem to have any particular reason for being there, and it looked as if he was just killing time. Then the fun started - AJ came down too, obviously looking for him.
Steve started doing a sports-style racing commentary as we both watched Andy wandering aimlessly about, with AJ dodging about trying to guess which way he was going to go next so he could catch up with him. Andy had safety shoes on and AJ didn't, so AJ was careful at first to stay on the marked walkways. Then, when it looked as if Andy was going into the welding shop where AJ couldn't follow him, AJ got desperate and cut across to head him off - right in front of a moving forklift! The forklift driver slammed the brakes on and AJ turned at the noise only to realise this truck was there and coming right at him. He panicked, jumped back, and knocked into one of the Assemblers standing waiting for the forklift to pick up the pallet by his workbench. Steve and I were having hysterics by then, but Andy just carried on towards the welding shop - he hadn't noticed a thing.
The Assembly foreman went over to find out what was going on, and we could see AJ wasn't best pleased because he started waving his arms about. One of the Assemblers over by the welding shop door grabbed Andy as he went by, and pointed out what was going on, so Andy turned around and went over too, rescued AJ and went back upstairs with him. Steve and I were beginning to calm down, then the Assembly foreman came in and said did you see that? so we both started hysterics again. The Assembly foreman said yeah, you did, didn't you - what a pillock. Steve said no, Andy's a pillock, AJ's a moron.
Friday: AJ said at the morning meeting we obviously weren't ready for the "added asset" policy, because he'd not seen anybody attempting to improve their work contributions by adding assets. James asked him for an example of an asset he could add, but AJ said that just showed James wasn't committed to the "added asset" policy or he'd have identified one for himself. After he'd gone back in his office, I said you should be ashamed of yourself, James, you should be committed. James said working here has almost got me committed, but they do Care in the Community now so I can't see any benefit to it. LeeAnn said maybe AJ was sent here so he can be Cared for in the Community, but James said if that's so, it's failed - we're the Community and we don't care.
Just before he went to the afternoon meeting at Head Office, AJ came around to tell us all there aren't going to be any more fire drills as they're too distracting and just waste time. Fiona waited until he'd gone and said I thought we'd be getting them until these Health and Safety inspectors had come? Donna said I thought so too, so she rang the Personnel officer at Head Office who'd told her about them, and he told her the latest information was that they'd been rescheduled and they wouldn't be coming until some time in June or July - maybe not until August. LeeAnn said good, we won't get any more fire drills until it's warmer then.
read 01/03/26-30 or read 01/04/09-13 