I call my new coworker "Cheerful" because on our first few days in this new office, she was so maniacally perky I thought she was going to suffer debilitating face spasms and fall to the floor in grotesque pain. Happily, she's calmed way down. But the name remains, because hey. Nobody said it was easy, being a supporting cast member on this blog. Remember, I called a perfectly nice, normal coworker "Alien Secretary" for a year and a half. I know no bounds.
(You guys are sort of like supporting cast members too, but you already had nicknames before I met you; it isn't the same.)
Anyway, back when we were getting to know each other, Cheerful would strike up conversations by pointing out stuff about me that is different than herself. Which is quite a lot of stuff, so our conversations have been many and varied.
One day, she looked around my cubicle and said, cheerfully, "You know, we simply have to decorate in here."
Wha ...? I decorated! I did! Look, I have pictures up, I have a calendar, I have some desk toys and my Magic 8-Ball, and most of all, I have His Ascended Holiness, the Cola Yak. Is this not decorating?
No. Not compared with Cheerful. Her photos are all in crystal and brass 8 x 11 frames. There are feng shui mirrors in there. There's a radio. She brought in a Christmas tree, folks. She has actual statuary in her cubicle. It took four trips to her car to haul it all in.
I tried to set her straight. "One should only bring in as many personal items as one can carry in the standard-sized copypaper box. Because" (and here I paraphrased Allison from "The Breakfast Club") "you never know when you'll have to jam."
Cheerful disagreed. She thinks that when you're on probation, you should decorate like mad, so it looks like you've settled in permanently, and Management is less inclined to fail you on probation and make you go to the trouble of moving back to your former agency.
Hmm. That makes sense, too. I guess it depends on your personality. But what does it say about the fact that I still have my empty copypaper box under my desk?
Cheerful was disgusted. "Gimme that box. You're staying. You don't need it."
No! Don't touch my box! Stay back!
Heh-heh. Seriously, you should consider moving in.
I'm much more like Cheerful. My cube has a beach theme and was dubbed "The Beach House" by my co-workers. I don't think anyone would be surprised if I started serving frozen drinks.
Posted by: CmdrSue | December 21, 2005 at 08:45 AM
I really like this "Cheerful!"
Posted by: Wende | December 21, 2005 at 11:03 AM
Ms Jane's cube attracts vermin from the old scones that crunch under the wheels of the chair. According to her. It's not like I've actually seen her place of work. Someday I suppose it'll be a big stop on the Ms Jane's Life Tour.
Posted by: Jo | December 22, 2005 at 08:21 AM
It's true. The floor is littered with crumbs from my messy eating that have been ground into the carpet by my chair wheels.
The coolest thing in my cube is my giant poster of Boosty Collins. Since a utility company is one of the least funky places in the universe, nobody knows who he is. Sigh.
Posted by: Ms. Jane | December 22, 2005 at 09:04 AM
Don't you have a cleaning staff? At the least, try leaning over your keyboard while you eat cookies. The crumbs go right into the crevaces, where you don't have to look at them again. Voila!
Posted by: pam | December 22, 2005 at 09:27 AM
When I know the cleaning staff is coming, I'm always careful to dump my keyboard contents (aka the crumb bank) on the floor and roll around some more before I go home.
Posted by: Ms. Jane | December 22, 2005 at 12:01 PM
Aren't you precious! They must love you.
Posted by: pam | December 22, 2005 at 12:24 PM
I just started with a new company, and individuality in our cubes and offices is encouraged. It's week two and I have little up so far, except for some photos, a congrats on the new job poem from my boyfriend, and a Rumi calendar. Guess I'd better get busy decorating, before someone brings me an empty copy box!
Posted by: Lindsay | February 12, 2008 at 10:34 AM
I just started with a new company, and individuality in our cubes and offices is encouraged. It's week two and I have little up so far, except for some photos, a congrats on the new job poem from my boyfriend, and a Rumi calendar. Guess I'd better get busy decorating, before someone brings me an empty copy box!
Posted by: Lindsay | February 12, 2008 at 10:34 AM
I thought I was the only one w/the one box theory. I use my box for recycling. Then if I ever need it I can dump the paper and fit all my crap in one box.
Posted by: Joy | August 12, 2008 at 10:20 AM