The Cube Buddy

So this is the cubicle set up in my office. All of the 'walls' are about 4 feet high. This means that when I am sitting at my desk, the top of the 'wall' is level with the top of my head. If I sit up really straight, I can see the person in the next cube. There are ten desks total and we are lined up two by two. Some of the desks have three 'walls' and some of them, like mine, have two. I don't even have a full cube so technically I have a triangle--triangbicle. This is how I have a 'cube buddy'. Having a cube buddy is kinda like having a roommate. You have to listen to their phone conversations, smell their perfume, and listen to their music. You can't get away from it because there is no where to go. Not only am I trapped in a small area for 8 hours a day of my life, but I trapped with another person. A person who's smell I don't necessarily enjoy; a person who listens to country music-the same 20 songs over and over; and, this is my favorite, a person who will ask a client on the phone to 'hang on' so that they can answer their cel phone. (crazy but true and on more than one occasion!) So what do I do to survive the madness?

It's that time again! Office Birthday Party!

In my office I sometimes feel like I'm on that episode of Seinfeld: Elaine's office is constantly finding reasons to celebrate something in the afternoons. Remember that one? She boycotts the parties not realizing the addiction to sugar she's developed in the late afternoons. She ends up eating a super expensive cake stored in her bosses refridgerator. It's funny--just like most episodes of Seinfeld are--ok all episodes are.
I feel so generic signing the birthday cards for my co workers. Really, most of them I don't really care to celebrate their birthday nor do I really feel like I have anything meaningful to write in their card. There have been times where I didn't even know who the person was and I had to sign their card. If I don't know who they are, how will they know who I am? "Happy Birthday! - Tracy" Who is Tracy?? Maybe I shouldn't sign those cards anymore.
Everybody writes the same thing: happy birthday, have a happy birthday, hope you had a happy birthday, and so on. It's annoying. If everyone is going to write the same thing, then why don't we just write one message and each sign our names?
I'm going to not complain or be cynical about it anymore. I'll sign whatever card you want me to--let's face it, I don't want to end up searching for 200 year old cake in my bosses office because I like the afternoon sugar high.

Hot Chocolate

I love to be outside but today I will enjoy my cube because outside it's clouds and rain. The worst is when the weekdays are sunny and beautiful and the weekends are rainy and cloudy. I'm always grateful when it's in the middle of the week and it's raining...that means there is a good chance for sun over the weekend!
Every office has a kitchen and with every office kitchen there is coffee, water, and hot chocolate. I love hot chocolate. It's honestly one of my favorite things. You know that time in the morning, usually around 10am, when you have already eaten breakfast but it's too early to eat lunch and you are so hungry that you start to search through your drawers for any shred of sustenance and wonder what creative way you can consume the ketsup packets and soy sauce? Well I have found that the office kitchen hot chocolate is just the cure. Lately, I have been pouring a couple of creamers in with it. It thickens it up just right and it holds me over until lunch! Try it out. I don't think you'll be dissappointed...that is unless you are lactose intolerant. Then I think you'll be pissed.

Pass the time links

http://notproud.com
http://www.mil-millington.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/things.html
http://www.thedailykirk.blogs.com

living in a cubicle

So Laura D. and I were emailing one day and we decided that it would be cool to have a place where we could write about our exciting cubicle lives. Before I go any further, all of you that are NOT currently working in an office, at a desk, in front of a computer, just find the x at the top right...you will be bored out of your minds. Really what is a life in a cubicle like? That is what we are attempting to explore here.
I work in an office with eleven cubes in a room. I have a "cube buddy", I call people on the phone that are 5 feet away from me, I email my co workers with questions, and I IM- usually things I don't want other people to hear. It was all so foreign to me a year ago before I joined the ranks. But now, it's my life and I have discovered that there are many others out there just like me.

If you want to share a cublicle life moment, just email it to me at tracyleegreen@gmail.com and I will post it for you.