Last Person #5

[wingchun100]

Damn, man. I am second on the leader board with 288 (now 289), but I am still trailing GP by almost 150 posts.

How do you think of so much to say, or find the time to say it in???

 

[Steve]

Sometimes I really hate offices, especially when it comes to sharing things in the fridge. People can be so damn unforgiving of simple, honest mistakes. There was creamer in there, which was already open and unlabelled. I figured it was community creamer, so I grabbed some for my coffee. Now someone just came down to my desk, asking if I have seen anyone stealing creamer because there is some missing, etc. I said, "Well, I used some that was in there unlabelled. In the past, that has been 'community creamer.'" They said, "You didn't even ask!" I said, "How can I ask if it isn't labelled? Am I supposed to ask the entire office?" So now I am the office pariah creamer thief guy.

I don't know about anyone else's office life experience, but in mine: no label usually means "community creamer." Plus not to mention, EVERYTHING ELSE in the fridge has a name written on it. Did they run out of time when they got around to the creamer or something? I don't know.

Well, no more coffee for me anyway. lol

Or you could buy yourself a small container of creamer and label it. Or buy a big one labeled community and be the guy who shares.

 

[wingchun100]

Or you could buy yourself a small container of creamer and label it. Or buy a big one labeled community and be the guy who shares.

Of course, but that isn't the point of my post. My point was I am not a fan of the mentality where people always assume the worst. No one can ever give anyone the benefit of the doubt anymore; they always assume someone is out to be the biggest A-hole they can be, kind of like when I made an honest mistake in taking something from an unlabelled container. That's all I'm getting at.

 

[wingchun100]

My computer stepped into the Twilight Zone for a few minutes there. Good to be back home!

 

[wingchun100]

My computer spazzed on me for a minute there!

 

[Steve]

Of course, but that isn't the point of my post. My point was I am not a fan of the mentality where people always assume the worst. No one can ever give anyone the benefit of the doubt anymore; they always assume someone is out to be the biggest A-hole they can be, kind of like when I made an honest mistake in taking something from an unlabelled container. That's all I'm getting at.

I hear you. Your co-worker overreacted. But how much does it cost to give your co-worker the benefit of the doubt? Aren't you assuming the worst in him?

And I love coffee. I can't imagine not drinking coffee at work. That would be horrible. So, I was trying to suggest a couple of ways you could still drink your coffee with cream and also smooth things over with your co-workers. I mean, a big thing of Coffee Mate is like $2 at WalMart. Win/win. Right? You get creamer for your coffee, AND you are no longer the office, pariah, creamer thief. Rather, you're the guy who's looking out for everyone when they need a little cream in their coffee.

My real point is, if you expect your co-workers to share with you, it's not too much to expect you to share with your co-workers. Is it? Further, if they aren't sharing, and you think it would be nice if they did, you're probably going to need to share first. Just being realistic.

 

[wingchun100]

Trophy time! Oh yeah!

 

[wingchun100]

I hear you. Your co-worker overreacted. But how much does it cost to give your co-worker the benefit of the doubt? Aren't you assuming the worst in him?

And I love coffee. I can't imagine not drinking coffee at work. That would be horrible. So, I was trying to suggest a couple of ways you could still drink your coffee with cream and also smooth things over with your co-workers. I mean, a big thing of Coffee Mate is like $2 at WalMart. Win/win. Right? You get creamer for your coffee, AND you are no longer the office, pariah, creamer thief. Rather, you're the guy who's looking out for everyone when they need a little cream in their coffee.

My real point is, if you expect your co-workers to share with you, it's not too much to expect you to share with your co-workers. Is it? Further, if they aren't sharing, and you think it would be nice if they did, you're probably going to need to share first. Just being realistic.

I'm not expecting them to share at all. LOL My point wasn't that they are jerks for not sharing. It was simply about the overreacting. I admitted to a mistake; they wanted to grind on it still. Maybe I should have jammed my finger down my throat...you know, to give them the creamer back. LOL (I'm laughing as I say that...not mad, like it sounds.)

 

[Steve]

I'm not expecting them to share at all. LOL My point wasn't that they are jerks for not sharing. It was simply about the overreacting. I admitted to a mistake; they wanted to grind on it still. Maybe I should have jammed my finger down my throat...you know, to give them the creamer back. LOL (I'm laughing as I say that...not mad, like it sounds.)

 

[Steve]

I'm not expecting them to share at all. LOL My point wasn't that they are jerks for not sharing. It was simply about the overreacting. I admitted to a mistake; they wanted to grind on it still. Maybe I should have jammed my finger down my throat...you know, to give them the creamer back. LOL (I'm laughing as I say that...not mad, like it sounds.)

 

[wingchun100]

It says here that I get another trophy at 1900 posts. Why wouldn't that be at 2000?

At any rate, I am writing THIS post to see if that's true!

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Sometimes I really hate offices, especially when it comes to sharing things in the fridge. People can be so damn unforgiving of simple, honest mistakes. There was creamer in there, which was already open and unlabelled. I figured it was community creamer, so I grabbed some for my coffee. Now someone just came down to my desk, asking if I have seen anyone stealing creamer because there is some missing, etc. I said, "Well, I used some that was in there unlabelled. In the past, that has been 'community creamer.'" They said, "You didn't even ask!" I said, "How can I ask if it isn't labelled? Am I supposed to ask the entire office?" So now I am the office pariah creamer thief guy.

I don't know about anyone else's office life experience, but in mine: no label usually means "community creamer." Plus not to mention, EVERYTHING ELSE in the fridge has a name written on it. Did they run out of time when they got around to the creamer or something? I don't know.

Well, no more coffee for me anyway. lol

That's my experience everywhere. And as a consultant, I've worked in probably 200 offices in my career. Any that had unlabeled creamer, it was community creamer.

 

[Steve]

That's my experience everywhere. And as a consultant, I've worked in probably 200 offices in my career. Any that had unlabeled creamer, it was community creamer.

Government workers... a different breed. We should come up with some good office rules/etiquette. I'll kick it off with a few I personally live by (each open to occasional exceptions):

Rule #1: "if I didn't buy it, I don't use it."
Rule #2: "If I don't personally see everyone who goes through the line ahead of me at the potluck, I don't eat at the potluck." I need to know if someone used his hand to pick up food, or sneezed or sniffed the spoon or what.
Rule #3: List of foods I don't eat at work and don't appreciate others eating:

1. Fish to include kipper snacks, sardines, broiled or baked fish that is reheated in the oven or any fish that smells at all fishy. (exception: smoked salmon or fish that has no strong smell),
2. Popcorn (it smells too good when made correctly, and terrible for hours when burned)
3. Kimchi

Rule #4: "Don't mess with another person's stuff."

What else?

It says here that I get another trophy at 1900 posts. Why wouldn't that be at 2000?

At any rate, I am writing THIS post to see if that's true!

you're a master of arts. I'm mostly harmless. Hmmm.

 

[Steve]

That's my experience everywhere. And as a consultant, I've worked in probably 200 offices in my career. Any that had unlabeled creamer, it was community creamer.

Government workers... a different breed. We should come up with some good office rules/etiquette. I'll kick it off with a few I personally live by (each open to occasional exceptions):

Rule #1: "if I didn't buy it, I don't use it."
Rule #2: "If I don't personally see everyone who goes through the line ahead of me at the potluck, I don't eat at the potluck." I need to know if someone used his hand to pick up food, or sneezed or sniffed the spoon or what.
Rule #3: List of foods I don't eat at work and don't appreciate others eating:

1. Fish to include kipper snacks, sardines, broiled or baked fish that is reheated in the oven or any fish that smells at all fishy. (exception: smoked salmon or fish that has no strong smell),
2. Popcorn (it smells too good when made correctly, and terrible for hours when burned)
3. Kimchi

Rule #4: "Don't mess with another person's stuff."

What else?

It says here that I get another trophy at 1900 posts. Why wouldn't that be at 2000?

At any rate, I am writing THIS post to see if that's true!

you're a master of arts. I'm mostly harmless. Hmmm.

 

[Steve]

That's my experience everywhere. And as a consultant, I've worked in probably 200 offices in my career. Any that had unlabeled creamer, it was community creamer.

Government workers... a different breed. We should come up with some good office rules/etiquette. I'll kick it off with a few I personally live by (each open to occasional exceptions):

Rule #1: "if I didn't buy it, I don't use it."
Rule #2: "If I don't personally see everyone who goes through the line ahead of me at the potluck, I don't eat at the potluck." I need to know if someone used his hand to pick up food, or sneezed or sniffed the spoon or what.
Rule #3: List of foods I don't eat at work and don't appreciate others eating:

1. Fish to include kipper snacks, sardines, broiled or baked fish that is reheated in the oven or any fish that smells at all fishy. (exception: smoked salmon or fish that has no strong smell),
2. Popcorn (it smells too good when made correctly, and terrible for hours when burned)
3. Kimchi

Rule #4: "Don't mess with another person's stuff."

What else?

It says here that I get another trophy at 1900 posts. Why wouldn't that be at 2000?

At any rate, I am writing THIS post to see if that's true!

you're a master of arts. I'm mostly harmless. Hmmm.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Government workers... a different breed. We should come up with some good office rules/etiquette. I'll kick it off with a few I personally live by (each open to occasional exceptions):

Rule #1: "if I didn't buy it, I don't use it."
Rule #2: "If I don't personally see everyone who goes through the line ahead of me at the potluck, I don't eat at the potluck." I need to know if someone used his hand to pick up food, or sneezed or sniffed the spoon or what.
Rule #3: List of foods I don't eat at work and don't appreciate others eating:

1. Fish to include kipper snacks, sardines, broiled or baked fish that is reheated in the oven or any fish that smells at all fishy. (exception: smoked salmon or fish that has no strong smell),
2. Popcorn (it smells too good when made correctly, and terrible for hours when burned)
3. Kimchi

Rule #4: "Don't mess with another person's stuff."

What else?

you're a master of arts. I'm mostly harmless. Hmmm.

Rule #1 wouldn't apply at many of the offices I've worked at. Where the office doesn't provide decent creamer (only the powder), most of the time people take it upon themselves to provide it. In a few cases, they take a collection. In most cases, they have some informal system (vague notion of rotation, for instance) or one person simply chooses to provide for everyone. Similar stuff sometimes happens with drinks, especially in the Summer. And desserts, doughnuts, muffins, and nearly everything else in the breakroom that's not labeled. Now that I think about it, there's a lot of communal sharing in offices.

 

[Steve]

Rule #1 wouldn't apply at many of the offices I've worked at. Where the office doesn't provide decent creamer (only the powder), most of the time people take it upon themselves to provide it. In a few cases, they take a collection. In most cases, they have some informal system (vague notion of rotation, for instance) or one person simply chooses to provide for everyone. Similar stuff sometimes happens with drinks, especially in the Summer. And desserts, doughnuts, muffins, and nearly everything else in the breakroom that's not labeled. Now that I think about it, there's a lot of communal sharing in offices.

We've had stuff like that, too. But I've found over the last 20+ years that for me, personally, rule number one is a good one. This is particularly true, in my experience, as you move into management. If I do take anything that is communal, I go out of my way to replace it.

Regarding donuts and stuff, we bring things in all the time, but whoever brings it in will usually send out a note declaring that it is fair game. I brought in a crock pot full of chili and some cornbread a while back and it was gone before lunch. How does THAT happen? LOL.

 

[Steve]

Bunch of post whores around here today. Double posts everywhere.

 

[Xue Sheng]

I noticed something, speaking as a Government worker, I have been told that the term "Government Worker" Is an oxymoron

 

[Buka]

Living on a farm, our landlord gives us tons of stuff, bananas, avocados, oranges. Enough for a dozen people. Bring lots to work, putting them on a community table for anyone who wants them (everybody does). Every pay day, (every two weeks) I bring in one or two Costco pizzas for the guys. (It's on my way) I always bring in my own chow for supper. Whenever someone forgets theirs, I always split mine with them.

But if anyone takes any of my supper from the fridge without asking - I'll hunt them down and take it back, even if they've already eaten it. Weakness on my part, I know, but don't care. Growing up, stealing food was like breaking into some ones home. You can have half of whatever I have, any time. But if you just take it....big trouble. Big.

 

[Steve]

I saw that recently, as well. Government employee, but not government worker. According to the remark I saw, the only real government workers are the military.

 

[Steve]

Believe it or not, I'm a pretty easy going guy. In the air force, the only time I started a fight was when a guy took food off my plate in the mess hall. Talk about amygdala hijack! I jumped that SOB before he had swallowed the bite.

 

[Tames D]

*

 

[Tames D]

It's raining Goat's and Llama's here in Los Angeles. I haven't seen a rain this hard, and long lasting in a long time.

 

[Tames D]

It's raining Goat's and Llama's here in Los Angeles. I haven't seen a rain this hard, and long lasting in a long time.