a typical day at the office

You know when you meet a co-worker for the first time and you just know they are- in the words of Anne of Green Gables- a kindred spirit? Well, I knew that Gregoire* and I would be stirring up some trouble around the office from the very first day. Maybe because we both appreciate Jim's unique brand of humor on The Office (My personal favorite episode being the time that Jim trains Dwight to reach for an altoid whenever he hears the computer booting up. Or, wait, maybe the time Jim pops Dwight's exercise ball with his scissors? Or handing Dwight a baggie of nickels after putting all of his supplies in the vending machine... But I digress.)?

Anyway, Gregoire and I shared a very small office with another woman, an energetic, spirited little dynamo named Sylvie* who'd worked in management positions for years. The desks had been arranged in such a way as to minimize any available space, and we were just too close to one another for 8 to 10 hours a day, 5 days a week. So Sylvie and I plotted: rather than having our desks next to each other in the middle of the room, we'd turn our desks to face opposite walls to create an open space in the center.

That very day, while Gregoire was enjoying a day off, I began to move my area- no small feat, as it included not only my desk with the accompanying computer and phone wiring but all of my files and materials for kid activities. As I worked Sylvie sat at her desk, commenting on how she would arrange things, without actually getting up to assist. I was mostly amused by this "back seat driving" behavior, but kept on because a) that was our typical working dynamic, and b) I knew I had the next three days off. I figured Sylvie would be done with her part of the move when I returned.

And, sure enough, I discovered a much more spacious office on Monday morning. Sylvie had called in sick, so Gregoire watched as I took a look at how she'd rearranged things. I asked how the move had gone, and Gregoire laughed. "Are you kidding? She sat in my chair and directed me through the move. She was like, 'no, two inches to the left... no, to the right. Wait, back a few inches.' That desk is heavy, too! Oh, well [he shrugged] at least she's happy with it. How was your move?" I told him and he laughed, because it had gone just as he'd expected. Then, we looked at each other and there was a moment of complete agreement: it was time to play Jim to our very own Dwight.

Many options were considered, but all were rejected for one reason or another until this: every time Sylvie left the office for a meeting, we would simply move her desk a quarter of an inch away from the wall. Gregoire knew that he would be called upon to move the desk back eventually, but he felt this was worth it.

And so began several hilarious weeks in which Sylvie would walk out the door, Gregoire would check to be sure she'd gone, and we'd each- without a word spoken- take one end of the desk and move it forward. No fuss- not even a real interruption to our work- just rise, move, and we're back. For days, Sylvie wouldn't notice anything, but then a pen would roll behind the desk or she'd lose a pad of post-its, and she'd wonder aloud why her desk couldn't stay put. It was all we could do not to dissolve into fits of giggles, our eyes glued to our computer screens and our lips pursed together. Then, one of us would be asked to fish out the lost object(s), and Gregoire would push the desk back against the wall. Co-workers would walk into our office when Sylvie was away to find us laughing until we couldn't breathe, and they'd shake their heads at the ways in which we'd found to amuse ourselves.

Eventually, this little game did grow less amusing... but it took awhile. I don't believe Sylvie ever suspected us, either. But I can see now why Jim's character is so very popular - humor makes life in an office so much more interesting! :)

*Note: names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.