Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Busy

"How was your weekend?"

"OH SO busy! I am so tired! Whew!" She says this to me every monday usually. The coworker who loves to go on and on about how 'busy' she always is, with practically no time to breathe. She will ramble on telling me all the 'busy-ness' and how stressful it is to be that busy and wow, she wishes she weren't so busy.

"Well, stop doing so much," I suggest one day, after enduring yet another countless story about the 'busy-ness'. This seemed like a very simple resolution to me. You are busy and find it stressful. Therefore reduce stress by eleminating all the extra 'stuff'. Its how i operate. So i only assume others would do the same. I take much time to breathe on the weekends. Gather myself. Lay in bed a little longer. Snuggle next to my husband a bit more. Cuddle with my kid. Pet the dogs a little more. and get outdoors. Relax. It is so easy to get caught up in the busy mode of life. We vowed to not do so, no matter what life throws us.

"Pft. Oh, I can only wish!" She states.

"Well... I mean does your son really want to be involved in 3 sport activities at the same time? Does he really enjoy all of them? Plus the music lessons?" I ask.

"OH He loves it. He does! Icouldn't possibly make him choose!"

I considered asking why not. But instead offered a puzzled look, and returned to my work.

Theres her, whom I dearly love but enough with the 'busy' stories. And then there is him. I avoid him. He rambles endlessly to himself about work and other nonsense all day long. He tracks other workers as if he were in charge.

"I can't believe Shea isn't in yet..." He fumes to me, as if he were in charge of Shea.

"Oh. Hm." I refrain from saying more.

"This is ridiculous! He didn't call off so who knows when he'll waltz in here! He comes in later and later... but what are ya gonna do!?" His face getting redder.

I merely nod.

Him. Tracking other coworkers hours. Fuming about work before the day barely begins. When asked a question he yells "Who wants to know?!!!", "WHY?" or he rambles loudly about something ridiculous and then eventually answers after a couple minutes. He has no sense of humor, usually getting pissed at jokes because he thinks its seroius. Him who sits by me. Lovely.

At one point maybe i was a little too obvious in my dislike of him. I know he sensed it. Mean of me, well not mean. But not exactly nice. So while I was pregnant, he began bringing me a water from the store next door.

"Let me pay you for that," I say to him on day 4 of water.

"No no. Its no big deal," he refused.

"I'm okay. Really. You don't have to buy me water. Honest. But thank you. Really. Thank you." I stuttered.

He kept buying the water. Every. Single. Day. I would bring water from home. Yet he still came back from his daily trip to the store at lunch, water bottle in hand. I began to feel uncomfortable with this. I went through a series of thoughts until I went out on maternity leave. I offered to pay him again. He refused. Do I owe him a case of water now? Is it enough to just say Thank you? I wish he would let me pay him. Maybe I should bring him cookies? Will I return from maternity leave, unable to even see my desk because its covered in water bottles?

Maybe he was just trying to win me over. I'm not sure but whatever it was, it worked. I like him now. He's still annoying. But i like him.

My coworkers. Love them and all the entertainment they give, and dinnertime stories i'm able to then tell husband. Sometimes i really do feel like i'm working at "The Office" or am caught up in a Seinfield Episode.

This week, I've been lovingly nominated to the decoration committee... and the competition is getting heated. Judging is today at 10:30. Back to the task at hand.

PS - after desperately needing a quick healthy breakfast to toss in my bag for work, I made the full meal muffins from the vegan lunchbox blogger. So easy, healthy, and a perfect breakfast for me. Husband liked them but asked me to add about a cup of sugar lol. Clearly, he prefers the sugar-laden muffins, which these aren't. "That would UNhealthy them!" I say. He interupts me before i finish with "I KNOW I KNOW. NOT Healthy".

5 comments:

Vicki said...

Ah, co-workers. Gotta love 'em! The water bottle story was GREAT - ha ha! I pictured the dude with the glasses from The Office when reading that and the gal that's so busy, the blonde. Enjoy your muffins!

michelle said...

awwwwwww he was just being nice! im glad you let him do it. he wouldnt have bought them if he didnt want to.
a cup of sugar at least, im sure those muffins need!!! u know.. a corn muffin sounds good right about now....

Julia said...

I did not realize you were writing currently on this site too.. There was some lapse between the two site?? or am I just confused. Well anyway, I have a sugaraholic husband who would drink soda like a hummingbird IF I would buy them. I think transforming the men into health conscious humans is almost impossible. We shall keep trying though. And I would just try and forget about the water and all. Just pay it forward somewhere else and be nice to someone who wants/is willing to receive it.

Elizabeth Leigh said...

Vicki - haha, those are pretty good comparisons!

Michelle - shutup about my muffins or i'll bring you some! lol.

Julia - Yea, i write on this site periodically as well! the other one, i started while pregnant and focus more on the kid and mom stuff on that one. Yep - my hubby loves that soda too, except he's hooked on the diet kind, probably worse! But yep, i just keep trying with him. You could get your hubby one of those beer hats people wear to football games that has a tube coming down straight to the mouth. He can fill it with soda lol...

Julia said...

Yes that or an IV in the arm would do nicely. LOL and a good chuckle.