back up the truck

I have a load of thoughts to unload. 

What? I have to sort these recyclable thoughts? 

Ok then just bring your little Radio Flyer wagon over here.

Once upon a time, I worked in cubeland, forced to labor in the cubicle maze, the cube farm. 

You or someone you love may spend days with their heads down wondering if these less than three inch walls of cheap fiber will be all there is to a corporate career. 

There is hope. You can escape. I did.

But if you are confined during your working hours to a cubicle, please take notes. The cubicle stories make for great blog posts and even movies. 

Today I read two posts that relate to the cube farm office. 
“When Interns Attack” by Pearl. 
“The Day of Three Burritos” by Dawn

It’s worst when you have experienced the better office life. Similar to flying a first class upgrade and having to return in economy just-keep-still-in-your-seat class. 

Having done time in a factory, the USAF and odd jobs, an office job appealed to me. My corporate world engineering job started with a shared office and then eventually my own small office. These offices came with a window and a door. I remember smoking in my office but fortunately I later dropped that awful habit completely. You don’t find cubicles with doors and a few of them masquerade with walls shorter than a track hurdle. But before the start of the new millennium I was sitting in a cubicle getting the creativity sucked from me daily.

Speaking of sucking - I once had a cube neighbor who would suck soup for lunch. Oh, I like soup but hearing this guy slurp his soup was disgusting. 

Overhearing funny or interesting comments happen. But no one wants a gopher head to pop over the wall to offer you some advice regarding a topic you were just talking about on the phone. I suspect the popularity of texting and email is partly due to cubicle life.

My best engineering job came with a private office (real window, door). Even then, since the doors are almost always left open I could overhear Phil-the-Greek in the next office. He was fit for a role in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”. He would laugh when I brought up scenes from that movie. 

His arguing and tenacity in seeking justice for any wrong he thought came his way would have won him the Nobel Prize for Pain-in-the-ass if such award existed. He once (no lie) called the postmaster of United States to complain about a damaged package or late delivery. I think he settled with a staff person’s offer of sending him a few sheets of stamps.

One afternoon I heard him arguing away and I decided to visit another co-worker or maybe harass an executive assistant. Anyway I popped in the break room on my return trip to find him there snacking leftovers from a conference meeting. I asked about who he was arguing with on the phone. He told me and then told me that he left the call on hold while he got a snack (the break room was down the hall and around a corner from his office). Seeing my dumbfounded look, he told me that the A--holes leave him on hold all the time so he was just getting even. I thought I should get him to call my home cable company for me next time. 

If you have been working on the cube farm, I would love to hear about it. 
Note: cubicle heads/figures are from The Cubes.

cheap pins, dried up pens

maybe a coffee cup with a corporate logo.

Unlike the motivational poster, these corporate tokens can be shoved out of sight just like your next raise. It’s just common sense that you don’t motivate anyone with a poster. 

Most of the tokens given for service awards don’t do much either except to become junk in a drawer. What motivated me to discuss (it will be a discussion if you add to the comment section) these lame forced expressions of fake appreciation was a blog post by Pearl. (see her link at the bottom)

I grabbed a quick collection of my corporate memorabilia and snapped this picture. I think the pins are the dumbest. Have you ever seen anyone wearing a gold colored service pin?

Back in the 80’s I was given a glass pitcher and tumbler set with the company’s logo engraved on the glass. At first I thought it might be useful for an evening of drinks on the deck. I don’t ever recall using it. A few years ago we were cleaning clutter out of the basement and came across the glassware set. Hmmm, maybe a e-bay auction would work I thought.

At that time, I happened to be working at that company again as a contractor and mentioned to the manager of the group that contracted me. To my surprise (BTW I think he was still single) I convinced him to buy it from me for $25.

This same company, a telecommunication manufacturer, did give me one of my best service awards. Back when they were a small growing public company, they gave out stock awards. I was granted a couple hundred dollars worth of their public traded shares. I still have a few of the shares which over the years split many times and rose and fell in value. Not only was the gift more valuable in the long run, it opened my eyes to the stock market. Much better than a glass pitcher with a logo across it.

My wife recently received a service award. It is a little nicer when they offer you a selection of gifts. Of course the selection had limited appeal to her. She picked a small off-brand video camera (like the flip camera but another brand) gadget. It works OK.


Don’t misunderstand my point here. It’s not just money that forms the big picture of the workplace for workers. Respect, working conditions, team relationships, type of assignments, openness to suggestions and many small daily things play a part in creating a desire to show up for work. Management gets it right once in awhile. I believe the bigger the group, the more removed management is from the daily tasks being requested.


Here’s the post from Pearl that motivated this post. This shows that other bloggers can movitate me. (Pearl a pen and clock set or maybe a t-shirt, baseball cap combo - no key-chains please.)

another circus 

Nap time

I don't imagine this toy office set comes with anyone napping at their desk - but maybe it should. There are plenty of studies saying we don't get enough sleep. (of course there are studies saying most anything)

This lady napping under her desk comes from youcube.us (I didn't even know there was a site covering the cube world). There are more pictures at that site - follow that previous link.





Now this airman should find a safer place - maybe the cargo bay?



Are you tried yet? Still awake?
Here's a chicken cartoon of napping chickens