What started out as a temporary job has evolved into one of the funniest, strangest and weirdest places I could have ever imagined. It keeps me shaking my head, rolling my eyes and sometimes laughing out loud! It has also become great fodder for after work drink discussions!
Monday, June 29, 2020
How Was Your Weekend? Mine? It Was Expensive!
I hope you all had a great weekend. In my case, I think it may have been cheaper for me to have worked this weekend! My Saturday started like any other Saturday - sleeping in a bit, getting up, feeding the boys and deciding what to do for the day. I thought I would be nice and take Cooper for a walk before taking a shower and I knew he wouldn't mind if I didn't shower first.
We had a great walk and it was beautiful outside - pretty much a perfect day. We played in the park, got some coffee (for me) and we were on our way back home for my shower and his nap. When I arrived, I gave him some fresh water and went to take a shower. After my shower, I realized that I needed to vacuum. Actually, with these two fur balls, I could (and should) vacuum every day. I have mostly hardwood floors and there is always a fur tumbleweed going by - even right after I am finished vacuuming.
I cranked up the music and begin my vacuum routine. Yes, I have a routine that I follow - I'm not weird, just particular (stop judging me). First, I hit all of the un-carpeted floors, then I will go back and clean the throw rugs. I have a large one under my dining room table and a one in the living room area. I finished the hardwoods and I am seeing light at the end of the tunnel - once I finish these two big rugs, I am free of responsibility for the rest of the day! The weekend is my oyster to do whatever I want!
As I head to the rug under the dining room table, a awesome song comes on and I immediately know this weekend is going to be great. I start singing along and even maybe performed a couple of dance steps. Then.... I smell it - the undeniable smell of poop! I look around and am confused, I just vacuumed everywhere and didn't see anything; where could this smell be coming from? As quickly as that thought entered my mind, I realized the answer - there was sh*t on the dining room rug and during my singing and dancing routine, I vacuumed right over it. Before my realization I continued to push and pull the vacuum across the rug, totally smearing it EVERYWHERE!
Now, I don't know from whom the shit originated because by the time I actually found it, I could not identify it as cat or dog. The shit had now become one with not only my vacuum but also my very expensive rug! I immediately turned the vacuum off and surveyed the damage - and it was extensive! There was poop all over the roller brush of the vacuum and in the dirt holder. The rug was not in any better shape; it had more skid marks than a young boy's underwear! I donned a mask (they are not only good for coronavirus) and went in to try and clean the rug - it was a battle I knew I never had a chance to win. After about an hour of trying, I waved the white flag of surrender. Next was the vacuum; it didn't look so bad, I thought I had a chance of saving it. I took it apart and cleaned it up (gross) and did the best I could to make it whole again. I put everything back together and started it up. As soon as it started, all I could smell was sh*t! I looked again and confirmed that I had gotten it all cleaned off and let it run for about 15 more minutes (I hoped maybe it just needed to blow the shit smell out). The smell never stopped blowing out of every vent of that damned machine. Yup, poop had claimed not only the expensive rug, but also the vacuum. All I see know is red and dollar signs.
Well, guess what I did with the rest of my Saturday? That's right, rug and vacuum shopping! It was an expensive weekend and I still don't know which one of those little assholes to blame! I know it wasn't me...I was in the shower! Hope you week isn't as shitty as mine started out as!
Until next time....
Thursday, June 25, 2020
The Fire Marshal Visited Today
As I have discussed previously, we are located in an area that doesn't see any foot or vehicle traffic. If you are unlucky enough to find yourself driving down our pot-hole filled, weed and tress growing over a dirt road, you are either an employee here, a truck or delivery driver or you are looking for a place to be murdered and never found again. What I am trying to say is that we don't have very many visitors.
That changed today when a large man came through our front door. I'm sure the group thought that maybe he worked for a trucking company and was looking to obtain our business. Nope, as he looked around the front office, he commented on and said hello to Frick and Frack and then asked to see the owner of the building. The Boss overheard our conversation and came out of his office, chest puffed out, stating he was the owner and how could he help him. The man then introduced himself as the Fire Marshal for the town. Well, with those few words, the demeanor of The Boss changed IMMEDIATELY!
All of a sudden, there was no chest puffing and he began to stammer a bit as he replied. The Fire Marshal said he wanted to welcome us to the neighborhood. He then asked to walk through the building with The Boss to make sure everything was up to code and we had all the necessary equipment and signage. I actually watched as the The Boss turned a whiter shade of pale standing there next to this man. What the hell is this all about? It looks like The Boss had seen a ghost!
I cannot explain the strange behavior of the The Boss. I had no worries that we would perform well during this "inspection" - what the hell was spooking The Boss so badly. My god, you would think we were cooking meth in the back or something. Then I remembered his painting outfit which had resembled something that Walter White would wear in Breaking Bad - god, I hope they don't stumble across that during the inspection. His nervous behavior paired with that outfit would definitely guarantee that our next visitor would be from the police department.
The Boss and the Marshal toured the building and it was over in about 15 minutes. He told us we needed some chemical signage on the outside of the building as well as the company name and building number; that way fire officials could easily find us and have an idea of dangerous building contents. Yes you read that correctly, we do not have a company sign indicating our name on the building (you can't be surprised by that after all the things I have told you so far).
The Fire Marshal gave us two weeks to make the changes/additions and he indicated he would be back to follow up. He and The Boss shook hands and he was on his way. I have placed an order for the chemical signage and it should be here early next week. The Boss said he has to "think about" how he wants to handle the sign containing the company name - he doesn't really want anyone to know we are here. No, don't let anyone know that a company is here, let's definitely keep it a secret. We will become so much more successful if we are incognito and no one knows about us!
This place is NUTS!
Now for some unsolicited television advice - I just found out that on July 1st Netfilx will be carrying all three seasons of Kingdom. Now, I know, you never heard of Kingdom have you? Kingdom was created by and shown on DirecTV and it is not to be missed. Set in Venice, CA, Kingdom follows the Kulina family; a family involved in MMA. Don't worry, you don't have to like mixed martial arts to love this show - it is much more than a show about MMA. It is dysfunctional, funny and tragic and so well written and acted. It is a sin that it wasn't appreciated by more viewers. Trust me it's awesome and I can't wait to watch it again!
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
The Boss Now Decides How Work Orders Are Filled
We were happy to find another large order waiting for upon our arrival today! As I have mentioned, since we have been back to work, we have been quite busy and for that we are all grateful! Not soon after the order arrival, we received a memo from The Boss - see a portion of it below:
To: All Sales
From: The Boss
Re: Production
Date: 6/24/2020
It's kind of a good news bad news thing. Everyone's efforts have produced great results in the last week, at the same time! This has put the ball in Adam, Alex and Wayne's court. History has shown that they are all more than capable of great production. But in order for them to accomplish these tasks, I will be deciding the order that work orders will be filled and shipped. If your customers are going to continue to receive the service they have grown to expect, it is essential that we make this change for the foreseeable future. Therefore, do not go to the shop to inquire about your order, or whether anything else can go today or what is in stock. Direct ALL inquires to myself or Nutty. Inquiring of the shop can stop everyone from working on the very thing you are asking about and further delay its completion.
According to need, the following priority of the orders received has been assigned as follows:
1.xxxxx
2.xxxxx
3.xxxxx
Up until this point, orders were pretty much filled as they arrived, unless someone requested a next day air package, etc. If a small order were to arrive, in many instances one of the warehouse guys would get it together in between other larger orders so it didn't have to wait.
Now, under the new process, when a work order is generated it goes directly to The Boss, rather than the warehouse. He has his own clipboard and is constantly shuffling the sequence of the orders. I am not exaggerating when I say, he must alter the sequence at least four times a day - and that's if no new orders arrive. Did I also mention that each time he changes the sequence, he creates a new "master list" with the company name, items, etc. This man kills more trees with his amended lists than anyone I have ever known.
Once he has the amended list, he will then go and conference with the warehouse personnel about why he made the change. Each conference averages about 20 minutes - in which production stops completely! How in the name of everything holy does he think this process is helping to get orders done more efficiently? Didn't he warn the salespeople in his memo about inquiries stopping production? I know, the "rules" don't apply to him - but he is the major problem with production stoppage.
Now that he has assigned himself this new "task" I have heard him mention twice that he has been unable to get anything done. Maybe if he was not amending the work order sequence, creating a new master list and killing trees like a damn madman he could get something accomplished! FYI - only two orders were completed and shipped today. This new process is going to be so wonderful and efficient (yes, I did roll my eyes after I typed this).
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
Number 101 Already?
Today marks the 101st posting in Observations From The Nuthouse! It has been an interesting and enlightening experience to say the least. What started out as a fun little project for me has evolved into a fun, bigger project that I think helps me avoid visits to a psychiatrist. So, this blog is not only helping to heal my head but allowing me to keep co-payments in my wallet. I'm sure Cooper and Milo could find some interesting toys to buy with those saved dollars.
As you know, this blog has allowed me to report the crazy things that occur during my working day. Sometimes seeing The Nuthouse happenings in print evokes a bit of disbelief. Often, as I am reading it back (and checking for spelling errors), I find it almost impossible to understand how anyone would not think that I am making this stuff up. Rest assured, the things that occur in The Nuthouse are true and factual; I sometimes am sad to admit that they are not exaggerated or inflated in any way. Like I said in one of my early posts, the names have been changed to protect the insane.
You might ask, what did I discover after writing 100 blog posts about a crazy workplace filled with equally crazy people? I discovered that I enjoy sitting down and writing three or four times a week. While in school I really loved writing, as I became older, I sadly have gotten away from it. I have also discovered that I actually like and appreciate where I work. Don't get me wrong, I still think the place is chock full of nuts; but that being said, I work with a bunch of really nice people. I realized this during the time when we were all stuck working from home. We would check in with each other, (yes, concerning work), but also just to make sure that everyone was okay and keeping it together. Speaking of the quarantine, I never missed a paycheck, my health insurance didn't lapse and I continued to accrue vacation time! Not many people can say they were not financially affected in some way due to COVID-19; I was not and for that I will always be eternally grateful. The Boss did not have to continue to pay us all (and we would not have been surprised if he didn't), yet he said we were a team and we would come back and the company would be stronger than before.
I appreciate you taking this comedic journey with me. I hope you have enjoyed the first 100 postings and were able to find some form of entertainment in them. I also am hopeful that after reading about The Nuthouse you can see your place of employment in a new light and realize it might not be as nuts as you once thought.
Thanks again for spending some time with me and if you have any questions or comments, send them my way! Until next time Nutties!
Monday, June 22, 2020
In Appreciation of My Dad
If I am to be perfectly honest, I lost track of the date and forgot Sunday was Father's Day. I know, I know, I am an awful son. Don't worry, I feel worse than your judgmental thoughts of me every could. Due to this oversight, I didn't mail my Father's Day card in time for Sunday arrival (remember, my parents live a couple of time zones away). I came clean to my Dad when we had our FaceTime call on Sunday. When I apologized, he laughed and said, "I appreciate your cards when they arrive, but I wish you would just save your money and postage. Don't you know cards are not necessary, I know you like me!" With that comment, (yup, he did not say I loved him, only that I liked him), I realized where I got my warped sense of humor from; it was Dad. One hundred percent, Dad!
I don't believe my Dad was close to his Dad - I'm not really sure, because he really didn't speak much about him. His Dad (my Grandfather), passed away before I was born, so I never had the chance to meet him. I was able to piece together that he was a tough man, who worked hard, but didn't have much time for his family. My Dad inherited a strong work ethic, and even though he was always busy with work (my Mom was a "stay at home Mom"), I always remember him being around. It's funny the things you remember about growing up as you get older and the little things you appreciate.
My Dad and I have always had a similar sense of humor. I remember he used to make me laugh when I was little at the weirdest things. We used to do things together on the weekends and as we would leave in his truck, he would say, "we are off like a heard of turtles" and then make some strange noise that he thought sounded like tires squealing (it didn't), but it always made me laugh. I would "help" him in the garage (I'm sure I wasn't very helpful) and we would have lunch together. Now, my Dad didn't like vegetables, hated them, in fact, but he always said he would try them if I would. I grew up to love vegetables and he still hates them, except for corn and an occasional green salad. Even with his aversion to vegetables, he still is alive and kicking, so if you hate veggies, don't worry, it might work out for you too.
As I got older, I became a bit of a wise guy and always thought I had succeeded when/if I made my Dad laugh - even when my Mom would elbow him in the ribs and tell him to stop laughing at me. Now, my Mom was funny, but unfortunately for her, not because she was trying to be. This fact alone cemented my relationship with my Dad. We have always loved to giggle at the things that Mom says or does. She is used to it after all of this time, but when I was younger, she would get so pissed! She would tell my Dad, "I cannot believe I birthed someone with your exact sense of humor!"
I have many things to thank my Dad for - working above and beyond to make sure I had everything I needed and wanted growing up. For giving me the opportunity to make my own mistakes and not throwing them back in my face, or saying "I told you so" and for giving me a strong foundation of right and wrong. I don't think kids are in my future (I like other people's kids, but do not want my own), but I know if I were to become a Dad someday, I am lucky to have parents that provided a great road map to follow for raising kids. I just would hope my spawn doesn't have the same sense of humor - god help my Mom if there were three of us!
It was nice spending some time with my Dad yesterday, even if it was via electronics. He told me about his week, his big plans for Father's Day (a great western on TV) and what my Mom was cooking him for dinner (a big steak and no veggies). All, in all it was a great talk; and most of the time I could see his entire face on the screen.
Thanks, Dad for everything and Happy Belated Father's Day to you and all the Dad's out there!
Friday, June 19, 2020
Some Final Thoughts For the Week
This meme says it all; it has been a loooonnnng week! Just a couple of items to update you on the goings on at The Nuthouse.
- The Boss mentioned once again that the bubbler seems very loud on Frick and Fracks watery home. What does this man have against two harmless fish? I'm going have to keep them now just to annoy him!
- We were informed on three separate occasions today that The Boss has to come in over the weekend to mow the lawn. My hope is that the wildlife has eaten the food garbage he has thrown out in the grass. I'm glad I will not be here to witness his lawn mowing attire.
- Drew interrupted me today to inform me that he had the highest SAT score in his class. He is such a wise ass! I think he may have said it loud enough for Mike to hear, but I cannot be sure.
- The Boss is still rockin' the beard and has started stroking it when he speaks to others. I wonder if he thinks it makes him look sinister?
- Not only does The Boss make coffee in the most annoying way possible (click here for refresher on coffee making 101); I have noticed that he fills his cup beyond full and attempts to walk across the room. Yup, spills it every f'in time!
- I haven't heard the story yet, but clumsy Wayne sustained another injury at some point this week. It wasn't bad enough to need emergency care or time off, but I heard it was an injury none the less.
To say I am looking forward to the weekend is an understatement! Have a great weekend Nutties; be safe, be kind, have fun and keep washing those hands! Talk to you on Monday!
Wednesday, June 17, 2020
Well, Someone Thinks Quite A Lot of Himself
It has been apparent for some time now that a certain person in The Nuthouse thinks quite highly of himself. No, I am not referring to The Boss (although, he does hold that belief too). In this case, I am referring to our in-house, come over to team god, salesperson Mike. Mike has been with the organization the longest and is under the strange impression that longevity is somehow equivalent to intelligence.
Mike is a funny bird, since is under the impression that he has a high level of intelligence, he has a tendency to speak down and be demeaning to others. As you can imagine, this type of behavior doesn't go over well in a small company. I wish I could post some of the emails that he sends to current and potential customers. There are numerous spelling errors (yes, he will utilize spell check, but I think he has added the incorrectly spelled words to "his dictionary" so now the program just ignores them), he doesn't know where to use a comma or realizes that a sentence needs a period to end. It is just ugly and honestly isn't a good look for the organization. The ironic thing is that Mike has told me on more than one occasion that he achieved the highest SAT score in his entire class. I am curious what that "class" consisted of thus allowing him to obtain the highest score, but that topic is something to investigate at a later time (my money is on a class of monkeys or donkeys).
In the past, I have not said much about his sh*tty communication style because I didn't think anyone really noticed (my excellent hearing and sensitive "bullshit meter" is a curse), but it all changed today after Mike left his office for lunch. He had no more than cleared the front door when Drew says under his breath, (but actually loud enough for everyone to hear), "what exactly is wrong with that f'in guy?" I immediately knew what he was talking about and I laughed out loud. It was on like Donkey Kong - a long roasting of Mike while he was away from the office.
Drew told the story of how Mike has a habit of acting like he is his boss. He will frequently ask questions about upcoming jobs or if certain orders have gone out the door. Drew said initially he thought he was just being friendly, but quickly learned that there was more to it than just being nice. He said he has now taken to just ignoring him and fortunately, Mike will lose interest and move to something else.
Rachel told a similar story, but added that Mike had gone around her and contacted her customer directly to discuss an upcoming order they were going to place. She said after discovering the contact, she met with Mike privately and asked why he would do such a thing and Mike responded that he thought she didn't give the customer the correct product. When she pointed out that she had, he backtracked a bit and said he was just looking out for the customer. She told him to stay away from her customers otherwise she was going to take it up with The Boss. She thinks it may have worked, because she hasn't noticed any interference lately.
I then told them my favorite Mike story; the story that still makes me laugh when I think of it. It happened not soon after I started here as a mere temporary worker. I heard him speaking on the phone and he stated that "when all was said and done, he wanted to leave this earth having made a mark in this industry." Now, I know that I have been very vague about what we do here. We are a manufacturer of products and nothing more. What we do is important, but in the great scheme of things is not going to change the world. I don't foresee a day when future generations are sitting around and discussing the positive and life altering things that Mike accomplished while he was working at The Nuthouse. My god, you are not Steve Jobs; get over yourself! The only mark you will be leaving behind are skid marks in your skivvies!
I have a feeling that there will be more office stories of Mike being discussed between the employees in the future. Sometimes us The Nuthouse employees get tired of just discussing The Boss - you know what they say, variety is the spice of life.
Have a great night Nutties!
Monday, June 15, 2020
Facial Hair Styles Are Changing At The Nuthouse
To appreciate my story for today, I must bring you back in time approximately one month ago. This is when the weird, way back music would play and the TV screen would show wiggly lines....picture it if you will, one month ago in The Nuthouse.
As I have mentioned on more than one occasion, it is clear to me (and others that I work with) that The Boss likes Drew; so much so, that sometimes I think he wants to be him. Since Drew has been employed by The Nuthouse we have all noticed The Boss making attempts to seem more "manly" and he is more apt to do things with his hands and tools. I thought that was where the "hero worship" ended, but I underestimated is complete admiration. One month ago Drew arrived in the morning and it looked as if he had forgotten to shave. Possibly he was running late, who knows. As the week progressed, he continued his unshaven look and we quickly realized that he wasn't lazy, he was just growing a beard. Rachel (of course) made numerous positive comments about his new facial hair - how nice it looked, how it made him look distinguished, how quickly it was growing in, etc. Clearly, Drew's spittoon of tobacco and wedding ring isn't decreasing Rachel's crush.
Fast forward to this morning; I arrived and The Boss was already in his office. At second glance, I noticed that he clearly had more than a five o'clock shadow on his face. Did The Boss not shave this weekend? If so, why didn't he shave for work this morning? Then it hit me like a lighting bolt - oh my f*cking god, he is growing a beard just like Drew did! As soon as Rachel arrived and noticed it she made sure to comment on it. The Boss played it off as if this was something he does all the time and that he had been thinking about doing it for quite a while now. I cannot wait to see how long this will last. I want to ask Drew to grow his beard long like Santa and see if The Boss follows suit, although I don't think I could convince him to do it. I'll keep you updated!
Oh, with all of the new grooming habits of The Nuthouse, I almost forgot - reaction to Frick and Frack. The Boss didn't mention a word about them until about 3PM today. He came out of his office and acted as if it was the first time he had noticed them (my god, he is NUTS). He asked where they came from and who was taking care of them. He then commented that the bubbler was very loud and he could hear it in his office. Now, I'm sure he could hear the bubbler when he arrived this morning and he was the only person in the entire building; but once the office is up and running, it makes no more noise than the fan on my laptop. After he left for the post office, I asked the salespeople if they could hear it/or it was bothering them; they laughed and said they didn't even notice it. Again, I say, he is f*cking NUTS!
I can tell you that our mascots are quite popular already. Not only do the employees like having them around, visitors to the office do too. We had a trucking representative stop in today and Frick and Frack was quite a hit. I don't think The Boss appreciated their newfound popularity. Oh well, we can't all be well liked. Hopefully he will warm up to them soon.
Friday, June 12, 2020
The Nuthouse Has Two New Mascots
For the most part, the middle part of this week has been fairly quiet and surprisingly uneventful. Did I mention that The Boss has been out of the office for the past few days? I wonder if this could be the reason for such a calm and quiet office environment? I don't know...I'm just wondering if there is some sort of correlation between the two.
The employees of The Nuthouse have been enjoying this Boss Free time. Business continues to improve and we are really quite busy; orders continue to come in and materials continue to go out the door. Our sales this year might not be as poor as we were anticipating considering all the time we were shut down and working from home.
When I arrived home last night, I felt a surge of ambition and decided to clean out a closet that was full of crap. You know, everyone has that one closet in their home that seems to be the Bermuda Triangle of stuff. I don't really know how everything gets in there, but once it does, the stuff doesn't like to leave quietly. During my expedition, I found a small, desk sized fish tank in the back corner of the closet. It was octagon shaped and held almost two gallons of water. It was complete with rocks for the bottom and a bubblier so the fish received air. I am embarrassed to say I had never even taken it out of the box, but once I saw it, I knew exactly where it belonged....on my desk at The Nuthouse!
This morning, I arrived a little early for work and began its set up on the corner of my desk. As my cohorts filtered in for the day, they were quite interested in my newest desk decoration and seemed excited to have some fish in the office. After setting it up, I ran to the pet store and purchased two small fish, some fish food, a net and some drops to take chlorine out of water. I brought my haul back to The Nuthouse and introduced our new mascots not only to our crazy group but also to their new home.
We had pizza and wings brought in for lunch. We figured today would be our last day without The Boss in the office, so we might as well live it up! Over lunch, I called an impromptu staff meeting to discuss names for our new mascots. Some of the names that my fellow employees came up with were awesomely hilarious, but NSFW. So we settled on "Frick" and "Frack" - these names seemed to not only fit the fish, but also the nutty environment I had brought them into.
Welcome to The Nuthouse Frick and Frack - I cannot wait to hear what The Boss has to say about you two!
The employees of The Nuthouse have been enjoying this Boss Free time. Business continues to improve and we are really quite busy; orders continue to come in and materials continue to go out the door. Our sales this year might not be as poor as we were anticipating considering all the time we were shut down and working from home.
When I arrived home last night, I felt a surge of ambition and decided to clean out a closet that was full of crap. You know, everyone has that one closet in their home that seems to be the Bermuda Triangle of stuff. I don't really know how everything gets in there, but once it does, the stuff doesn't like to leave quietly. During my expedition, I found a small, desk sized fish tank in the back corner of the closet. It was octagon shaped and held almost two gallons of water. It was complete with rocks for the bottom and a bubblier so the fish received air. I am embarrassed to say I had never even taken it out of the box, but once I saw it, I knew exactly where it belonged....on my desk at The Nuthouse!
This morning, I arrived a little early for work and began its set up on the corner of my desk. As my cohorts filtered in for the day, they were quite interested in my newest desk decoration and seemed excited to have some fish in the office. After setting it up, I ran to the pet store and purchased two small fish, some fish food, a net and some drops to take chlorine out of water. I brought my haul back to The Nuthouse and introduced our new mascots not only to our crazy group but also to their new home.
We had pizza and wings brought in for lunch. We figured today would be our last day without The Boss in the office, so we might as well live it up! Over lunch, I called an impromptu staff meeting to discuss names for our new mascots. Some of the names that my fellow employees came up with were awesomely hilarious, but NSFW. So we settled on "Frick" and "Frack" - these names seemed to not only fit the fish, but also the nutty environment I had brought them into.
Welcome to The Nuthouse Frick and Frack - I cannot wait to hear what The Boss has to say about you two!
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
I Never Realized Coffee Could Be So Complex!
Today a new addition was added to the kitchen - a coffee maker donated by The Boss. Many of the employees stop on the way to the office and pick up a daily cup of coffee. God knows, without caffeine, this place might even be nuttier. The Boss said his wife upgraded their machine at home and since he thought it might get some use here, he brought it in. He also provided coffee, sugar and half and half. I, myself do not drink coffee (I think it smells like ass); I prefer a good ole Coca Cola in the AM to get my motor running. Hey, stop judging...it creates the same end result and it doesn't smell like ass! All the coffee drinkers in the office were excited with the addition and couldn't wait to get their "java on". The Boss offered to make the first pot and it was then that the insanity began!
As I said, I am not a coffee drinker, but I do have an idea of how to make coffee - water in the pot, coffee in the holder, click a button and viola ass smelling liquid. As you have realized by now, The Boss makes every task he performs a bit more involved and difficult than it needs to be and true to form, making coffee was no exception. First, he filled the pot from the sink in the kitchen. I then watched as he put the water filled carafe on the counter and took approximately five big steps back from it. He then crouched down level with the carafe and squinted. After doing this, he went back in the kitchen and dumped a bit of water down the drain. He then repeated the steps backing away and the crouching once again, then returning to the carafe. This time he must have taken too much water out, because he proceeded to add additional water. Hand to my heart when I tell you he did this song and dance two additional times! Once he had determined he had the exactly perfect amount of water, he added it to the pot and proceeded to add the coffee grounds. He flicked the on switch and the liquid started to brew.
Everyone in the sales office watched this display in complete and utter confusion, horror and morbid curiosity. Immediately some questions came to mind - who makes coffee this way? Was he possibly doing this just to mess with us? Does he make coffee this way at home? And, if so, why hasn't his wife buried him in the basement yet? The coffee drinkers reported that it tasted great - I think they are just happy to have coffee available the entire day. I, on the other hand, am not looking forward to the coffee song and dance every time he makes a pot. Maybe I will learn how much coffee is needed for a pot and just make it myself - for the sake of my quickly deteriorating sanity.
Cheers Nutties!
Monday, June 8, 2020
I Saw It With My Own Eyes & I Still Don't Believe It!
You know the saying, "I wouldn't have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes"? Well, this old-fashioned saying rang quite true for me today. This morning, I arrived a bit early to The Nuthouse as I had some paperwork I wanted to finish up before the warehouse staff arrived. When I drove down the pot hole filled road (which by the way, is just getting worse by the day) and turned into our parking lot, I saw my biggest fear, The Boss was already there. I actually heard myself exhale loudly. Damn, don't you just hate it when that happens?
As I entered the office, I could see The Boss was finishing up some breakfast - a banana and an apple. We said our good mornings, I turned my computer on and began my day. The next thing I notice, The Boss is carrying his banana peel and apple core around. Now, I thought he was putting it into the kitchen garbage, but no, that would be logical. Instead, he walked to the front door, opened it up and threw the peel and core into the grassy area next to the walkway. WTF!
When he returned, I must have had a confused look on my face, because he asked if I was okay. I asked if he had thrown that garbage on the lawn and he quickly (and proudly) replied "yes". Now, keep in mind, this is the man who has forged an all-out war on not only geese, but also bees that live in that same grassy area! When I commented that I thought he was trying to keep wild animals off the grass and away from the building, he said that the animals that are "out to get him" do not eat that kind of stuff. I immediately thought - maybe the geese and bees are not interested in peels and cores, but I'm sure mice and rats might be.
Fast forward to when The Boss made his daily trek to the post office and bank. I reported my story to Rachael and Drew and those two actually thought I was lying. Is it their first day here? Do they not know the stranger the Nuthouse tale, the more likely it is to be true? So, I lead both their unbelieving asses outside to where the banana peel and apple core rested from being tossed this morning. My two co-workers just shook their heads in confusion, said nothing and went back to their desks. Maybe I will start a pool - what will occur first; new wildlife attracted to the "grass garbage" or The Boss complaining about the "grass garbage" when he mows the lawn?
Yup, The Nuthouse never disappoints! Good times, good times! Happy Monday!
Thursday, June 4, 2020
An Update From The Nuthouse
I thought I might update you on some of the goings on at The Nuthouse. I don't really have a "big story" to tell today - it was a quiet and non-eventful day (it does happen every once in a while). Here are just the facts ma'am!
- My eyeball is only providing me a personal light show a few times a day now. It is still weird when it happens, but it is good to know it's nothing serious....just me closer to death!
- The bruises on my face, legs and foot are almost gone. The one half of my toenail is still attached, so I am sure I will be catching that bitch on a sock or bed sheet soon and ripping it clean off. Definitely, not looking forward to that at all!
- The geese are still using the grassy area near our pond as their own personal Hedonism Resort. They are not social distancing; they don't wear masks and I think they are having unprotected sex. I am so looking forward to their offspring visiting our shores soon and the chaos it will create.
- The bees seem to have retreated and are waving the white flag of surrender. The Boss is very proud of himself and actually seems to be walking around a bit taller than usual. This man is proud to have won against bees....wow, his life must be full of disappointment.
- Orders continue to pour into the offices and the warehouse staff is doing a great job of getting everything out the door in a timely manner. Great job guys!
- I am sure of it now - Rachel no longer has the hots for Drew. As I mentioned before, I think his spit cup of tobacco was the nail in his coffin. A love story that never had a chance to bloom.
- Speaking of coffins - is the TV show, What We Do in The Shadows on your must watch list? If not, check it out...hilarious stuff!
- Mike and Wayne had a religious pow-wow today. I hope it isn't recruitment time again already
- The Boss went to the bank today and came back with a new plastic chair mat for himself. He purchased it at Office Max and it came flat (it wasn't rolled up). I guess he must have gotten tired of one wheel of his chair falling in the melted hole he created with the heat gun. He just took the melted one to the warehouse, never to be seen or spoken of again.
- I heard The Boss call for a dumpster today. God Bless F'in America! There is so much garbage and debris piled in the corner of the warehouse that I am convinced it will take someone forever to transport it all to a dumpster. I hope he told them to come the next day for a garbage pickup. Of course, he didn't, who am I kidding.
Until next time Nutties! Have a great evening!
Wednesday, June 3, 2020
The Wildlife Continues Its "Attack" On The Boss
It was a sunny and warm day in the Nuthouse neighborhood today. The birds were singing and the geese were roaming, much to the disgust of The Boss. The wildlife really seems to enjoy our quiet location and today was
no exception.
When returning from lunch, I noticed a hole in the ground
that had bees arriving and departing like Grand Central Station. It was located to the right of the walkway
into our main entrance. I just walked
by, went into the office and then made the mistake of mentioning what I saw in
the vicinity of The Boss.
Although, he claimed, “he was so busy, he couldn’t see
straight”, he had to investigate these bees!
Next thing I know he going outside to watch this hole at least, every
ten minutes. I then watch as he goes
outside and proceeds to use his foot to cover the bee hole with dirt. Anyone who knows anything about bees can
attest that this is NOT a good idea.
These bees were now very ANGRY. He
goes outside, yet again, to wave his sport jacket around because the angry bees
are flying about like crazy. Could this
be because a giant just stepped and crushed their doorway and tried to bury
them alive? Some time passes and he once
again fills up the hole, that had reopened, with additional dirt.
He finally seems to have lost interest and decided that his
time as an apiarist was done. I guess the bees were no longer bothering him. I must admit, the employees have watched this display with
morbid interest (will he get stung? If
so, how many times?), but one thing is now quite apparent; no one can leave the building
through the main door tonight unless they are wearing a bee keepers outfit.
Oh, no! He comes Fed
Ex into the parking lot with a late delivery and of course the delivery driver is painfully unaware
that he will be walking by a location teeming with angry bees. Before we were able to warn him, he ran up
the walkway and was stung three times!
We signed for the delivery and I escorted the driver out another door –
safely away from the bees. I felt badly
that we weren’t able to warn him in time, but I also failed to disclose that our
leader was cause of the aggressive bee situation.
Now, the best part -I returned to my desk and The Boss emerges from this office to state he couldn't understand why the bees attached the Fed Ex driver. HE IS INSANE!
Monday, June 1, 2020
I Think My Body Is Rejecting Me
I didn't make it into the Nuthouse today. No, I wasn't enjoying a leisurely day at the park or spending the day doing something fun. I was calling around trying to make an appointment with an ophthalmologist. Let's go back to Sunday, late afternoon.
I was enjoying my Sunday and preparing myself for another week at the Nuthouse when I started seeing black squiggly lines starting from the corner of my left eye and traveling across my eyeball like they were marching in a parade. This lasted approximately 45 minutes and was done. I thought it was weird, but everyone gets "floaters" sometimes, so I didn't think too much about it. About an hour later it looked like I was watching shooting stars out of the corner of my left eye. So, I moved from squiggly black floaters to my very own shooting star show, cool! There was no pain involved, but something made me think this might not be good. The light show continued intermittently throughout the evening and I knew I needed to find an eye doctor.
I sent an email to The Boss, letting him know that I was going to be staying home on Monday. I told him about my eye and that I was going to be getting an appointment to have someone look at it. I then spent some time making a list to find a doctor that my insurance would cover. I found a few and made plans to call them first thing Monday morning.
I made my calls right after getting up (yup, I even slept in) and I was able to get a same day appointment after I spoke with a triage person (that really made it sound ominous). My appointment was at 2 PM and they reminded me to bring a mask.
I arrived with my mask, insurance card and identification. They had to take my temperature prior to entering the building and once it was deemed that I was not running hot, I was allowed in. I filled out the paperwork and sat waiting to see if my eye was going to be joining my toe in failing me. They dilated my eyes and looked in them (I hate that, eyes in general give me the heebie geebies). The doctor then spent some more time also looking in my peepers and said he had good news.
He brought out a diagram of an eye ball and told me I had a vitreous detachment. This is not serious; it just happens as you get OLDER! Did this man just call me old? Now, the jelly sac in my eye ball is pulling slowly pulling away and causing me to see floaters and shooting stars! He said I should be prepared for it to happen in the other eye too. Sometimes it happens within a few months to a few years. I really wasn't paying attention at this time; I was still smarting from the comment that this happens as you get older. I heard a quote recently that is very appropriate for today - "Getting old is not for the faint of heart!" Yup, first the toe and now an eye - what part on my body is going to next?
Doctor said no restrictions, just to call if it gets worse or if my vision starts to shade over. I guess it's back to the Nuthouse tomorrow.
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