Overheard at Work

[TheGrimSqueaker]

At the airport just now...

Bartender:  Yeah, some people worry about their credit score and stuff like that...not me.

Patron 1:  I absolutely LOVE my car!  I don't care what happens I am not getting rid of it no matter what! 

I could only hear part of the coversation, but I can imagine how the rest of it went.

Oh and a facepunch for me for paying for a drink at the airport.

No facepunch from me. I find current TSA and airline interactions intolerable while completely sober, one can't bring liquids through check-in, and obviously drinking to a sufficient level of inebriation before leaving the house isn't wise (or legal, if you drive to the airport). The only remaining option for getting through the mandatory poke-and-grope without doing something arrest-worthy is to buy the overpriced booze.

[Dollar Slice]

We have a small office and it's about $5/mo per person when you include everything (delivery, rental of the cooler, etc.). It's a nice cheap perk to have, it dispenses hot water for tea as well as cold water... and we don't have a tap/sink anywhere in our office so people would have to get tap water from the sometimes-icky shared-with-other-companies bathroom sink, or buy bottled.

I'm guessing that your's is a big office? For the cooler, we went on craigs' list and bought one and then bought two jugs and like I said, we refill them at the grocery store a block away for 39 cents a gallon or $1.95. I'm guessing that this wouldn't fly at a big office because people don't have time for that, but man does that add up.

No, mi'ne is not a big office, as I said in the first five words of that post you just quoted ;-)

I think last month we got 20 gallons of water delivered and it cost $34 including cooler rental/delivery. It's not crazy cheap (midtown NYC never is!) but it's a pretty minor expense that the company pays for. I really doubt there is any store in the vicinity where we could get cheaper water. I'm quite happy for the company to pay an extra couple of dollars a week if it prevents employees from buying lots of smaller bottles (wasting plastic + expense) or drinking more soda/crap.

[Geostache]

People who buy bottled water…one day we’ll look back at them and laugh the way we do for people who bought pet rocks in the 70’s. I hope.

A coworker spotted me filling up my mug at the water fountain at work. Granted, our building is old, and some of the faucets have a sign that say "Run water for at least 1 minute before consumption." Still:

CW: Wow, you're brave.
Me: Why, because I'm drinking from the water fountain?
CW: Yes.
Me: Well, there's no sign (warning to run water for a minute), so I'm assuming it's safe.
CW: I wouldn't do it.
Me: You have to die from something, right?

This coworker is a part of the $5/month water club. Yes, they pool their money to purchase those big bottled water coolers and drink from that.

I would have said never buy water but then I worked in an office with horrendous tasting hard water. I caved and joined the water club ($5/ month) not too many months after I did annual tests revealed the water (from a well) did not meet federal clean drinking water standards. After that my employer took over the cost of water.

I do understand that. I cannot drink tap water in the LA/San Diego area. The water there literally turns my stomach! I haven't tried filtered (usually out on a business trip). I'm usually buying facepunch-worthy bottled water while there.

[UnleashHell]

The coffee came in an 'Eco-cup!" proudly proclaiming how recycled it was. The bagel was placed in a huge clear plastic box (never even seen one of these in the UK,.....but oh great, the coffee cup was recycled. REDUCE, reuse, recycle.

Their inability to handle the concept of a china mug (the only proper way to serve tea) is why there is no hope for the civlisation over here.
That and not playing cricket, and having discovered a way of making rugby both boring and more dangerous.

China cup? pah. nice to look at but totally useless when it comes to dunking your chocolate digestives. Mugs are the only way to go and the yanks have mugs that are big enough to dunk any biscuit known to mankind.

Of course theres no decent biscuits here but....

[MgoSam]

People who buy bottled water…one day we’ll look back at them and laugh the way we do for people who bought pet rocks in the 70’s. I hope.

A coworker spotted me filling up my mug at the water fountain at work. Granted, our building is old, and some of the faucets have a sign that say "Run water for at least 1 minute before consumption." Still:

CW: Wow, you're brave.
Me: Why, because I'm drinking from the water fountain?
CW: Yes.
Me: Well, there's no sign (warning to run water for a minute), so I'm assuming it's safe.
CW: I wouldn't do it.
Me: You have to die from something, right?

This coworker is a part of the $5/month water club. Yes, they pool their money to purchase those big bottled water coolers and drink from that.

I would have said never buy water but then I worked in an office with horrendous tasting hard water. I caved and joined the water club ($5/ month) not too many months after I did annual tests revealed the water (from a well) did not meet federal clean drinking water standards. After that my employer took over the cost of water.

I do understand that. I cannot drink tap water in the LA/San Diego area. The water there literally turns my stomach! I haven't tried filtered (usually out on a business trip). I'm usually buying facepunch-worthy bottled water while there.

I haven't used this, but I've heard great things.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GN8RDY/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1944687742&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B006OJHHIE&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0Z02QG0HETGTAVJVBG85

[mamagoose]

At the airport just now...

Bartender:  Yeah, some people worry about their credit score and stuff like that...not me.

Patron 1:  I absolutely LOVE my car!  I don't care what happens I am not getting rid of it no matter what! 

I could only hear part of the coversation, but I can imagine how the rest of it went.

Oh and a facepunch for me for paying for a drink at the airport.

Maybe the Bartender doesn't worry about his credit score b/c he's debt-free and owns his house outright and therefore has no need to borrow money so his credit score is irrelevant?

Maybe Patron 1 loves their car b/c it's a 20-year-old beater that they've kept on life support using their own skills & tools, regardless of moving up the career ladder & coworkers telling him he "deserves" a better car?

Just being optimistic :)

[MgoSam]

We have a small office and it's about $5/mo per person when you include everything (delivery, rental of the cooler, etc.). It's a nice cheap perk to have, it dispenses hot water for tea as well as cold water... and we don't have a tap/sink anywhere in our office so people would have to get tap water from the sometimes-icky shared-with-other-companies bathroom sink, or buy bottled.

I'm guessing that your's is a big office? For the cooler, we went on craigs' list and bought one and then bought two jugs and like I said, we refill them at the grocery store a block away for 39 cents a gallon or $1.95. I'm guessing that this wouldn't fly at a big office because people don't have time for that, but man does that add up.

No, mi'ne is not a big office, as I said in the first five words of that post you just quoted ;-)

I think last month we got 20 gallons of water delivered and it cost $34 including cooler rental/delivery. It's not crazy cheap (midtown NYC never is!) but it's a pretty minor expense that the company pays for. I really doubt there is any store in the vicinity where we could get cheaper water. I'm quite happy for the company to pay an extra couple of dollars a week if it prevents employees from buying lots of smaller bottles (wasting plastic + expense) or drinking more soda/crap.

Whoops, I think I assumed it was a big office, so just read "big" when you instead wrote "small." $34 for 4 drums isn't terrible. And I didn't realize you were in NYC, where driving isn't easy and so it likely makes sense to have it delivered.

[MgoSam]

At the airport just now...

Bartender:  Yeah, some people worry about their credit score and stuff like that...not me.

Patron 1:  I absolutely LOVE my car!  I don't care what happens I am not getting rid of it no matter what! 

I could only hear part of the coversation, but I can imagine how the rest of it went.

Oh and a facepunch for me for paying for a drink at the airport.

Maybe the Bartender doesn't worry about his credit score b/c he's debt-free and owns his house outright and therefore has no need to borrow money so his credit score is irrelevant?

Maybe Patron 1 loves their car b/c it's a 20-year-old beater that they've kept on life support using their own skills & tools, regardless of moving up the career ladder & coworkers telling him he "deserves" a better car?

Just being optimistic :)

Well played. Btw, for half a second I thought you name was Mongoose.

[turketron]

At the airport just now...

Bartender:  Yeah, some people worry about their credit score and stuff like that...not me.

Patron 1:  I absolutely LOVE my car!  I don't care what happens I am not getting rid of it no matter what! 

I could only hear part of the coversation, but I can imagine how the rest of it went.

Oh and a facepunch for me for paying for a drink at the airport.

No facepunch from me. I find current TSA and airline interactions intolerable while completely sober, one can't bring liquids through check-in, and obviously drinking to a sufficient level of inebriation before leaving the house isn't wise (or legal, if you drive to the airport). The only remaining option for getting through the mandatory poke-and-grope without doing something arrest-worthy is to buy the overpriced booze.

"Travelers may carry as many 3.4 ounce bottles of liquid (mini bottles of liquor are 1.7 ounces) that fit comfortably in one, quart sized, clear plastic, zip-top bag. Comfortable means that the bag will seal without busting at the seams. One bag is permitted per passenger."

You can bring mini bottles through security and drink em in the terminal. Technically you can't open them on the flight itself but they're not likely to catch you. I've brought a few mini whiskey bottles and bought a $2 drip coffee to add them to once I'm in the terminal.

http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/01/tsa-travel-tips-tuesday-traveling-with.html
http://imatravelninja.com/2012/05/16/take-alcohol-to-drink-on-your-flight/

[Dollar Slice]

Not necessarily a popular opinion apparently, but I just took the time to look up the cost of tapwater in NYC. Google says NYC water costs $3.39 for 100 cubic feet - or $0.0045 per gallon. That means you can take home the jugs and fill them for $0.09. You decide whether to bill the company at the going rate or not.

Yes, this sounds like an excellent plan. All I'd have to do is schlep 320 pounds of water per month via two elevators, two stairwells, and 4 miles of rush hour subway. Totally worth it for $20/mo after taxes.

[MgoSam]

At the airport just now...

Bartender:  Yeah, some people worry about their credit score and stuff like that...not me.

Patron 1:  I absolutely LOVE my car!  I don't care what happens I am not getting rid of it no matter what! 

I could only hear part of the coversation, but I can imagine how the rest of it went.

Oh and a facepunch for me for paying for a drink at the airport.

No facepunch from me. I find current TSA and airline interactions intolerable while completely sober, one can't bring liquids through check-in, and obviously drinking to a sufficient level of inebriation before leaving the house isn't wise (or legal, if you drive to the airport). The only remaining option for getting through the mandatory poke-and-grope without doing something arrest-worthy is to buy the overpriced booze.

"Travelers may carry as many 3.4 ounce bottles of liquid (mini bottles of liquor are 1.7 ounces) that fit comfortably in one, quart sized, clear plastic, zip-top bag. Comfortable means that the bag will seal without busting at the seams. One bag is permitted per passenger."

You can bring mini bottles through security and drink em in the terminal. Technically you can't open them on the flight itself but they're not likely to catch you. I've brought a few mini whiskey bottles and bought a $2 drip coffee to add them to once I'm in the terminal.

http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/01/tsa-travel-tips-tuesday-traveling-with.html
http://imatravelninja.com/2012/05/16/take-alcohol-to-drink-on-your-flight/

Yup, I've done that before and had a TSA agent stare at me and then wink before clearing me. That is true, you technically cannot open them on your plane, so if you are going to, then do so discretely. I doubt passengers care, but flight attendants could get into trouble, so yeah there's that.

[TheGrimSqueaker]

At the airport just now...

Bartender:  Yeah, some people worry about their credit score and stuff like that...not me.

Patron 1:  I absolutely LOVE my car!  I don't care what happens I am not getting rid of it no matter what! 

I could only hear part of the coversation, but I can imagine how the rest of it went.

Oh and a facepunch for me for paying for a drink at the airport.

No facepunch from me. I find current TSA and airline interactions intolerable while completely sober, one can't bring liquids through check-in, and obviously drinking to a sufficient level of inebriation before leaving the house isn't wise (or legal, if you drive to the airport). The only remaining option for getting through the mandatory poke-and-grope without doing something arrest-worthy is to buy the overpriced booze.

"Travelers may carry as many 3.4 ounce bottles of liquid (mini bottles of liquor are 1.7 ounces) that fit comfortably in one, quart sized, clear plastic, zip-top bag. Comfortable means that the bag will seal without busting at the seams. One bag is permitted per passenger."

You can bring mini bottles through security and drink em in the terminal. Technically you can't open them on the flight itself but they're not likely to catch you. I've brought a few mini whiskey bottles and bought a $2 drip coffee to add them to once I'm in the terminal.

http://blog.tsa.gov/2014/01/tsa-travel-tips-tuesday-traveling-with.html
http://imatravelninja.com/2012/05/16/take-alcohol-to-drink-on-your-flight/

Yup, I've done that before and had a TSA agent stare at me and then wink before clearing me. That is true, you technically cannot open them on your plane, so if you are going to, then do so discretely. I doubt passengers care, but flight attendants could get into trouble, so yeah there's that.

Unfortunately I have to fit toiletries and contact lens fluid in the bag too. By the time I've crammed them in, there's not enough room for a sufficient amount of libation to make the ruse worthwhile.

Financially it would probably be more optimal to bring booze and purchase toiletries upon arrival, however I often don't have flexible transportation onsite.

[supernovajm]

Unfortunately I have to fit toiletries and contact lens fluid in the bag too. By the time I've crammed them in, there's not enough room for a sufficient amount of libation to make the ruse worthwhile.

Good news: contact lens fluid is exempt from the 1 quart bag rule. it's considered medical. Just like aerosol inhalers for asthma and the like. I brought a big bottle of solution (the hydrogen peroxide kind, no less) on the plane in a separate bag and nobody batted an eyelash.

[LeRainDrop]

I *LOVE* those places!  DW and I make a point of going once every year or two.  Yes, it's a splurge.  But we also make sure we can afford it first :)  And in our eyes, it's worth it every once in a while.

If you like meat and you've never been, you'll love it.

We hit one in Brazil on our honeymoon. Yes, yes, and yes! Eat till it f'ing hurts, 10 kinds of meat, etc. etc. etc.
I'm not opposed to the concept in any fashion... just opposed to a debt-ridden friend overpaying to experience it. :(

Confession:  Ex-boyfriend and I loved Fogo de Chao but rarely went, so as part of our vacation, when we had an 8-hour layover in Atlanta, we took MARTA up to Buckhead to eat there, and then MARTA back to the airport.  We were so freakin' stuffed from dinner that I had to walk slowly so as not to puke, and boyfriend had to make a pit stop in The Container Store (sorry, everyone!)  :-)

[shelivesthedream]

*Insert evil idea to unplug kettle and see how long it takes them to figure it out tomorrow*

Do it.

Have you done it? That story is one of my all-time Overheard at Work favourites - I need a part two!

[turketron]

Unfortunately I have to fit toiletries and contact lens fluid in the bag too. By the time I've crammed them in, there's not enough room for a sufficient amount of libation to make the ruse worthwhile.

Good news: contact lens fluid is exempt from the 1 quart bag rule. it's considered medical. Just like aerosol inhalers for asthma and the like. I brought a big bottle of solution (the hydrogen peroxide kind, no less) on the plane in a separate bag and nobody batted an eyelash.

That would have been good to know pre-LASIK! I use a bar shampoo when I travel so I generally don't have any liquids except for a travel thing of toothpaste, so there's plenty of room for booze in my bag!  :D

[nobodyspecial]

*Insert evil idea to unplug kettle and see how long it takes them to figure it out tomorrow*

Given the wimpy 110v electric here it takes so long to boil the kettle that I don't think unplugging it makes any real difference.

[gimp]

Facepunch me.

I spent $50 on california legacy plates.

They look fantastic.

[notquitefrugal]

Facepunch me.

I spent $50 on california legacy plates.

They look fantastic.

I refuse to facepunch you. I looked them up and that sounds pretty cool! Be thankful you don't live in Texas, where the standard plates are specifically designed to be hideously ugly (far worse than CA's standard plates). But, in Texas, you can buy an optional plate that looks a lot better, designed by a for-profit company. Pretty much the only vehicles in Texas that don't have the extra cost (and much more attractive) plates are rental cars. (No, I don't live in TX, but visited there and noticed the huge discrepancy between the "have" and "have not" license plates, and investigated it a little further.)

[turketron]

Finally have a good one to share-

A friend and coworker currently lives in a nice apartment in the downtown area that is extremely walkable/bikeable and well-serviced by public transportation, and hasn't owned a car because he lives only a few blocks away from where we work. He recently gave his notice to work for another company, where he'll be working remotely from his apartment. Nothing wrong with that decision- they offered him ~$15k more than what he's making now and it's a good company, and he's reporting to a former coworker that we both respect.

However, within a month of starting his new job he went out and bought a $40k dodge charger, which he has no need for since he works from home and really has no need for one in the area we live in! Even worse, since he didn't have a car when he moved into his apartment complex he's no longer able to purchase a full-time parking permit for the garage, so the only option was a permit that's only valid for 6pm-8am that's to be used for customer parking to the retail stores on the ground floor. This means that every day he has to wake up and go out to move his car to the street parking, and then he brings it back into the garage each night. Furthermore, there's limited long-term street parking nearby, so if it's full he has to park in the 2-hour parking zone and move it every couple hours. He's had the car for like 2 weeks and has already gotten several tickets.

He's young and is otherwise a pretty bright guy but this decision just floored me, and I made sure to tell him how stupid and impractical I think he's being!

[theadvicist]

Good news: contact lens fluid is exempt from the 1 quart bag rule. it's considered medical. Just like aerosol inhalers for asthma and the like. I brought a big bottle of solution (the hydrogen peroxide kind, no less) on the plane in a separate bag and nobody batted an eyelash.

Worth a try, sure, but I think at some airports that would get confiscated. My friend recently flew with liquid medicine for her son with her, and because she couldn't produce a prescription at the security checkpoint, it was taken. She was like, "But it's prescription only medication, how will I get any more?!" and they were like, not our problem. The prescription label would have sufficed, apparently, but it was on the box not the bottle, and she'd thrown the box away.

So since no-one has a prescription for contact solution I don't think that would fly (geddit?) in all locations (this was in the UK FWIW). But sometime's it's worth chancing it because we all know they miss stuff regularly, and if you're stuck with hotel lobby prices, ugh.

[infogoon]

Worth a try, sure, but I think at some airports that would get confiscated. My friend recently flew with liquid medicine for her son with her, and because she couldn't produce a prescription at the security checkpoint, it was taken. She was like, "But it's prescription only medication, how will I get any more?!" and they were like, not our problem. The prescription label would have sufficed, apparently, but it was on the box not the bottle, and she'd thrown the box away.

She should have written CONTACT SOLUTION on the bottle.

[Rollin]

I still want more foam on pickles!  or where to buy jeans, or school books, or TSA and contact solution...or I'm sure something next about a Dodge Charger.

So, let's say that we read a "Overheard at Work" thread about something actually overheard at work.  Our response might be a similar experience or related experience, as opposed to going off on a tangent for page after page after page.  Does this help those that don't understand what "foam" means?

[powersuitrecall]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

[jinga nation]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Almond Toffee, with Dark Chocolate.
Yeah, the almond and dark choc makes it healthy and nutritious.

[Asdfg]

Today I learned that my colleague has a company car that she pays about $1100/month. That includes everything, so free gas, free insurance, free winter tires etc. But still, I don't get it. After three years she will have paid almost 40k and doesn't even have the car that she could sell...

[Tjat]

Today I learned that my colleague has a company car that she pays about $1100/month. That includes everything, so free gas, free insurance, free winter tires etc. But still, I don't get it. After three years she will have paid almost 40k and doesn't even have the car that she could sell...

Well...it'd be cool if she lived in it....

[No Name Guy]

Heard a doozy the other day (paraphrased):

General conversation amongst several CW's:  Talking about stints of tons of OT.
CW:  "Yeah, I had to pull a nine day stint of 12 hour days once.  The OT was great.  It was perfect - right before I was going to Vegas [for some short, but unstated amount of time].  I guess I left it all on the craps tables."

Me:  [shakes head, says nothing].

Amazing.  So, this guy gets time and a half for the 44 hours of OT in one week (on top of the 40 hours regular pay), and another 8 hours of OT on top of the 16 hours of regular time to start the next week....and blows at least 52 hours of OT gambling in Vegas.

[dragoncar]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

[powersuitrecall]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

[Ann]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Well, YES.  That's WHY it is so delicious!!

[ash7962]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Ok first of all, holy crap so much % of daily value in so many categories!  For one roll!  Second, I'm curious where you pulled that label from.  Care to share? :)

[Le Barbu]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Ok first of all, holy crap so much % of daily value in so many categories!  For one roll!  Second, I'm curious where you pulled that label from.  Care to share? :)

Get 2-3 of these and your done for the day!

[lifeinhd]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Ok first of all, holy crap so much % of daily value in so many categories!  For one roll!  Second, I'm curious where you pulled that label from.  Care to share? :)

Get 2-3 of these and your done for the day!

That's it, I'm switching my diet to 100% Cinnabon.

[Le Barbu]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Ok first of all, holy crap so much % of daily value in so many categories!  For one roll!  Second, I'm curious where you pulled that label from.  Care to share? :)

Get 2-3 of these and your done for the day!

That's it, I'm switching my diet to 100% Cinnabon.

Don't know the %moisture content and if it's enough, you may have to drink bottled water to complete

[MishMash]

*Insert evil idea to unplug kettle and see how long it takes them to figure it out tomorrow*

Do it.

Have you done it? That story is one of my all-time Overheard at Work favourites - I need a part two!

I work from home on Fridays and most Mondays so I did it this morning...it took two of them 15 minutes to figure it out and involved a call to our office manager that the fuse might be tripped.  Entertaining, but not as much as I had hoped since only 2 of them were in today.

While this was going on one was bitching that we are out of "plain" (and by plain I mean the 8 dollar a box Numi Gunpowder Green tea) so he has to drink the "other" stuff (Jasmine Green).  I pointed out that we have 2 HUGE boxes of imperial loose leaf green that our Japanese partner brought as a gift the last visit (really freaking good stuff) and I pointed out my two tea strainers that I have clipped to the side of the tea holder thing.  The response I got was "oh I don't know how to work that"...(SERIOUSLY!?!?!) I showed them how you literally open, pour, close and steep.  CW1 said it was too much work, CW2 said he didn't want floaty things in his tea.  If you CLOSE IT, you won't GET loose tea in your cup you asshat...and weren't you the one drinking melted wax for a week straight?

[powersuitrecall]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Ok first of all, holy crap so much % of daily value in so many categories!  For one roll!  Second, I'm curious where you pulled that label from.  Care to share? :)

I just googled "cinnabon nutritional" (I'm surprised google itself didn't slap my face for putting those 2 words together).

FWIW, I also discovered that a Swiss Chalet 1/4 chicken meal with white meat and multigrain roll is less calories than a regular cinnabon roll.

[daymare]

I was visiting a friend, and friend's friend (FF) was there too.  She complained that her company hasn't been reimbursing her for work travel expenses in a timely manner (she hadn't been reimbursed several thousand dollars yet, and submitted months ago).  Which is a problem because she doesn't have enough money to pay her CC bill and still have a couple of thousand on hand in case of emergency.  I told her that the employer couldn't legally do that (withhold reimbursements), and also suggested she check out askamanager.com to get some more insight or tips on how to broach the subject with employer and get what she's legally entitled to.

Friend and I (as planned) head out for lunch and invite FF along - I tell her that the prices are very reasonable (<$12 for AMAZING food), so she knows and can avoid the situation if she's not comfortable spending that amount.  And she says "Oh, I don't care.  I'm going to expense it!"

[shelivesthedream]

*Insert evil idea to unplug kettle and see how long it takes them to figure it out tomorrow*

Do it.

Have you done it? That story is one of my all-time Overheard at Work favourites - I need a part two!

I work from home on Fridays and most Mondays so I did it this morning...it took two of them 15 minutes to figure it out and involved a call to our office manager that the fuse might be tripped.  Entertaining, but not as much as I had hoped since only 2 of them were in today.

While this was going on one was bitching that we are out of "plain" (and by plain I mean the 8 dollar a box Numi Gunpowder Green tea) so he has to drink the "other" stuff (Jasmine Green).  I pointed out that we have 2 HUGE boxes of imperial loose leaf green that our Japanese partner brought as a gift the last visit (really freaking good stuff) and I pointed out my two tea strainers that I have clipped to the side of the tea holder thing.  The response I got was "oh I don't know how to work that"...(SERIOUSLY!?!?!) I showed them how you literally open, pour, close and steep.  CW1 said it was too much work, CW2 said he didn't want floaty things in his tea.  If you CLOSE IT, you won't GET loose tea in your cup you asshat...and weren't you the one drinking melted wax for a week straight?

?!?!!!!!!!!

I'm hoping the office manager ripped their ears off when they realised why they had been called.

And the green tea thing is just... WTF?! I'm a loose-leaf gal myself and while yes, cleaning the infused is a bit more work than flipping a teabag into the bin, if you have a dishwasher then you have no excuse. I am always astonished by how many people can't figure out how to use them, though, especially judging how much tea to put in. They tend to pack it in right to the top whereas I use a scant teaspoon per mug (imagine if you ripped a tea at open and poured it onto a teaspoon... Yeah, that much) and then they are surprised that their tea tastes like they crammed ten bags into a mug. I always take herbal teabags to work now because people can deal with teabags.

[MishMash]

*Insert evil idea to unplug kettle and see how long it takes them to figure it out tomorrow*

Do it.

Have you done it? That story is one of my all-time Overheard at Work favourites - I need a part two!

I work from home on Fridays and most Mondays so I did it this morning...it took two of them 15 minutes to figure it out and involved a call to our office manager that the fuse might be tripped.  Entertaining, but not as much as I had hoped since only 2 of them were in today.

While this was going on one was bitching that we are out of "plain" (and by plain I mean the 8 dollar a box Numi Gunpowder Green tea) so he has to drink the "other" stuff (Jasmine Green).  I pointed out that we have 2 HUGE boxes of imperial loose leaf green that our Japanese partner brought as a gift the last visit (really freaking good stuff) and I pointed out my two tea strainers that I have clipped to the side of the tea holder thing.  The response I got was "oh I don't know how to work that"...(SERIOUSLY!?!?!) I showed them how you literally open, pour, close and steep.  CW1 said it was too much work, CW2 said he didn't want floaty things in his tea. If you CLOSE IT, you won't GET loose tea in your cup you asshat...and weren't you the one drinking melted wax for a week straight?

I so hope you said that out loud.  I am always amazed at the excuses folks have to not do something that isn't even any more work.

I left out the asshat part and tried not to sound like a complete bitch by phrasing it as "it least it won't taste like wax" but yes I said it.  I'll still take these dumbasses over the sexually harassing nasty jackasses I used to work with ANY day though. 

It does make me wonder though if that movie Idiocracy isn't slowly playing out in front of my eyes.  Some of the things they've said make me wonder how they have survived into adult hood.  The great tea exchange took the absolute cake though.

[MgoSam]

*Insert evil idea to unplug kettle and see how long it takes them to figure it out tomorrow*

Do it.

Have you done it? That story is one of my all-time Overheard at Work favourites - I need a part two!

I work from home on Fridays and most Mondays so I did it this morning...it took two of them 15 minutes to figure it out and involved a call to our office manager that the fuse might be tripped.  Entertaining, but not as much as I had hoped since only 2 of them were in today.

While this was going on one was bitching that we are out of "plain" (and by plain I mean the 8 dollar a box Numi Gunpowder Green tea) so he has to drink the "other" stuff (Jasmine Green).  I pointed out that we have 2 HUGE boxes of imperial loose leaf green that our Japanese partner brought as a gift the last visit (really freaking good stuff) and I pointed out my two tea strainers that I have clipped to the side of the tea holder thing.  The response I got was "oh I don't know how to work that"...(SERIOUSLY!?!?!) I showed them how you literally open, pour, close and steep.  CW1 said it was too much work, CW2 said he didn't want floaty things in his tea. If you CLOSE IT, you won't GET loose tea in your cup you asshat...and weren't you the one drinking melted wax for a week straight?

I so hope you said that out loud.  I am always amazed at the excuses folks have to not do something that isn't even any more work.

I left out the asshat part and tried not to sound like a complete bitch by phrasing it as "it least it won't taste like wax" but yes I said it.  I'll still take these dumbasses over the sexually harassing nasty jackasses I used to work with ANY day though. 

It does make me wonder though if that movie Idiocracy isn't slowly playing out in front of my eyes.  Some of the things they've said make me wonder how they have survived into adult hood.  The great tea exchange took the absolute cake though.

I'm actually impressed that they are tea drinkers. I'm not going to lie, but I think of tea is being something that requires a little more sophistication, and so I would assume that someone that enjoys tea is either from an Asian upbringing and/or of at least above average intelligence.

[MishMash]

[/quote]
I'm actually impressed that they are tea drinkers. I'm not going to lie, but I think of tea is being something that requires a little more sophistication, and so I would assume that someone that enjoys tea is either from an Asian upbringing and/or of at least above average intelligence.
[/quote]

Oh it has nothing to do with sophistication trust me, this is strictly a new thing they have dubbed "tea time" as part of some new fad fitness diet they are trying to use to build muscle.  One of them read in some magazine that tea is better at revving up your metabolism etc so tea time was born a few weeks ago (meanwhile the lazy one is still eating Chic fil a at least three times a week).  Trust me them stuffing three tea bags into a standard paper cup of boiling hot water makes me want to cry a little.  Up until this new fad, I was the only one that didn't live off of the Keurig and fake creamer in this office.

[BDWW]

*Insert evil idea to unplug kettle and see how long it takes them to figure it out tomorrow*

Do it.

Have you done it? That story is one of my all-time Overheard at Work favourites - I need a part two!

I work from home on Fridays and most Mondays so I did it this morning...it took two of them 15 minutes to figure it out and involved a call to our office manager that the fuse might be tripped.  Entertaining, but not as much as I had hoped since only 2 of them were in today.

While this was going on one was bitching that we are out of "plain" (and by plain I mean the 8 dollar a box Numi Gunpowder Green tea) so he has to drink the "other" stuff (Jasmine Green).  I pointed out that we have 2 HUGE boxes of imperial loose leaf green that our Japanese partner brought as a gift the last visit (really freaking good stuff) and I pointed out my two tea strainers that I have clipped to the side of the tea holder thing.  The response I got was "oh I don't know how to work that"...(SERIOUSLY!?!?!) I showed them how you literally open, pour, close and steep.  CW1 said it was too much work, CW2 said he didn't want floaty things in his tea. If you CLOSE IT, you won't GET loose tea in your cup you asshat...and weren't you the one drinking melted wax for a week straight?

I so hope you said that out loud.  I am always amazed at the excuses folks have to not do something that isn't even any more work.

I left out the asshat part and tried not to sound like a complete bitch by phrasing it as "it least it won't taste like wax" but yes I said it.  I'll still take these dumbasses over the sexually harassing nasty jackasses I used to work with ANY day though. 

It does make me wonder though if that movie Idiocracy isn't slowly playing out in front of my eyes.  Some of the things they've said make me wonder how they have survived into adult hood.  The great tea exchange took the absolute cake though.

I'm actually impressed that they are tea drinkers. I'm not going to lie, but I think of tea is being something that requires a little more sophistication, and so I would assume that someone that enjoys tea is either from an Asian upbringing and/or of at least above average intelligence.

Of course, he didn't even get into the fact that they probably steep it way too long at too low of temp (although it's green tea, so they might accidentally get the right lowish temp).

[zephyr911]

A whole gaggle of CW's must have spent an hour talking about the truck-shopping experience one of them is having. Sounds like he has legit reasons for getting it, but the comments... oy vey, the comments.

I'm pretty sure I just heard a CW say he's never owned any stocks because it's "too much like roulette". Guy in his 60s who's had an Army pension for probably a decade-plus... ZOMG he still has a mortgage?

People shouldn't talk on their phones near me... "all I have is my Army retirement, which is fine unless the government goes tits-up, which there's a good chance of that happening...."

[dragoncar]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Well, YES.  That's WHY it is so delicious!!

Add some cinnamon and I'm in.

[Goldielocks]

I was visiting a friend, and friend's friend (FF) was there too.  She complained that her company hasn't been reimbursing her for work travel expenses in a timely manner (she hadn't been reimbursed several thousand dollars yet, and submitted months ago).  Which is a problem because she doesn't have enough money to pay her CC bill and still have a couple of thousand on hand in case of emergency.  I told her that the employer couldn't legally do that (withhold reimbursements), and also suggested she check out askamanager.com to get some more insight or tips on how to broach the subject with employer and get what she's legally entitled to.

Friend and I (as planned) head out for lunch and invite FF along - I tell her that the prices are very reasonable (<$12 for AMAZING food), so she knows and can avoid the situation if she's not comfortable spending that amount.  And she says "Oh, I don't care.  I'm going to expense it!"

Hmm, I think I see a connection why expenses may not be approved yet...

[MgoSam]

I was visiting a friend, and friend's friend (FF) was there too.  She complained that her company hasn't been reimbursing her for work travel expenses in a timely manner (she hadn't been reimbursed several thousand dollars yet, and submitted months ago).  Which is a problem because she doesn't have enough money to pay her CC bill and still have a couple of thousand on hand in case of emergency.  I told her that the employer couldn't legally do that (withhold reimbursements), and also suggested she check out askamanager.com to get some more insight or tips on how to broach the subject with employer and get what she's legally entitled to.

Friend and I (as planned) head out for lunch and invite FF along - I tell her that the prices are very reasonable (<$12 for AMAZING food), so she knows and can avoid the situation if she's not comfortable spending that amount.  And she says "Oh, I don't care.  I'm going to expense it!"

Hmm, I think I see a connection why expenses may not be approved yet...

A CLUE!!!

[MoonShadow]

Seen on a CW's desk for lunch: Cinnabon. 

Gross.

Cinnabon is delicious

So is a bowl of sugar and a fist of butter.

Well, YES.  That's WHY it is so delicious!!

Add some cinnamon and I'm in.

Treebark!?  Eeewwwww!

[seathink]

Same here - except the new construction is always a condo tower or a boutique mall replacing the cheap ethnic food market that was there.

Yes, sigh. :( That's what happened to my favorite international grocery. Half-empty lux apartments over empty boutique retail space.

[seathink]

I learned from a CW yesterday that she wakes up at 3:30 AM every morning. And goes to bed at 12:30 AM. And has been doing this for many months, since starting the vanpool to work (which is saving her $800 a month in commuting costs).

My body hurt for her poor body. :(