former coworker and current buddy, oaxaca, recently shared with me a link to his "creative space." it's always interesting to get a glimpse into the inner workings of a mind you think you know pretty well--and to learn that you don't, really, at all.

anyway, click on the picture of the guy who looks like he's about 13 hiding behind his guitar for a link:

today at work the entire office is required to attend a meeting discussing the "reorganization plan" for the next few months. extremely uninterested in giving the "miss america wave" when the topic of layoffs comes up, i've opted to leave at lunchtime and miss the meeting entirely, having instructed a handful of people to take careful notes and update me as to the goings on. it probably goes without saying that i am not excited about being here this morning at all, and am anxiously awaiting my escape time, which is the only reason why i'm appreciating the goings on that are thanks to my coworker, oaxaca:

early this morning, he walked by my cube, stopped, came back and said "so, did you figure out how i booby-trapped your cubicle, yet?"

"what? no!" i said. "i don't believe you."

"ok," he said, and walked away, whistling to himself.

i looked all over the entirety of my cubicle--opened drawers, looked in boxes, made sure he didn't affix a mustache to my obama poster--and found nothing. so, i took to gchat:

me: you are such a giant pain. there is nothing wrong with my cubicle.

Oaxaca: hee-hee

me: ...i hate you.

Oaxaca: you do not

me: will you just tell me you didn't do anything so i can stop looking around suspiciously? it's really messing with my chi

Oaxaca: ...then bend like the reed, muthatruckah!

me: UGH.

he then walked past my cube, looked in, said "warmer..." and walked away giggling.

Oaxaca: Nah....I didn't really do anything to your cube...do I seem like the person that would, oh, I don't know, read a little book titled, Office Mayhem, come to work early on a Monday and perform said mischief on someone I adore as much as you????

me: YES! obviously!
Oaxaca: I don't think so
but...maybe.
me: oh my god

why did i give you that?

terrible idea, stowell

terrible

this refers to a book i bought for a friend of mine several years ago for christmas, but never gave to him. instead, i (stupidly) gave it to my coworker as a joke.

i am reasonably certain he's just messing with me, but this hasn't stopped me from continuing to jump up and root around in one box or drawer or pencil cup or another.

i am having a very stressful morning.

one of my coworkers (who i'm particularly good friends with) has a name i'd never heard before working in my office: oaxaca. my brother in particular is amused by this as he enjoys both the cheese and the location. anyway, said coworker made reference to his middle initial this morning, and when i inquired as to what it stood for, this is the answer i got:



Amra is my middle name. See, when I was born, I didn't have a name (well, I had my secret name, but my parents hadn't picked out a known name for me yet). My dad was a huge fan of the Conan books. He started calling me Conan (funny that you were calling me that a few days ago). This drove my mother nuts. Then, they agreed--and probably the last thing they ever agreed on--to call me Oaxaca. My dad got to slip in Amra as my middle name. In the Conan books, a group of people Conan encounters name him Amra, which means Lion in their language. Since I'm a glorious Leo (born in August)--YES LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME, AM I NOT GLORIOUS????--and, according to the hippy charts my mom was into circa 1972 I'm a tripple Leo--YESYESYES I AM REGAL I AM WONDROUS I AM THE CENTER OF IT ALL AM I NOT GLORIOUS???--so, I'm sure it seemed appropriate without sounding to much like a fictitious comic book character to my mom.

And that's the story of Jesus.



...sometimes, i really don't mind coming to work in the morning.

one of my coworkers just told me that whenever he sees me, he thinks of the terminator. i told him i didn't know how to react to that, really, and he proceeded to imitate ahhnold ("sarah conners, what is she doing in there?").

...i didn't really know how to react to that, either.