One thing leads to another

The office is almost unbearable today.

I strolled in 15 minutes early this morning, which has been a disturbing trend of late, and was ready to get my day started so it would end. I can't say I was particularly looking forward to the day in the office due to a plethora of things to do at home that were nagging at my brain. I hadn't even opened the double glass doors to the office before I knew it was going to be a much longer day than I wanted it to be.

The front doors to our office are directly across from the only conference room in our building*. Normally this space is empty, especially so early in the morning. This morning however there was a man I had never seen before prepping the room. He was young and wearing a suit that looks like it costs more than most anything in my wardrobe. This can only mean that there is either a client meeting or a meeting with execs from one of our many sister companies.

I particularly hate these meetings because I hate strangers roaming around our area. I feel really self conscious because they are all wearing expensive suits and I am in my jeans and old fluffy sweater. I feel like I look like a slob, even if I don't. My job lets me wear jeans and sneakers daily, but still, it feels wrong when I am surrounded by suits.

I tried to assure myself that the awkwardness would be kept to a minimum if I just hid out in my cube all day. This wouldn't be so hard since my friend who I normally lunch with is out of the office all week. As I headed into the office I realized that even hiding in my cube I would not keep from being annoyed.

Where there had been a large open space the night before there are now three offices being constructed. I could smell and taste the drywall dust in the air. The workmen were milling about already, and I could see that they weren't going to wait to continue construction until after we left tonight. All day long there has been the constant sound of drills, vacuums, saws, hammers, staple guns, and workmen talking about what to do next. Plus did I mention the drywall dust that is making my eyes water and a constant cough going?

If all of this wasn't enough, the women on the other side of my cube wall are in rare form today. They work on the phones with client inquiries, and with all of the noise from the workmen they are talking extra loud today. I find their chatter obnoxious on a regular day, but today it is even worse. Captain Negativity** has responded out loud every time her phone rings with a "Really?", "You've got to be kidding me?", "Again?", "Already?", "For heavens sake!", "Ugg stop calling!", or some other such phrase in an incredibly bitchy and indignant tone. Plus they have all been shouting questions and comments to one another since they are incapable of using the interoffice IM system like the rest of us.

So I am listening to my iPod at pretty much top volume to attempt to drown out the noise but all I seem to be accomplishing is a headache from the high volume level, and an inability to concentrate on anything but the lyrics. If I could just bury myself in work at least the day would fly by and I would be free.

Wait that would mean we had work to do, which we don't. I finished what I had left this morning. Unless we get a download at some point today I have absolutely nothing to do for the next four and a half hours. Well nothing but try and drown out the construction noises and voices of my obnoxious coworkers, and try to hide in my cube from the roaming suits, and try to look busy without having anything to do.

Fun times.



*My group of 30 moved to a new building late last year. The main building is across the parking lot. Since there are so few of us we only have one conference room.

** We tend to nickname everyone in the office. Captain Negativity earned hers for never having anything happy to say. Seriously we were given a Keurig machine and provided free pods for it, and all she could do was complain about the pods they decided to buy. Apparently twenty options was not enough for her.