And by "on vacation" I mean "at home".
Because Spike (should we go back to this moniker for him? is this the one that sticks?) didn't have vacation time, so it was just me and Andie.
I've mentioned Andie, right?
So then, by "at home" I mean, "popped in once or twice to the office".
So yes, I was on vacation. Yes, I worked a bit. But only a bit. And only on things I wanted to work on.
Anyhoo, on one of these pop-ins, I learned of something that had happened just prior to a previous pop-in.
Please note: I get to work with an incredible staff team, and I love every single one of them to bits. We have a standing "not-accepting-resignations-at-this-time" policy, that's how much we all get along. Please keep this in mind, as you read further.
The other day, Rob (second-in-command, and a hulking, football-player type, for what it's worth) and the rest of the team were sitting and having lunch. It was a rare, low-pressure kind of day, and so it was a pretty relaxed lunch. There was even a guest present - a new staff member at the organization that also uses our facility.
As the standard time neared an end, Rob cleared his throat, ever-so-gently hinting that it was time to get back to work. They laughed. "Oh, we know what that means." A few minutes went by, and Rob cleared his throat again.
More chuckles. "Rob, are you telling us lunch is over?"
He shrugged. "I'm just telling you, Patti's coming, and she'll be here in a few minutes."
And *apparently* ... this is what they told me ... they all jumped and within seconds were back at their desks.
The guest, watching all this was a little bewildered. "Patti? But I thought Rob was the one you were all afraid of?"
"Oh no," they said. "You haven't met Patti yet. You will. She's the short, pale one - she's the scary one."
Please note: You know that cartoon in which someone says, "Oh my goodness, you're so pale, are you feeling ok?" And the answer is, "I'm fine. This is just my face." You've seen that? That's my life. Also, I've been short my whole life, but I make up for it by walking faster than most and wearing heels.
So they told me this story the next time I popped in.
And I objected, strongly. "This is how you describe me to people?! The short, pale, scary one??!!! I keep telling you I'M DELIGHTFUL!!!! Why aren't you GETTING that??!!!"
And they laughed. And shook their heads. And went back to work.
