Binders and coffee and crazies...OH MY!!!

Oh, where to begin the tale of my crazy week.  I think I shall start with Monday.

I am the department secretary and one my duties as secretary extraordinaire is ordering office supplies.  I send out department emails stating that I am working on a supply order so let me know what you need.  I received various replies, such as, but not limited to:  "EVERYTHING!"  "How about a department Keurig machine?"  "I have many wants but no needs." 

I like ordering office supplies.  It's all done online and I get to peruse the website trying to get the most bang for our buck! 

Even though I order the supplies, I am not necessarily the keeper of the supplies as the events from Monday will confirm. 

On Monday while I was busily typing (key word:  BUSILY), my favorite co-worker enters my cubicle.  [It should be noted:  my cubicle is arranged in such a way that my back pretty much faces the entrance so if someone is quiet, I have no idea that they are there.  My favorite co-worker is not quiet.  Well, he's not loud.  His keys and ID badge clank, clank, clank when he walks so I always hear him.]  Sooooo...I am busily typing trying to get something done in the most efficient way possible and in meanders clank, clank, clank.

My favorite co-worker pays no attention to the fact that my eyes are glued to a document on my upright clipboard stand and my fingers are flying at what I believe to be around 100-ish words per minute. 

Favorite co-worker:  "Hey!  I need a 4" binder.  Do you have any?"

Me:  My fingers freeze above the keyboard.  I slowly (or what in my head was slow motion-like) spin my chair around.  My eyes immediately dish out "The Teacher Look" and I inquire, "Well, did you look in the supply room?" 

In my defense, the answer is usually a resounding, "No!" or "I thought you would just know if we had any."  They come to me first and then go look...it's so backwards. 

Apparently "The Teacher Look" coupled with my inquiry was enough to send my favorite co-worker over the edge.  He sulked back to his office.  For him not to reply and just turn and walk away, I knew that I had done the unpardonable.  (Sigh.)

Since I knew his quest for a binder was done out of necessity, I sent out my cheerful supply order email and then I began to work my secretary magic.  It's not really magic.  If I was a magician (and I am not), this secretary gig would be part-time...  I'm not a magician; I am resourceful.

An email was sent to another secretary in another part of our building.  She immediately replied that yes, indeed she had extra/spare binders and I was allowed to peruse her stash.

Fifteen or so minutes later, a 4" binder was procured.  I knew if I was going to make things right that I would have to take the high road and apologize for my response.

This is the part of the story where I want you to think Mission Impossible theme music.  {Confession:  I've never watched the movie...I just like the suspense-ful music.} 

Insert the theme music as I sneakily enter my co-worker's office, to leave a mug of green tea, the newly found 4" binder AND a post-it note that read:  "Sorry for being a jerk."  Was I really a jerk in the true sense of the word?  Noooo...but he felt like I was being jerky and I don't want to be that girl.

The following day - my favorite co-worker spent the day in the Windy City at a seminar so all was well in the department and in my secretarial world.

Wednesday morning...I went in to check on his commute to work.  He bikes and sometimes has great stories.  I think my favorite commuting story of his is the day he began the story with, "Angie, today I was a murderer..."  He went on to say how a squirrel ran infront of his bike tire and well, squish, squish.  It was a sad day for the squirrel but I look at it this way - Dude, if you are dumb enough to run infront of a bike with a grown man on it or if you are crazy enough to dart infront of my Toyotta Corolla - seriously, you are going to get hit! 

Wednesday was too soon.  He brought up the binder incident...  He even showed me the notebook he uses to keep track of his hours.  He wrote:  BINDER INCIDENT on Monday's box.  Nice.

Today is Thursday.  I pulled out all the stops today and brought us coffee...even though I had overslept 20 minutes.  Pretty much it just ate up my hair straightening time which is of no-consequence when it comes to coffee AND making things right with my favorite.

He didn't say much about the coffee other than, "Thanks!  I really didn't think we were going to have any."  (Oh, feel the love.) 

I knew things were ok again between us when he heckled me mercilessly about a huge secret he knows AND this afternoon he made me a mug of decaf green tea.

Hip hip hooray!!!!

But that's not even the best part of the day.....

Mr. Heeby Jeebies {read:  CRAZY DUDE} showed-up today and my favorite co-worker intercepted him in the lobby and keeping Mr. HJ out of our department and away from all potential communication with me and the other girls.  It was wonderful!!!  My favorite co-worker is now my hero!!!!!