At work last week, my boss Scott was anxiously awaiting the UPS guy. When he finally showed up, he brought 6 boxes from Dell Computers. This time, however, he didn't say "You got a Dell, dude!" like he did with the last shipment from Dell.
After Scott signed for the packages and the guy left, he realized that two of them didn't even belong to us. In fact, the street was completely different. So much for the power of brown, or whatever their new ad campaign is.
Anyways, I didn't have to wonder why he was so anxious -- It all started several weeks ago...
*Blurry Flashback Waves*
I had just set up the new Dell computer that Scott had purchased for me. He came in and saw the computer, and asked, "Why didn't you get the 19 inch monitor?"
"What?!" I exclaimed, "You said I couldn't have it!"
"You didn't ask, I would've let you have it."
So I sulked for about 12 seconds, and then remembered that Roger was going to be ordering new Dell computers soon. So I began campaigning with Roger:
"Come on, Rog, hook it up. You can give whoever my 17 inch, and I'll take the 19 inch."
"Alright, son, I'll take care of you."
The next day:
"Hey Rogie-pooh, did you order those computers yet?"
"Yep."
"And you got me the 19 inch monitor?!?"
"Nope."
So that proved unsuccessful... Let me tell you, Roger is one of the most reliable and dependable people in the world. I would set my watch by him... as long as he was standing next to a clock.
So anyways, I go and tell Scott about my unsuccessful attempts to coax Roger into getting me a 19 inch monitor, and he nods understandingly as if he had heard this story, or a similar one, many times. It turns out he had. I then forgot about it and went on with my business.
A couple weeks later, Scott tells me he ordered more computers from Dell for the new employees, and the grand total was $1700, which is about the price of 3 computers. I, however, was suspicious -- somehow, I intuitively sensed that there was something funny going on...
My suspicion heightened a couple days later, when Scott informed me that his credit card wasn't approved because of a default charge limit that American Express had on the card. "It said, 'Your recent charge of $19--1700 was declined by your credit card company,' and I find out it's because American Express put a charge limit on the card," he said. Hmmm.... Why would he accidentally say 19 instead of 17? I was almost certain I knew why, and looked forward to receiving my new monitor.
The next day, still before the Dell boxes came, Scott was looking around the office thinking about where he can place the new employees, and because of the lack of adequate office space, his search was becoming desperate. He asked me if I would move into the hallway. It's actually more of an alcove where they currently keep bookshelves and filing cabinets, but I called it a hall because it made Scott mad. :-D
Scott: Alright Marshall, let's negotiate. What do you want to move your office over there?
Me: Come on, you actually want me to move my office into the hallway?
Scott: Don't call it a hallway! If you call it that, then whoever gets it is going to think they got a sour deal!
Me: Well what would you call it?
Scott: I don't know, but it's not a hallway.
Me: OK fine, so what are you going to offer me to move my office into the hallway?
Scott, after first giving me a mean glare: How about I get you that 19 inch monitor you wanted?
Clever guy, eh? Orders me something, doesn't tell me about it, and then later realizes he can use it as leverage to get me to do something for him. Too bad for him that I'm far more cleverer...er... yeah, so anyways, my response is:
"Come on, Scott, I'm not going to put my desk in the hallway, where people are going to be tripping over me, just for a 19 inch monitor."
"Don't call it a hallway!" was all he replied with. He later found a solution, and it involved putting up cubicle walls, and putting one of the sales people in a different hallway--er--I mean, "inter-office space."
Later in the week, Scott was anxiously awaiting the UPS guy because he wanted to personally give the monitor to me, which I thanked him wholeheartedly for. He does a lot for me, and I really appreciate all of it, though I never express it because I'm emotionally-retarded and I'm never comfortable with discussing my emotions. If he ever reads this, which isn't very likely, he'll know how I feel.
Oh yeah, one more thing. Right after the exchange where Scott offered me the monitor to move out of my office, I went and told my co-worker Frank what had happened, and he looked at me and laughed.
"Knowledge is power," he replied, unwittingly quoting Sir Francis Bacon. It sure is, and I have a 19 inch monitor and the same office I had before to prove it -- though I've yet to clean Roger's fingerprints off the screen. *Sigh*
Posted by Marshall at February 28, 2004 09:37 PM