Goodbye 2834

Today is the last day in this office. I have sat in this desk for almost 3 years and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic as I use it for the last time. In such a short amount of time I have seen the office transform at least 3 times to accommodate our growth. We are packed like sardines, even more so now that there are moving totes everywhere you step.

Tomorrow the movers come and transport our working "home" across the street. It's a light and airy space that will hopefully be almost done when we get there on Monday morning. We will have more work spaces, more conference rooms, more opportunity to interact with each other and we will have less storage. Gasp! I've told myself that I could adapt. In fact, my goal was to only pack two totes...That didn't work out so well. I forgot to put a bunch of specs in the central file before they were moved and now I have an entire tote of specs. Ick. That put me at 3 totes. Then I learned that my phone had to be in a tote. That got me to 4, which I have had no problem filling up.

When packing one often finds curious things. A while back I posted some items that Brad had found at his desk that dated back to 1997. I didn't find anything too old since I haven't been here that long, but I did find a number of "presents" from the local mouse that has been having a good time eating my snacks.

The first person I saw this morning was Riley, she's our receptionist and all-around Renaissance woman. I asked if she was ready and she kinda laughed, but it was a scared laugh... After Riley packed her house to move last week she started packing the office; not a small task by any stretch of the imagination. Packing is the name of the game today all around the office. I really need to be working on specifications, but everyone around me is purging and packing making it difficult to concentrate. Having all of the items removed from my tackable-surfaced cubicle it's making it difficult to see things as I have, I mean, physically difficult. My periphery used to be mostly white, now it's more gray.

People talk about how great it's going to be to have a nice view out of the building (and it will be), I tell them "I look at Gary everyday; that's my view and that's my view at the new office". It's nice to know that view won't change. Gary will still be right in front of me. I hope he doesn't get confused when he sees me gazing his direction looking at the window that will also be in my view...sorry if I creep you out, Gary.

Photo: L Seiberling
"Before the Move"

I don't have a before picture handy, but my desk today looks pretty much like it did the day I started here; a computer, a coffee mug and a couple sheets of paper. It makes me wonder how I'll settle into my new space. Having nice things often keeps people from cluttering and ruining them...so I know it will not ever look like this. (I promise, Carrie, it won't).

Goodbye 2834, hello 2839!