Lately things have been slow at work. We are in a lull. It’s nothing to be worried about, it’s just that our work picks up in cycles, dependent on the school terms, and the time just after Fall begins is always slow. We’ve already housed the people for this year, and since they’ve moved in, their respective area desks handle any problems they have. We haven’t yet begun to prepare for NEXT year (2003), but we will soon. It is a slow time. Yesterday I got 3 phone calls. In 8 hours.

  One of the things about my new position is that I share a small side office with a co-worker. It is a room off of the main room, where 3 other of our co-workers are located. Two more are through a door from the main room in the lobby. They are the information desk staff, too.  Well, because it is a slow time, my office mate has decided to take a 2-week vacation.

  As I sit here, in this little side office, on this slow day, I begin to ponder the benefits, and detriments, of my situation. Since it IS slow, and there is nothing to do, I try to find things to do to make my 8 hours pass faster. Because I am in the small side room, I have ample warning before anyone comes in, time enough to minimize or shuffle off to the side anything I should not technically be doing. If I was doing only stuff I should technically be doing, I’d be sitting here staring at my computer, not writing this, and waiting for the phone to ring (it has yet to, today). Or maybe I could count my paper clips.

  So, that semi-privacy is a pro. My office mate being gone adds to this, but also crates a con, as I have no one to talk with. Being in the side office, I don’t even have real line of sight of my other co-workers in the “main office”. If I want to talk with them, I have to stand in my door. And then, well, there’s just not much to talk about. Strike up another con.

  Plus, since I am squirreled away in my little office, when work DOES come in, the people in the “main office” often forget I’m here, and don’t ask my help. Or, they may not actually forget I’m here, but are so desperate for something to do, they just don’t let me know when new work arrives, and finish it without me. Or, perhaps, in fairness to them, I sound busy in here, clicking away at the keyboard, and they don’t realize it is just me desperately trying to fill the time.

  So that is my situation. This morning there was some excitement, as we have a mailing to prepare to go out. I didn’t get notified when the letters arrived and had to be folded (I know it sounds mundane, but at least is SOMETHING to do) (ooh, I just got a PHONE CALL! Yea!) Anyways, I happened to go to my door out of boredom earlier, and I saw the folding going on. They were almost done! I quickly went out and grabbed some of remaining letters, and took them back to my hole to fold.

  Now we await the other half of the mailing to arrive, and this afternoon, we get to stuff envelopes. I hope they tell me. Sigh. The little hole I work in sucks, but I can’t complain too much, because I am quite good at keeping myself occupied, and enjoy that, too.

  Welcome to a day of my life in this lull at work.

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