Friday - having spent a good portion of the day with my nose buried in the hell that is ‘friday paperwork,’ I decided to take Anne up on her lunch offer and went out to The Palm - a popular lunch time retreat for the people who want to see and be seen. I had, in fact, met two women (at different times, of course) that I later dated. She likes those places because you can have a martini without getting the ‘puritan stare,’ which is common in this area - Texas is the big, gawdy buckle of the Bible belt.

Eh - it was easily a two hour lunch, but considering my hours, which average out at 55/week, no one even squeeks in objection. I did return to a particularly happy office. I should have known something was up - their faces were ear to ear with smiles - and I didn’t even think to question it. I claim after lunch stupidity. Red meat - yea - it was the red meat that caused me to miss that clue.

I opened the door to my office and my entire desk is covered in foil.

No, not just a bunch of sheets laid over my desk, which would have just been wierd, but everything on my desk, my chair, even my computer monitor - you guessed it, wrapped in custom foil pieces.

They even foiled my paperclips. The box of spare staples in my drawer. The wheels on my office chair. My coffee mug (with coffee still in it). The spoon. My desk calendar. My phone. My mouse (and the little ball inside, yep, covered with foil) Every fucking thing.

In light of the time it obviously took them to complete the task, I walked back outside and with a straight face told them all that I was going to dock each person involved two hours of pay.

Those smiles quickly evaporated before I started laughing.

Needless to say, I spent a good portion of work unwrapping, and I doubt I even got close to getting it all done.

Bless them for liking me enough to make me laugh.