Where the hell have you been?

[terribleturnip]

Help, I've been taken prisoner in cubeland!



I know, I've WHAT?!

Yes, I'm going to miss the freedom, the independence, being the only a-hole in the room...but, my knees and other physical issues were making it apparent that really, I needed to find something that paid me to use my brains, while sitting in a chair. The stress of worrying that if I hurt myself -- sprained an ankle, broke an arm -- I'd be out of work, was killing me. No big deal if it's just me, in an apartment -- but with a mortgage and five furkids depending on me...ugh.

I'll still keep on two regular clients and keep doing parties and things for other clients, but I was really ready to trade in uncertainty and freedom for a steady paycheck, great benefits and being paid for my brain and expertise, rather than my ability to stand on my feet for 8 hours, lift heavy boxes of equipment and generate meatloaves.

Not to mention, the loads of lj material that this opportunity will provide!

I'm working for a company called Acompany, negotiating and managing large contracts of food and related items for the hotel, restaurant, and cruise industry. (For example, I have a pile of bids on my desk right now for Marriott International's coffee business.)

I've been offline for personal stuff, as I try to get used to office lights, recirculated air, staring at documents/monitors all day. Not to mention, being surrounded by people talking and talking at me, for hours at a time.

And of course, I'm sort of feral, having been outside of an office for the past 8 years. Wow, phones have changed. And I've never worked in a cube before. The facilities guy wanted to know if my cube was set up the way I liked. Where's my cone of silence and access to outside air were the first things I thought of, but as to how it's arranged...I'm going to have to stay late one night or come in early and look at everyone else's cube to see if there's a layout I prefer. How the hell do I know -- my office the last 8 years has been sandwiched between the closet and the dog bed.

Well, contracts await....

Comments

[mistressfetch.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the dark side :-)

[sestree.livejournal.com]

We have cookies.

Ok that was beyond redundant but sometimes the fingers type themselves.

[toxins.livejournal.com]

Congrats! I hope it's enjoyable!

[thatliardiego.livejournal.com]

I want a picture of you "prairie dogging."

[dawntreader]

i hope she knows what you mean by that, because there are other connotations that are definitely not to be shared.

[thatliardiego.livejournal.com]

I'm not picky.

[sestree.livejournal.com]

Should I ask?

[thatliardiego.livejournal.com]

Can you? Sure!

Should you? Probably not so much...

[pyllgrum.livejournal.com]

Here's some cube set-up ideas.

http://www.ideo.com/dilbert/

[dawntreader]

congrats! i think. :)

does your cube (aka gerbil cage) have a window? or are you in the interior part of the maze? i at least have a window so that's nice. the window doesn't OPEN of course, but that's to prevent me from leaping to my death all lemming-like!

[fountaingirl.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Here's hoping you get industry perks like free travel and stays at hotels too! (& love the idea that you are in there all feral, coworkers sidling past you cautiously...)

[mistressfetch.livejournal.com]

Also, cube warefare!!! :-)
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/warfare/8ead/

[sestree.livejournal.com]

Actually I was thinking along the same lines:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/warfare/96af/

[thatliardiego.livejournal.com]

You people are bringing knives to a cannon fight. Screw the swords and the targets -- massive armaments are what's called for.

[chellebelle74.livejournal.com]

Congrats! I think? There are downsides to the cibe world, but as you noted, there are upsides too. Here's hoping your cubeland experience includes more ups than downs. :-)

[terribleturnip.livejournal.com]

So far...we leave at 2pm today, so half an hour was taken up deciding WHERE to go to lunch, another hour and a half to walk to and eat lunch, and now just 45 minutes until quitting time with the rest of the week off.

Boy, I picked a good time to start....

[chellebelle74.livejournal.com]

Lucky duck... I'm stuck here for the duration even though nothing of any real use is getting done. At least I have 4 days off in a row to look forward to. *grin*

Congrats

[67-charger.livejournal.com]

Turnip, you have many adventures awaiting you in cubeland. MwaHahhaha.

Seriously, most of your sanity in a cube depends on how well you can take your fellow cubians. Some of the above devices seem particularly good for this; however I saw one when checking what that Liar sent that should be reserved for the Doomsday catergory. This should send most folks screaming when nothing else will do. http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/electronic/8c52/

You need to read the customer "review" to fully appreciate this one.

Any way, Good luck and enjoy these next few weeks as the rest of the year probably won't be as lax; fewer holidays bunched together.

Hugs, love and kisses,


Louis

Insanity

[ferlonda.livejournal.com]

I followed the link and promptly sent it off to a geek friend of ours. I don't know if he's still in cubeland but I know he'll love it! What a fiendish device...

Good luck with the job, Turnip! I bet you'll have them licking your feet in abject servitude in no time.

[giantsloth.livejournal.com]

You've already heard me whine about my cubeland gig. But specifically about the work environment: pray to Cthulhu that you don't have a loud-talker near you. We have white noise piped in, and I listen to music with headphones, but this woman on the other side of the cellblock is constantly on phone calls, talking as loud as she can. (The worst part is, she refers to herself in the third person.)

Best of luck w/ the new job.

[quislet.livejournal.com]

Having recently made the transition in the other direction, I have some bits of interesting cube gear that get lonely at home. My all-time favorites are my infrared Tuck and Roll from A Bug's Life. They talk to each other across the room in mock-Slovakian or something. The best part was that the IR pulse from the emergency exit lights would sometimes set them off at night and scare the janitors!

May corporate benefits and perks be kind to you!