Wednesday, October 06, 2004

SKRUDGE

Me: So what does MRP stand for in the context of CRWQCB-LAR MRP# ?

Him: I dunno.

Me: Okay, I'll look around and see what I can...skrudge up.

...

I made a new word.

Elvis, in itself, is a reward.

Alright, now.

Hold on...

Almost there...

Now!

Here at work, in the illustrious field of environmental management, the reports I edit must eventually wend their meandering ways over the yellow brick road of no return and wind up in the hands of a variety of city, county, and state agencies.

Someone is needed to bring together the disparate elements of...photocopier, mailing envelope, and UPS.

This someone is our new clerk. I shall call him Theobold.

Theobold is a feisty young man, he looks to be of the age of 22 or so. Mr. T has recently graduated from college and this is his first job, post-education. I feel bad for Theobold. He is obviously a smart cookie, capable of much more than what he does here - this much I have gleaned from our perfunctory exchanges.

Because he is relatively new in his charges here at work, it is up to the editors present, myself included, to perform a bit of looking-over on much everything he does. This has become quickly annoying, as he is a sharp enough youngster to not particularly need such supervision. I also tend to empathize with him because, when I first began my employ here, I had to endure much of the same close observation, something I resented with clenched teeth and fiery tongue.

So we arrive at the current juncture. Theobold drops off a never ending stream of completed reports, I look them over for accuracy, and return them to him. In order to lighten the tedium of this process, it occured to me that it would be highly amusing (for me, at least) to place congratulatory self-esteem boosting stickers and messages on said documents before I return them to our man Theobold. I bought a variety of stickers yesterday, and waited breathlessly today for my first opportunity to lay one on Mr. T.





My creation elicited a joyous "Oh, g...geez!" when I presented it to him.

My work here is done.