Be Careful What You Wish For

You know the rest.

It's been busy for me in Cubicleland. Odd Duck, a writer who's been here for 19 years, just got back today from her vacation. Senior Writer is still out, and her reviews are coming to me (which is kind of funny in a way). I've been pretty swamped as the only writer working on the catalog.

Here's the weird thing I'm having lately: Since JD left, I have to go in search of conversation that is not work-related. Leave my cube and go talk to another team member. (I will get a Cast of Characters up here to keep everyone sorted out.) Usually JD came in about an hour after me, stomped around his cube for awhile (JD was not a delicate guy. I winced sometimes when I heard him typing — I am almost sure I heard his keyboard breathe a sigh of relief when he left), and then we would go downstairs for strong coffee. Throughout the day, we would just chat through/over our cube wall.

Today, I've been here two-and-a-half hours, and aside from saying hello to one guy, and welcoming Odd Duck back from her vacation, I haven't really talked to anyone. I am contemplating my options as far as going off to have a non-work related conversation (NWRC) for a little bit.

Last Friday, I wandered into Weird Guy's cube for the NWRC. Weird Guy is okay, but, you know, weird. Sometimes his topics of conversation make me a little uncomfortable (not in a sexually harassed way); other times he makes me double over with laughter. I never know what I'm going to get. Last Friday, it was a bit about cheating on his wife with the lead singer of the Donnas (which he didn't actually do, but he would in a heartbeat), his kids/my kids, workplace politics (both of which we admit to not being good at), and gossip. Not too bad, but it made me sad that his attitude toward cheating on his wife was so caviler.

Of course, if I had a crack a Naveen Andrews, I'm not sure how hesitant I would be. But still.

So now I am contemplating a NWRC with Junior Copy Editor (Jr. for short). But that's how I have to preface it, too: "Hi, Jr., I'm just stopping in for some NWRC because I haven't actually talked to anyone in nearly three hours. How was your weekend?"

Is that weird? Otherwise, I'm not going to talk to anyone until lunchtime.