Friday, August 05, 2005
frrEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
At work, once a month we get free cake. We're under no obligation to eat it. That's why it's free. One might say the free cake is a perk. I think of it as an umbrella in a hurricane of shit. But anyway.
There's one secretary. She's a Cat Lady. Few friends, lots of cats. She's a little overbearing, but otherwise I like her a lot 'cause she's got sass. Apparently she's also got an addiction to free stuff. Today when this message came over the office PA: "Cake is now being served in the kitchen; cake is now being served in the kitchen", she looked at me, flustered.
"Why are we having cake today?!"
"It's the first Friday of the month."
"It is?! [Pause]. Oh, hell!"
She threw her pen down, and stomped down the hall to the kitchen, probably cursing the damn free cake for being so damn free, and therefore irresistable. I suppose there was extra tension because she hadn't thought of it ahead of time, and now would have to face the angry mob that was pouncing on the free cake.
Yet, I totally get this impulse. If something is available to me with no financial burden (usually it's when there's ice cream, coffee, or beer around), I'll attack it, no matter how full my belly, or buzzing my head. I think this is a distinctly American condition.
At work, once a month we get free cake. We're under no obligation to eat it. That's why it's free. One might say the free cake is a perk. I think of it as an umbrella in a hurricane of shit. But anyway.
There's one secretary. She's a Cat Lady. Few friends, lots of cats. She's a little overbearing, but otherwise I like her a lot 'cause she's got sass. Apparently she's also got an addiction to free stuff. Today when this message came over the office PA: "Cake is now being served in the kitchen; cake is now being served in the kitchen", she looked at me, flustered.
"Why are we having cake today?!"
"It's the first Friday of the month."
"It is?! [Pause]. Oh, hell!"
She threw her pen down, and stomped down the hall to the kitchen, probably cursing the damn free cake for being so damn free, and therefore irresistable. I suppose there was extra tension because she hadn't thought of it ahead of time, and now would have to face the angry mob that was pouncing on the free cake.
Yet, I totally get this impulse. If something is available to me with no financial burden (usually it's when there's ice cream, coffee, or beer around), I'll attack it, no matter how full my belly, or buzzing my head. I think this is a distinctly American condition.
