The Old IT Department

The IT guys from my former department are quite difficult to locate in cyberspace. When I have needed their help, I have had to physically walk to their office, one floor down from my old lab. I have known them since 2007, and I can at present think of the last names of only 2 of the 3 of them. They are smart, kind, sarcastic, and funny. One of them lives a mile from my house at a convenient intersection, and he lets me stash jugs of water in his yard for refilling during my long runs. His wife is an artist, who paints beautiful giant paintings of single flowers. Every Friday, they bring in either a giant box of donuts or a giant box of bagels.

This afternoon, I stopped by my old lab to pick up some files off my old computer, and swept my beloved old tea cup off the shelf. It shattered into dozens of pieces. Crestfallen, I thought about where to find a broom. Why, the IT office, of course. It amused me that as I walked in to ask for a broom, the sign above the door said, "Technical services".

"Hi, Gorgeous! How are you?"

Not good. I just broke my tea cup. I'd had it since Silicon Valley days.

"Well. Let's find you a new tea cup."

Um, actually I'm here to borrow a broom.

I looked around. My eyes fell on a pair of snow shovels.

Well, you have a dustpan...

"That' a snow shovel."

Funny how when you have a particular need, you view everything in terms of what that need is. I knew it was a snow shovel; I just saw it as a dust pan.

One of the guys stepped out and came back with a broom. I thanked them and left. With the broom and a snow shovel.

When I came back to return them, they handed me a ceramic tea cup whose handle was missing:


"Here's a new tea cup for you. It's already broken, so statistically, it'll be harder for you to break again."

Thank you!

"This, too, shall pass."

:~D

I'm not sure where I'd get a broom in my new office. I'll try not to break anything.