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Tech Life II: Screwing Birthday Cards...

It's not like your typical Customer Service Department where women might outnumber men, where potlucks are successful and you might get a cake for your birthday. Tech Support is on the opposite side of the spectrum. No one cares to coordinate a birthday cake, let alone a potluck...

However we're not all cloistered. Claire, one out of only three women in the Department (more than 30 employees) makes sure that people receive the proper greeting during birthdays and or promotions. A folder containing a check-off sheet and a birthday card is passed from techie to techie, signing the check-off sheet and the birthday card as they go along. She also decorates your desk on the day of your birthday, a very nice gesture (but you are responsible for taking it down lol). I remember on my birthday last year, my desk was decorated with balloons and colorful ribbons and such, and a small teddy bear with a yellow sticky-note attached in the back that read "loaner teddy bear". While i was LMAO'ng it occurred to me that it may not be a joke, Claire confirmed after i'd asked that it was indeed a loaner... only in Tech Support.

A month later there were three birthdays on the same week, making three individual folders with birthday cards & check-off sheets being passed around. After signing the second one i didn't bother checking the name of the third card and just signed it "Happy Birthday" and passed it on to Igor's desk who was off that day for him to sign. Well low and behold the third Birthday Card was for him... yikes! When Igor came in the next day (1 hour after i did) and found his Birthday Card waiting for him to sign, he laughed and asked me which idiot left his Birthday Card on his desk 4 days prior to his Birthday. "Uhmm i dunno" i replied... The --Birthday Card folder check-off sheet-- procedure was modified a bit after this incident...

Last Friday a card was being passed around for a promotion. This new guy signed it "Happy Birthday"... and it wasn't a joke.

I'm still trying to figure out which one is more stupid 1.) The Birthday Card incident or 2.) The promotion card incident....

Debatable

Posted by: Marc Gabay
Friday, April 28, 2006