June 13th, 2006
Offices: where all the fun is had
In a discussion here, a few months back, about working from home, a fellow hack confessed that he has seperate day time and night time pyjamas as a result of domicile-based situation. The latter for sleeping in (obviously), the former for faffing about in all day as you work at home, away from the eyes of the world. Hesitant Hack has also talked about skulking around in your shabbies with bad hair and having to face the postman looking like an extra from Oliver!
For the last couple of weeks, I have been mostly working in town. Yep, getting up earlier and heading for the city along with every other 9-5iver. Foregoing the laptop on the lap, for a life of a sturdy desk, a clunky old Mac on a server and a stationary cupboard. I will admit, it has its bonuses. Great company as my dog Fred is, he can’t natter back to me and we don’t have a photocopier at home to loiter around. Now, I get to talk to people about Lost. Well, some of it - I got so addicted I had watched downloads of the rest of series 2 just to find out what bloody happens. Being in an office, you also get to have a slightly more exotic lunch at a regular time, often in the sun, chatting to my rather nice co-workers. At home, I tend to forget to even have lunch and Mr. Shannon is often too busy recording bands for any midday catch-ups over Earl Grey.
I also (and I’m most delighted about this) get to, as mentioned above take part in a World Cup pool. Ok, France without Cisse is not that promising, but it’s the incomparable Zidane’s last tournament so perhaps they’ll try to repeat their 1998 win. I also picked out Holland, which let’s face it, is better than fishing Saudi Arabia or Togo out of the bag. Post-work drinks are another long-forgotten act of spontaneity I’ve rediscovered, although sometimes at the end of a long day a bottle of wine mysteriously appears and a plastic Ballygowan cup of red is shoved in to my hand. All good.
As much fun as all that is, it doesn’t sound half as bacchanalian as the office of the Rural Payment Agency in the UK. According to a story in today’s Guardian, instead of administering a farm subsidies system, they have been jumping naked from filing cabinets. Other alleged behaviour in the office described as “a real life Ricky Gervais office, only worse” includes “leaving cups of vomit in cupboards, taking drugs, having sex in toilets and holding breakdancing competitions during office hours.”
I better shake off this pesky RSI in my arm and convince the office crew to hold a robot-dancing competition pronto.
June 13th, 2006 at 12:16 am
Mind that arm. RSI is no joke.
June 13th, 2006 at 9:30 am
An office! The excitement. I haven’t worked in an office every day since 2003. I’ve been given a desk for the day in one of my (and your) sometime employers, and it’s always like going on holiday. On the plus side - people to talk to! Which is blissful after days spent talking to the cat until my boyfriend gets home. And less distractions! I’m not likely to practice my tap dancing in the office, although I might do so at home just to avoid doing some work.
On the downside - it’s a bit boring just sitting at a desk all day. It’s only when I work in an office for the day that I realise how much I wander around the house all day. And of course, you have to get up earlier and, like, get dressed before half past ten. And you can’t work in the back garden whenever you feel like it.
I read about that deranged office too and was charmed by the breakdancing competition bit. I’m writing this at the kitchen table in my ‘jamas, and my only potential breakdancing rival is my cat, Ju Ju. Who would probably win.
June 13th, 2006 at 11:33 am
You downloaded Lost? How illegal! Im SHOCKED!
June 13th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
I work from home and have developed a whole leisure/kimono/kaftan based wardrobe. It rocks. Sometimes I talk to my sister Etheline and I get a wee bit jealous of the company. But then I listen to her bitch and moan about office politics and the horror of always having perfect hair/suit/makeup and I pat myself on the back and make another cup of tea. Why? Because I can. I can also leave whenever I want, and go to the gym and make appointments that suit me. Yep, I’Ll take working from home over an office anyday.
June 13th, 2006 at 1:21 pm
Colm - sir, yes sir! Where’ve you been?
Stella - maybe an animal break-dancing comp would be better. We could have Fred and Ju-Ju in a Zoolander style walk off.
Gavin - it’s TV! It’s addictive! And I should clarify that someone else downloaded them for me as they were equally as addicted and I caved.
By the way, why does every single post of yours come up in my dashboard Tecnorati links, it’s very odd.
Fatmammycat, I thank all that is good and bountiful in this world that this office malarkey is short-lived and not for good. I couldn’t handle it.
Really liked your recent post on mothers by the way…
June 13th, 2006 at 2:18 pm
Oooh, I like the idea of an animal dance and/or walk off. I think I’ll have to get Ju Ju in training. Surely her dancing triumph is more important than my deadlines?
I do agree with you and fatmammycat that working at home really is best. I absolutely loathe the practicalities of freelancing (ie looking for work), but I love the freedom that working from home on one’s own time brings. And I hate the idea of not being able to just potter about listening to Radio 4 whenever I take a break from my desk.
June 13th, 2006 at 3:54 pm
i object to being labelled a hack. the word implies motion. as a film critic i am, at all times, absolutely sedentary.
it takes ages to get it right. tip between pros - never miss a keanu reeves movie. each one a masterclass in immobility.
also, with the recent bananas hot weather and the want of an electric fan, i sit here in the home office - a tea-tray balanced on an orange crate - as god intended. orange speedos (trunks not thong) and tatty birkenstocks. later, there’s honey nut loops still for tea and the brazillians murdering the croats. like you say, the trick to working from home is to concentrate on the home. pressure is for car tyres.
June 13th, 2006 at 8:50 pm
I too recently began working from home (though have been in the office a bit recently) and while I do like the freedom of being at home, there are somethings that I do miss such as the gossip, the lunches etc etc.
However, the thing I miss most is being able to randomly shout out “GOLD” and have 40 people sing back
“Always believe in your soul,
You’ve got the power to know,
You’re indestructable,
Always believe in, because you are
GOLD”
Somehow Spandau Ballet isn’t quite the same on my own!
June 14th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Ask Technorati…I have no idea! It’s weird, and happens with all blogs I link to…
October 19th, 2006 at 5:18 pm
Sounds like Keanu did a great job in The Lake House. I am sure my wife will want to see that one. She always wants to see chick flicks. I would never see these movies by myself. But I end up liking them.