September 10, 2007 | Filed under: Because They Pay Me, Is She Still Talking?

Friday afternoon nearly killed me. For the third time in a week. (No, I haven’t yet told you about the first two events. I will, shortly.)

No, really. Usually when I say things like that I mean “work’s busy, life is busy, I haven’t been home long enough to check the mail…”. But last week my actual physical well-being, my continued existence on this planet, was put into jeopardy no fewer than four times. Somehow I turned into Wile E. Coyote and The Universe wasn’t content to just chuck an anvil at my head, it had to get creative.

And that is how I ended up standing in the parking lot outside my building Friday just before noon, instead of sitting in a meeting in my conference room. The colleague I was to meet with had, only minutes before, informed me that someone had called in a bomb threat and the building was being evacuated.

“Reminds you of DC, huh?” someone joked in the parking lot. And while, yes, I’ve certainly evacuated my DC office building on a number of occasions, it actually reminds me more of high school. In my boring, small town. Where apparently people will do anything to avoid going to class, including, but not limited to, calling in bomb threats or setting the paper towel dispensers in the bathrooms on fire. Good old-fashioned skipping always sounded a lot easier to me.

So, when I got that call from my colleague, my response was generally “Yawn.” And “oh crap, better get ready to go.” I shut down the computer and packed my bag and when the security guard came by to tell us to leave, I gathered my belongings, turned off the lights, and left the building with no expectation of getting back in my office that day.

Then I did what any reasonable person would do: took my unfinished work and my laptop to the nearest coffee shop with wireless internet access. I worked until the battery died, which, conveniently enough, was around the time I needed to head to another meeting — this one, thankfully, not in my building.

Big, Giant Disclaimer that I Shouldn’t Have to Add but I Will Anyway: I realize that most of you will be reading this post on September 11. Please let me make it very clear that my overly-dramatic characterization of “death” is in no way comparable to the very real injuries and/or and death sustained by many. However, I covered most of what I want to say about this day last year, so this year I get to talk about the trivial things going on in my life and not feel guilty about it.

1. Leandra says:
   

   Last year we had a completely ridiculous bomb threat at our office. We all had to stand outside while our boss and a police officer walked around inside to see if anything “looked out of place.” Uhhh…who could tell? Our office was always a disaster area anyway!

   September 11th, 2007 at 3:12 am