Friday, September 22, 2006

Disturbing yet Fascinating

[Update: Just found out the office server has not been getting most of our emails through since sometime yesterday. This surely has to be the heeled boot to squelch and break the madman's grip on the edge of sanity?!.... ]
I think that I am watching my colleague slowly have a nervous break down. It is fascinating, if not somewhat morbid. Personally, if I was going to have a breakdown I really hope it would be over something more thrilling than my work content but, I guess, one does not choose these things.

He is pacing. A lot. The past few days have been frustrating in him moaning about bugger all for hours to me as I attempt daily vital activities. Like blog. Yesterday it was more of a desperate explaining of obvious tasks and standing staring for uncomfortably long periods. When I would ask if he was bored he would laugh and start rambling. Rambling about nothing. About the border war. About hospitals unbuilt in Mafikeng. About some pretty young CA he used to work with.

I could put my i-pod in and he’d keep rambling. I would cook up a three course meal in our closet kitchen and he’d keep rambling. My god, I am happy I was the last to leave here last night otherwise he might have been still rambling.

Today he has lost it. Red in the face. Head in his hand on the phone all the time. We’ve been staring at his wall a lot, trying to work out what the banging and crashing is. Two emails about the same request, worded in different ways. You can feel the tension of his oozing along the carpets. Not good for one’s nerves on a Friday. But what can you do other than scratch your head and give puzzled glances towards the shouting? And order out for tranquilisers, in case.

Speaking of Fridays and Long Weekends:
I stole this prize pic from Montchan’s blog. Loving Ghana’s creativity and I suggest you all heed its warning this Long Weekend!
Look Closely….not that closely…



HAPPY LONG HERITAGE-DAY WEEKEND!!

17 comments:

Revolving Credit said...

Whats wrong with your colleague, don't you have a bar fridge in the office??

Champagne Heathen said...

Hold on...we DO have a bar fridge...but we abuse it by only putting food and milk in it...What are we thinking?!?!??! Excuse me while I take a trip to the bottle store to rectify situations here.

Speaking of which, Rev, how's your head today?

Champagne Heathen said...

2F - he seems to have gone very quiet now. Which might be more disturbing. Unfortunately I am at his will as I am trapped behind my desk. I must look like Deer In The Headlights when I see him approach!

Enjoy the very well-deserved break then. Must be SO good to finished the research!

Revolving Credit said...

Umm...one's aching a bit, the other isn't.

Champagne Heathen said...

And I ain't asking which one is doing which. Although, gathering by your comments on Peas' blog just now, I can assume away.

Revolving Credit said...

Thats right just let your mind wonder.

So how's the patient??

Champagne Heathen said...

My mind's wondering nowhere!

The patient?? My loony colleague? He's still talking in a high and stressed out voice on the phone. I have a nurse waiting in the corner, syringe in hand, ready to pounce should he start attacking printers or chairs. But otherwise, fairly boring for the moment. Maybe I should walk past & throw something at him.

He just started whistling?!?!?

Revolving Credit said...

get him a KitKat or Barone or whcih ever one of those chocolate bars thats meant to defuse such situations.

If you're really cruel, nows the time to fuck with his mind.

'Excuse me patient, Jacob Zuma phoned for you.Wants to know if youre still voting for him and when he can expect the cheque??'

'The boss wnats to know if you can cover for him on Projects X on Sat, Sun & Mon as he's promised the client Tues, but he' going away with his mistress..can you cover with his wife as well?'

Dolce said...

Like a car accident...you can't help watching...

I'm with Revo...help him over the edge....

*evil cackle*

Anonymous said...

mmmm.
perhaps you should put a trip wire in front if his cubicle - so when he rushes out, he trips and is...diffused.

Champagne Heathen said...

Yes, this is all well and good to say when you are all sitting in your quiet offices on the other side of the blog world. I am the poor fool who'd have to take on the wrath/ panic/ psychosis of when he looses it from me teasing him about further work.

Ah but the day is slow...why not. Let me see what I can rattle up here...

Jam, you meanwhile seem to have thought about this topic before with that suggestion?

Anonymous said...

Not recently.
Are you in separate offices or in cubicle hell?
When I work in a cubicle environment, I find it really hard to not allow other people's energy to ... spill all over the place.

Anonymous said...

And I did notice the proximity of the peas.
Does the proximity of the peas have anything to do with confiscated cellphones?

Anonymous said...

dan sorry, wrng comment page.
*blush*

Champagne Heathen said...

Ha Ha, no worries. This commenting needed some raunching up.

He's in an office, I'm at an open desk in an open office. See, I'm trapped. And yes, you feel everybody's pain in this type of environment!

Anonymous said...

Sooo - has it cracked yet?

Champagne Heathen said...

Oooo he's close. It really is that calm before the storm. One of my colleagues has decided she is going to make him find Jesus, not because she is that religious, but so that he has some'one' else to moan and shout to rather than me and her. Maybe I'll start handing him crucifixes. That'll disturb him!