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Sarahthequeen05
I am a spunky 25-year-old living in a suburb of Tampa. I was relocated here with my husband of 2 years from western North Carolina when the Air Force decided that we were needed in sunny Florida! I had almost all the best times of my life at Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC, the oldest women's c...
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Defining My Space

Friday, September, 5, 2008

Fed-Ex just delivered two large boxes, filled to the brim with the ephemera of my old office life.  I thought it would make me sad, or at least wistfully nostalgic, to have these things chucked out of my cubicle as if they had never been there.  As if I had never been there.

 

 I've gone through everything and I am not sad.  All of these things, these insignificant material things that I dragged to the office to make it homey, are, in fact, very spot-on representations of who I am.  As I read over the list that my former boss and another manager typed up,( an inventory, if you will), I smiled.  Their descriptions are nothing fancy, but I am amused that I could be so easily summed up in 3 and a half, single-spaced sheets of paper. 

 

I also smiled to think about their reactions to many of these things, which seem so random and strange that they should never have been in an office.  But, they made sense to me, and I liked having them all there.  They helped me to forget about the fluorescent lighting that I was sure was slowly devouring my soul, piece by ethereal piece.  They helped me to forget about the institutional carpeting that was somehow vomit-colored and full of pretty colors at the same time.  They helped me to forget that I was stuck in a cube for almost 12 hours a day.

 

I include the list here not to bore you, but to let you know who I am in a more accurate way than I could ever explain to you with descriptive words.

 

Nemo Water Square toy

6 pairs walking sushi

1 pair lanyard shoes from inmate

1 wind-up Baby seal

2 wind-up tigers

1 wind-up dinosaur

1 wind-up monkey

1 pirate duck water-squirter

1 spinning top that lights up

1 monster finger puppet

1  3-D lizard puzzle

1 Emily Dickenson Hallmark ornament

1 tiny man (Micro Manager kit)

1 Office Voo-Doo doll

1 tangle

1 pin cushion

1 metal puzzle

1 nail file

1 bookmark

1 small picture frame

Large Orange scissors

Camouflage Easter Egg

Hand sanitizer

2 frames with photos

Bird tray with note pads

Dilbert magnets

Joy of Cooking Page-A-Day Calendar

Education pen holder

How to Be a Diva book

Empty Easter egg

1 heart stress ball

2 thought cards

Red Dress pin

Tiny Indian purse from inmate

Military Spouse Appreciation card and pin

L'Occitane lavender hand cream

Depakote mouse pad

Flower drawing from inmate

33 Hoops and Yoyo Office Signs cartoons

USAA calendar

Magic wand with glitter

Breast Cancer magnet

Really Big Pen

Red/Blue Silicone bracelets

Stickers

4 pens

USAA Home Buyer Handbook

License Information

Education card info

Notebook

2 awards

United Way nametag

7 packages gum

3 packages Hall's cough drops

Tin of Fisherman's Friends cough drops

Tylenol

Johnson's and Johnson's mini first aid kit

Bath and Body Works hand sanitizer

Listerine pocket packs

2 tins peppermints

1 tin ginger Altoids

High Maintenance Mints w/ Mirror

1 bottle TUMS
2 boxes of Crystal Light

4 generic sinus tablets

C.O. Bigelow Lemon Hand treatment

Gaiam exercise band, medium

3 Community for Life first aid kits

Antibacterial hand wipes

Support Our Troops Magnet

Lifesavers Christmas tin

Kashi Go Lean cereal

14 paper cups from Hallmark

Glass Jar with handpainted name from boss

Instant vanilla latte mix

Reindeer Pez dispenser

Pooping Reindeer with jelly beans

Chocolate calcium chews

Blue canvas tote bag

Pink bag with female products

Unsalted peanuts

Happy Halloween decorations

5 nutrition bars

3 packets Target brand gummi fruit shapes

Mini tube of Crest toothpaste

Chicken Noodle soup

2 containers individual serving Kraft salad dressing

Bag of mini-boxes of raisins

Hope Christmas ornament from Habitat for Humanity

4 pieces of Liberty Mutual FMLA mail

1 year of service appreciation pin

Pink sewing kit

Blue pencil sharpener

Wite-out tape

2 pads post-it notes

5 silver holographic pencils

1 set of markers

United Way namebadge holder

8 note pads

Orange Silly Putty with Egg

1 Micro Manager kit

3 stress balls in various shapes

Yellow graduation teddy bear

3 plastic bags

 

What do your office objects say about you?  How do you choose what to place in your office?  Do you have more decorative things or more necessities?

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getaclewis
getaclewis
Laughing out loud
Posted Thu, 09/04/2008 - 22:23
The smile I always get on my face when I realize there's a new post from you just got broader and broader as I made my way down your list. I actually began to giggle. I wish I wasn't so darned tuckered, because I'd love to offer my analysis of several items and what they say about you, dear Sarah! heehee. I wouldn't dare list what's currently on my desk. (I wonder whether home offices count, since the rest of the house just has a way of jutting in and sprawling itself across my work life. How the heck did the IRON end up by my phone?) I'm glad you're not sad. Your future is sooo bright. :-) "Trust Life's unfolding..."
sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
Well, many of my toys (all
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 08:44
Well, many of my toys (all the sushi and wind-up toys), the silly putty egg, the metal puzzle, the lizard puzzle, the Micro manager, and the office voo-doo doll, all came from my mother-in-law as stocking stuffers this past Christmas. She decided that I didn't have enough toys on my desk (she'd never seen it). Some of them were actually Hubby's stocking stuffers, but with the military, you can't just put a lot of crap on your desk, so I got them.
Jodene
Jodene
I love the "really big pen".
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 00:16
I love the "really big pen". Wow. Can't get much more descriptive than that! I would love to go through the boxes with you and play with it all! I'm sure I'd be horrified if someone went through all my things and had to list them- I also have toy sushi things- they flip and vibrate. My favorite is the troll like Albert Einstein perched on my laptop port that sticks to the screen by static electricity. I like to bend his legs and arms while formulating my next great thought- only Al understands this. That was a fantastic list- I best start adding to my office... thanks for the inspiration!
sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
Albert does sound
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 08:40
Albert does sound entertaining and very cool. I was freaked out for a second that instead of just throwing everything into the boxes that they'd actually had to pay attention to what it was and write it down, but not for long, because the list is so darn funny. The "really big pen" made me laugh out loud when I read it. It is a blue pen with black ink that is about 1 1/4" diameter and about a foot long. One of my work colleagues got it at CVS for me. You can't write much with it because it's so heavy on the end that your hand starts to hurt after a while.
BCBlogger
BCBlogger
Pink sewing kit!
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 07:52
Pink bag with feminine products. Ha ha ha. Love it. My office stuff. . .it would crack you up. It's so. . .diversive. So. . .bi-polar. So. . .*me.* It's like a collision of everything that I am: - one antique hobnail lamp with very girlie lampshade (to deflect the flourscent lighting) - one very girlie wall calendar with quotes from famously awesome women - very girlie cork-board covered in fabric and ribbons; with photos of people I love, my friend's dogs, me surfing, snowboarding and kung fu-ing. - one signed UFC poster signed by Ken Shamrock - enormous box of Tampons, because I hold the key to the community "emergency tampon" stash - Cookie jar from 1945. . .named "Cookie Pup." - A stress ball in the shape and color of the world. - an article on ancient Chinese weaponry - a book - 365 Days of Tao - a french, handblown glass paperweight - two sterling mint julep cups that hold my pens, scissors, etc. - one pair of skull and crossbones rain galoshes. That was FUN! I hope more people answer. . .
sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
Your desk sounds awesomely
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 08:32
Your desk sounds awesomely gorgeous. I love that you use julep cups as pen cups. The funny thing about the "pink bag with feminine products", is that it makes it sound like it was chock-full of tampons. It is, in fact, 2 tampons, 1 eye shadow palette, 1 mini lint-roller, 3 lip glosses, and some generic Advil. I guess guys can't roll their lint or take Advil anymore... :)
ReneeCK
ReneeCK
Opposite reaction
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 08:04
When I was 10 years younger, I started at a fun company and decided to express myself there. I had my Mickey Mouse ears, slinky, pictures, unversity stuff, and it evolved the longer I stayed. When I switched departments, I was intrigued by a guy who kept only a mousepad that he liked. His reasoning was that when he a) made enough money or b) they pissed him off enough that he could tell them to kiss his ass, he would ceremoniously grab his mousepad and be out of there.

It was wise and profound. I tried it at my last job though it just didn't feel right not having a picture of my family on my desk. And I had to take a lamp because I couldn't stand the flourescent lighting. But, I decided not to make my office too much like home because, simply put, it wasn't my home and I didn't want it to be. As time went on and my boss showed more and more of her true self to me (hypocritical, judgemental, belittling, slave-driving) I wanted less and less to be comfortable there.

Ironically, the day I quit, I had my husband take my lamp home when he came to visit for lunch. I was so glad he did because it was an end of the day battle that broke this camel's back. I was glad to be able to stand upright and grab my keys, not have to get down on all fours to fish around for the cord of my lamp. Just doesn't make the same impact.
sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
I like the philosphy of the
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 08:36
I like the philosphy of the zen mousepad guy, but I'm not sure I could ever do it. I am always surrounded by my stuff. On car trips, I have to have lots of things in the front seat with me, which drives my husband nuts. Right now, I'm sitting on the couch with kleenexes and 2 magazines on my right, the Skirt! Sept magazine on my left, my cereal bowl in front of me with my phone next to it. I seem to always have a semi-circle of stuff blocking me in wherever I am!
krrobi
krrobi
Are you serious? Did they
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 09:29
Are you serious? Did they really send this paper with the items? I can see you with stuffed animals! You are so sweet. What is the sushi thing? I hope you are well and smiling and loving and believing. :)
sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
They really sent the paper-
Posted Sun, 09/07/2008 - 17:09
They really sent the paper- 2, 8 1/2 by 11 sheets, printed front and back, and both managers signed and dated it. I guess someone at some point tried to accuse them of keeping his/her belongings or something. The sushi are actually kind of creepy, I guess. It's a plastic recreation of a sushi roll (they are each different), connected with string to an identical roll. When you wind them up, they walk, like feet, across your desk. Like I said, kind of creepy, but I like them.
EWilson
EWilson
I love this Sarah! It is
Posted Fri, 09/05/2008 - 10:50
I love this Sarah! It is very you! But alas there are no Salem College objects!
sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
My graduation photo from
Posted Sun, 09/07/2008 - 17:06
My graduation photo from Salem was one of the "2 photos in frames".
Tara
Tara
I have the wind-up baby seal
Posted Sun, 09/07/2008 - 16:09
I have the wind-up baby seal too! Is it the same one that hops around and poops out chocolate candy? Love it!
sarahthequeen05
sarahthequeen05
No, mine's not that
Posted Sun, 09/07/2008 - 17:06
No, mine's not that exciting. It sits on its belly and flaps its little flippers up and down. Very cute.