Monday, November 14, 2011

unexpected

I'm sure you've noticed, but I never talk about work. A) Maybe I would if I were an astronaut or cowboy or pirate or something that warrants a "way of life" B) It's a liability C) I don't really share this blog with that many people (unless you count the 260-ish people who came to the wedding*).

Anyway, so I don't talk about what I do. But I will make an exception today.

I'm sort of a middleman, a fixer, a person whom they send in when people are angry and screaming and they're pretty sure are going to write a letter. I run around among many departments to try to solve some of the problems. And for some reason, they think I can. But here's the secret, which I learned in my old career: You don't actually have to know anything. You just have to know whom to ask.

There's a department I don't technically work in; it isn't even in the same building. But they call my office a lot. And while I haven't even met many of them in person (and those I did meet, just for a few minutes when I wanted to build credibility and went over there to introduce myself), I know all their voices. They called me over to their department the day before I went on vacation for the wedding to give me this:
It's a wedding cake. 

 Made out of bath towels.

I think I love the little white flowers the best. 

The woman who made it was fairly new to the job. And look at how much work she put into this; gluing down all the little flowers and pearls and the ribbons. Some of them were on recon, trying to figure out our wedding colors and when I'd be there. It was very very sweet. They all chipped in and got us the towels plus a giftcard to Macy's. You know I'm a sucker for thoughtful and handmade. I don't even work in their building.

I was so surprised and touched, I can't bring myself to take it apart.


*Please don't count all those people, because we shared the blogs with all of them and in the week after the wedding, I believe ONE new person visited it. Yes, we're lame enough that we checked. How could we not? This is how we met, for goodness' sake.
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6 comments:

  1. Syar11/15/2011 2:17 AM

    That is so very sweet! How nice of them all!

    I went back over my Twitter the other day and deleted my many rants about work, haha. I will still complain though. The people are pretty nice and I like them, but designing anything is just a crazy-making process.

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  2. Anonymous11/15/2011 7:50 AM

    What a beautiful and useful gift! I love it! I'm guessing you're good at your job if people you've met face-to-face once give you a wedding gift. I think it speaks well of your "fixing" abilities.

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  3. Madelyn11/15/2011 10:38 AM

    I wish you would take it apart, I'm tired of it pretending to be a cake damnit.

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  4. Shalini11/15/2011 12:31 PM

    I can't believe only one person visited out of 260! I would totally be that one; I would just KILL to be at a wedding where the bride and groom gave out their personal blog addresses. (Or to get the addresses from the parents of the kids my sons hang out with. KILL.)

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  5. cadiz1211/15/2011 9:32 PM

    I don't know how good I am at it, but I always try to be as nice as possible. Even if the situation makes me want to go in the office and scream into my coat when it's over.

    The towels seem really nice, too. I'm going to take it apart soon, though. I don't want to have rust marks from the straightpins she used to put it together.

    Shalini: RIGHT!??!?! After six years of keeping our blogs *super secret,* it turns out all the people we were protecting them from could not possibly care less.

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  6. velocibadgergirl11/27/2011 11:08 AM

    Oh, how wonderful! Unexpected and heartfelt gifts are so wonderful.

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