Recipio: to go back, retreat

Can you really call it ‘work’???

An interview:

We understand that you run your own ‘business‘ and work alone. Do you work from your home then?

NO. I find that “working from home” is a contradiction. When I am home I am NOT working. I might have a computer on and check emails. I might even answer my phone (see (1) below). But I am not being PRODUCTIVE. I am probably dividing my time between:

A) a really bad [and therefore on at 10:30 AM when everyone who has advertiser’s-dollars-to-spend-money-JOBS is NOT watching] program on one of the 699 channels on satellite (STILL my best purchase of the past 10 years)
B) an even dumber [and therefore hard-to-find satellite channel [above 600 on our system]] “gem of a movie nobody remembers even being made” which doesn’t actually indicate this in the on-screen description and so DECEIVES me into paying attention!
C) ESPN Classic – hey, if you don’t remember who won the 1992 match up of Duke and UNC, it might as well be live!
D) The laundry: never done (also of very limited value to my clients who wish I was ‘working’ on THEIR projects [selfish, aren't they])
E) Other interests: on one attempted ‘work-from-home’ occasion this was the squirrel ‘romance’ which was Actively [capitalization intentional] displayed right outside my window. But this may include: organizing the twisty-ties by color and length, attempting to insert yet ONE MORE book into one of our badly overtaxed bookshelves (if you’ve ever considered using a turnbuckle to hold the thing together, you understand me), or playing America’s favorite game: try to match the CD with it’s case (either audio or software - both are awesome fun).

When I intend to work I go to my “office”.

And where is that?

8902 Vincennes Circle, Ste D, Indianapolis, IN. Where else would it be?!?

Do you rent this space?

NO. That would cost money!

So how do you maintain said office-space?

I just GO there. I started going there in 1999. I don’t remember when, exactly, but they eventually gave me a key and the code to the alarm and I have made that my office ever since.

Do you even know the owners?

Well, I did once. I’m not sure if the people I met are still the owners. But everyone who works there now just assumes I belong and so I get free space. It’s going on 5 years and I wouldn’t want to risk ending it. Every once in a while I get called into a meeting to decide something “Important” – the last one was a party to celebrate the Colts making it to the AFC Conference Finals. Beyond that, I try to keep a very low profile.

How did you get to such a cozy position?

Maybe it’s my good looks. Some of it could be that I occasionally have a good answer to a tough question [Like yesterday, one of the managers wanted to know what I thought of his tie. I said it was “very professional”], keep pretty much to myself, and take up only unused space (I moved to my current office from the utility closet only after several layoffs this past spring).

How can this work for your CLIENTS – do they know where to find you?

[as promised above (1)] – my clients either call me on my cellphone or email me. Because I am so ‘mobile’ I only maintain a cell-phone. When needed, they call that number. It hardly matters to them that I am on a roller-coaster in Orlando OR at my desk in the utility closet in Indy. If I answer and appear interested in their dilemma - I get credit for it!

Of course, I do really appreciate the benefits available at the ‘real’ business I have insinuated myself into: T-1 internet access, fully furnished office, free systems consulting, and many other office-essentials . I always try to keep it within reason. I only use the postage meter, copier and fax long-distance when nobody is waiting (or watching). And I only take office-supplies nobody else got to before me. (See, I CAN play nice with others). The one area I feel I am somewhat ‘exposed’ is that I probably take more than my share from the ‘amenities’ provided every Friday afternoon. I TRY to be discreet, but when the break-room is chock-full of scorned goodies - I hate to see these poor little fellows go unwanted. I do all that I can (and maybe more than I ought) to see that no-one goes unclaimed. This is more of a service than any selfish act.

So there you have it, folks, BRILLIANT!

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 19th, 2004 at 9:03 am and is filed under Work. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.