Fun at Work
What’s the most fun you’ve had at work?
For me, it was when I worked on the summer maintenance crew at college. Planning a week’s vacation, our supervisor astutely (cough, cough) left me in charge. We cranked out a lot of work, but I must admit we also indulged in a bit of play while the cat was away. Some antics are perhaps best not discussed since they are not, in the strictest sense, legal. But here’s one situation I can probably talk about that still makes me smile today.
We were working on the second floor of the Oakwood dorm. Someone–I don’t remember who, but it wasn’t me–had thoughtfully brought a taped version of Dr. Ruth’s radio show for everyone’s edification. Because the crew was widely dispersed, we cranked the volume waaayyyy up so that all could hear regardless of location. We were scrubbing and shining and mopping to our hearts’ content when we discerned another subtler noise competing with Dr. Ruth’s thick German voice, which boomed throughout Oakwood issuing helpful but blushingly explicit instructions to increase one’s romantic bliss.
Turns out that the other, quieter noise was an approaching tour, a group of prospective students and their parents checking out the college, this nice, safe, private, church-affiliated institution of higher knowledge. Hearing the approaching footsteps, the maintenance crew all fled, diving into closets with displays of speed and agility that would make NFL recruiters salivate with longing.
The tour guide made the quick and very wise executive decision to visit the third floor instead. As the voices faded, we slowly emerged from hiding only to dissolve into hysterical laughter. And for some reason which puzzles me now, none of us seemed to worry about being reported and fired. That summer gig was one of the least glamorous I’ve ever held–and one of the most fun!
But enough about me. Tell me about you. What’s the most fun you’ve had at work?
Image credit: candrews
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Krista-
I think the most Fun I had on the Job would have to be during my first Retail Management jobs. I was Assistant Store Manager for GAP. The Year was 1998 and Classic was Cool. The Ad campaign was all about Khaki. Corporate askes us to Play the CD music and the theme song for the Campaign was courtesy of Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “Jump, Jive, Wail. You may have remembered the AD. It featured people dancing to this popular Song. My management team and I decided we would learn how to “Swing Dance” So when the song came on, we would “engage” the customer, and we had fun dancing with customers. Soon, Mens,womens,childrens, Khaki’s and White shirts were flying out the door! What an awesome moment!
Cheers!
@Shennee, you’re not kidding–that sounds like so much fun! I am imagining people swing dancing throughout our office and I like it! How can we dance more at work?
Okay, no fair developing a fear of flying over this one – we had to do something to break the tension!! I had perhaps the greatest job in the Navy as an Air Traffic Controller at the busiest airport on the West Coast. As the FWS (Facility Watch Supervisor) not only was I responsible for the airport, I was also responsible for the airplanes within 10 miles of our airport. As a carrier base, it wasn’t unusual for us to have as many as 70 airplanes and helicopters airborne at any given moment. To make matters more fun, a mile away from us was San Diego International and 3 miles away was Tijuana International. Needless to say it was quite busy, exciting and just a little pressure – more lives pass through a controller’s hand in one day than a surgeon sees in a lifetime! The control tower is basically a large fishbowl and our team of 4 people felt like goldfish, trapped inside! I was able to work out a deal with the technicians to make our headphone cords extra long so we could go on the catwalk outside for a breath of fresh air when traffic allowed. One particular Sunday afternoon and we were actually slow when the Blue Angels Performance Team flew in. Blue Angel One was cleared to land and I walked out on the catwalk to watch his team land and stretch. I heard “Umm Tower, is that you standing on the catwalk?” I’m sure Blue Angel One was either a Navy Captain or an Admiral so I say “Why yes sir – and may I say your plane is exceptionally beautiful today!” We traded a couple more transmissions and he said “I notice you don’t have much traffic today – if you clear the pattern, how about a 5 minute airshow, we want to work on a new segment.” My entire team came out on the catwalk and we sat 400 feet above the ramp watching the Blue Angels perform a show just for us! Later, Blue Angel One came upstairs and gave us signed photos of the planes and pilots!! My team laughed and talked about that day for the next year!! Tough job, great day!
.-= Bob Myers´s last blog ..Day Three – February 3, 2010 =-.
@Bob, thanks for sharing. I can just see you out there. What an exhilarating feeling it must have been!
A few years ago I lunched at the revolving restaurant at the top of Seattle’s space needle. The Blue Angels happened to be performing above the harbor and it was pretty awesome. Nothing like being out on a 400 ft high catwalk, though!