That One Time My Co-worker Died

One of my favorite Solution Managers, Randy, left to find a new job a year ago or so. I've missed him. He managed to get an internship for his son in our portfolio though. He was the nicest kid, 22 years old.

And then one day he didn’t come to work. No one could reach him. he’s very responsible, so everyone was really worried. His car-pool buddy/mentor/friend went to his house to pick him up and he didn’t answer. Everyone worried all day, and finally they told me the situation in the afternoon.

The emergency number Josh had given them when he started was the home number. Randy and his wife had been living there, but had moved 2 weeks prior to Tennessee for a new job and so Josh was living there alone.

I had Randy on gchat and looked – and sure enough he was online. I explained the situation to Randy and he said he’d figure it out. We waited for a bit, Randy informing us he’d called a neighbor who was going over….

Waiting…

And then Randy says, “He’s gone”.

I thought he wasn’t home.     

He was dead.

The neighbor couldn’t get in so called the police, and they broke the door down. Josh had diatabetes and they found him next to the trash can. The best they can figure, his insulin pump stopped working (it was older) and Josh woke up in the night sick. He usually kept candy next to his bed, but didn’t have any left. So he went to the trashcan hoping to find some leftover food. He made it to the trashcan and passed out, and eventually died.

It was horrible. It was horrible for me, to be the one communicating this to Randy and his wife, and to be the first to find out he was dead.

Brittany Mullen and I wanted to go to the funeral, so did Sharky. Brittany ended up wanting to spend time in Rexburg (that’s where he was from so where the funeral was) so she drove down with her roommate, who also went to BYU-I. 

Sharky is a pilot and owns a Cessna. So he agreed to fly us to the funeral.

I’ve never been in such a small plane before. It was a little unnerving. You don’t feel steady, especially in turbulence. He let me fly. It was so weird and super unnerving. But it was a fun experience and I’m glad I got to go.

The funeral was so sad it was ridiculous. He was incredibly smart and had such a promising future, and his family was so torn up.

Thank goodness for the knowledge of the Gospel and that families are forever. I can’t imagine experiencing loss like that and not having that knowledge.

Love,

Brittney

One Million... and Twenty

Co-Worker – (Said to me, in reference to another co-worker who is probably 45 years old, married with 4 kids) “He is good looking. Solid testimony.” *wink* *wink*




Me – (Completely indignant) “He’s like 45 years old! And he’s married!”


Co-worker – “I just think you’re being a little too picky. What’s 20 years in the scheme of things? You think people in the Celestial Kingdom are going to be like “”Wow, she is a million years old and he’s a million and twenty years old. That’s a big age gap!”” No, they aren’t! So just stop limiting your prospects!”


Duly noted. Thanks, Dave, for being so helpful in my dating life. With this new outlook, I minds well go husband shopping at the Retirement Home.


Love,


Brittney

Valentines Day

So, I got lots of Valentines wishes and comments from well wishing co-workers (keep in mind, I work in an office with 1,00 people, about 950 are men).

My favorite comment of the day would have to be the following, as I’m sitting in my office with the door closed (my office has a glass door) –

Coworker: “It’s valentine’s Day – why are you in here with the door closed? A bee cannot smell a flower that is in a glass vase”

Me: Blank stare (Ok really - what do you say to that? I was still trying to process the whole, men are bees analogy).

Coworker: “At least open the door, let everyone enjoy the flower! Encourage the bees to come in!”

Me: There are no single guys in the office
I’d want to come into my office.

Coworker: “Go out! Go to the store! Walk around the mall!!”

Me: “And do what?”

Coworker: “Be a flower!”

 

 

Happy Valentines Day, 2012!

 

Love,

Brittney

Sardines

A co-worker went on a business trip to Florida this last week.

He told me he was going to bring me a gift back.

I was excited.

He came to my desk and got me all excited about the special present from Florida.

GROSS

And, it isn't even special from Florida. You could pick that nasty can up at any store. Well, I assume. I've never actually purchased sardines.

I told him I was going to open it up in his office on a Friday after he'd left for the weekend.

He thinks I'm kidding.

SORT 2010

Another SORT  come and gone.

This year, I was over scheduling. That was a beast, I'll tell you. But absolutely fun. I love these types of conferences.

Below is a link to a bunch of pictures that were taken at the conference. There are quite a few pictures of me on the first page, and then one on the last.

The last one is my “what do you want? Leave me alone!” face. One of my friends/co-workers saw it and made the comment, “I can imagine exactly what you said while making that face…” haha.

http://www.dterryphotography.com/Work/SORT-Conference-Oct-2010/14168780_Zg8Nk#1045702286_XkpEz

Hmm… I love my job.

Space

Part of my job is ordering things whenever there is a need. The manager will email me requesting I purchase something, and include a link.

I just got an email from one of the managers, asking me to order a keyboard for one of his guys. Below the managers’ email was the email from his employee requesting the item. I read the email from the guy, so I could record which employee got the new equipment for our budget.

Here is the email:

Scott … I’ve lost the functionality of the spacebaron mykeyboard … hereisa link toareplacement foundonAmazon, Idon’tknow if itcould befixed ornot.

I’m still laughing.

(If you’re struggling with why this is so funny…

After reading the email, I first thought he was just really retarded - i.e. - he needed some lessons in typing and he should not be sending emails to anyone. “Please,” I thought, “Tell me this guy doesn’t send emails to the public on behalf of the Church…”

Then I realized –

HE IS GETTING A NEW KEYBOARD BECAUSE HIS SPACE KEY IS BROKEN.)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA

Mice

Yesterday, Nancy comes over to Julie and my desk, holding her shoe.

“There is a mouse!”

I’m not wearing shoes. No socks. Totally roughing it at my nicely carpeted desk (Nancy sits in front of me and to the right. Like, I can see her if I really wanted to).

So we have a mouse problem. Awesome. I’d actually prefer that to the Amazon bloodsucking bedbug/tick/unkillable creature that infested the office last summer. Some genius soul traveled there, purchased a hammock, and kindly hung it on the 4th floor, where the alien-to-Utah creatures reproduced in abundance (did I mention this genius soul worked for Intel – who occupied the building BEFORE we moved in? Which means the bugs lived for something like 6 months in an unfinished 4th floor with no people? And the building was sprayed specifically to kill them).

Mice.

So, Nancy was all ready to kill the mouse with the heel of her shoe.

Seriously? I can think of a thousand better alternatives than that. Most of which don’t directly include me, but include one of the guys who sit near me.

Today, there is all kinds of commotion in the cubicles behind me, and the guys come over,

“Did you see the mouse!? It ran right by you.”

Great. They are moving in, closer to me. Naturally they would.

Don’t get me wrong – I’m not afraid of mice. But I don’t LIKE them. I don’t like the idea of some nasty furry running rodent around my feet, scurrying around me and touching me and startling me.

After the mouse goes scurrying by, I message the Office Manager, and let her know there has been another sighting. Her response?

“The mice are either spooked or comfortable to be out in the open like that.

Would you like me to request some traps around your cubicle?

*so far so good*

They would most likely get the sticky ones - which would mean you'd most likely see and hear a mouse trapped on those sticky things. They squeal like crazy when they are stuck on those things. Then if you don't throw it away, it will die and decompose. Kinda gruesome, actually.”

Are you kidding me???? Seriously?

NO THANKYOU.

I’d rather have them running past me than agonizingly/slowly/loudly dying and decomposing next to me.

A moment later, I get an IM from a lady who works next to the Office Manager.

“Squeek Squeek”

Funny. Now the whole 4th floor is in on my pain – and not only that – they think it’s funny.

Now i'm reduced to a covered shoe only policy, and I keep my feet off the floor.

Perfect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m in a meeting. One of the guys walks in, and asks about my dating life. Am I engaged? (This is everyone’s but my favorite discussion)

I give him the death stare."No, haven't met him yet, thanks for checking in."

Julie: “It’s ok; he probably died in the war in Heaven.”

Great.

Thanks, guys.

Love,
Brittney

SEO's 2010 Spudwood Derby TROPHY

My department (SEO) is having a big Off-Site tomorrow. If everyone comes, there will be 400 people in attendance. We do this twice a year. There is always a guest speaker, business - and then a team-building activity/service project.

We do huge events and it is crazy and stressful. How could planning something like that for 400 people not be?

This year, I suggested, what if we did a Spudwood Derby? The idea was well recepted (did I mention 375 of the 400 are men?) and I have been trying to get the whole thing orchistrated in less than a week.

Most all the planning, calling and organizing is done... but one thing.

The trophy.

I recurited my fabulous sister, Camree, to help me out. We had a blast.

The Derby is tomorrow - updates to follow!

The Before

Brittney Rocks!

Behind my desk is a big flat screen that is connected to a computer in the back. It displays the projects our engineers are working on, their progress, testing, bugs, etc. Red is bad, green is good. Whenever LDS.org is in red, that is really bad, I’ve come to learn.

So I walk in this morning, and right there, above my desk...



Someone went into the back, switched the view from the screen above my desk to the computer, opened a NotePad document, typed Brittney rocks! and then switched the view back to the big screen. I have NO idea who did it. NO idea. Most people don't even know the computer is back there, or that it controls the screen above my desk. The capability to switch the view to the computer (which allows typing) is BRAND new, as of this Monday. I realize I work with computer engineers, but how did they know the capability was there and which buttons to press?

I asked a co-worker to take the picture, because as obvious from my earlier posts, I don't have a camera – and this was too great not to get a photo of. Right as he went to take it, the phone rang. So I ended up in it. I guess it is fitting, right? Notice my dress? I just got it for really cheap and I LOVE it. So, for all of you who wondered, this is where I work.

See the white ceramic dish on the desk? Can you picture the Respirator Wipes story just a little bit better? And picture an upside down chair next to my chair, and you have the imagery down.

This really is a great place to work. Have I mentioned I love my co-workers? It is like having 300 big brothers/dads. They council me, ask me about my love life, set me up with their sons, and quite frequently, make my life much more interesting.

Dads and brothers are fun and entertaining, but they are a lot of work. 300 of them is a mess. Literally. The supply closet is always disheveled. They take out a pen, and then decide they don’t want it – so they put it on the counter and leave the drawer open. Thanks, guys.

Although working for the LDS Church has always been my dream - I thought I would be working with, a lot of the time, people who were really self righteous, judgmental - which is inevitable anywhere there is a high population of members. But that is not the case at all. Everyone I work with is so nice, so friendly and just really loves the Gospel and wants to work here. I love praying in meetings, and listening to these great men pray. They have taught me a lot about sincere prayer. It is interesting to work in a place where the Department Cultural Beliefs are:

Receive Revelation: I call down the Lord’s help in doing my work to aid in exalting the human family.

Be Positive: I contribute to a positive and optimistic work enviorment.

Help Others Succeed: I am successful only when those whom I work with and serve are successful.

Speak Up: I professionally challenge, ask questions, propose alternatives, and exchange feedback.

Make it Simple: I communicate clearly and avoid complexity in my work products and processes.

The guys really do hold true to these values. They understand they are working for something great – to expand the Church, to help build up the Kingdom of God. Everyone is so happy, so helpful, so generous and nice. In the 3 months I’ve been here, I have had one person be rude to me (and it was over the elevators. How stupid).


The Church is true! The people working for the Church are doing their best, and full of the Spirit.

This is a great place to work. I really do love my co-workers… how could I not?

Love,

Brittney