You know, I’ve had to be at work at 7 a.m. every morning this week. That’s not so unusual, but today I have to stay until 6 p.m. or even later.<\/p>\n
I thought I would drive my car.<\/p>\n
Driving at quarter to 7 in the morning is kind of nice, traffic is light, and it’s pretty. Usually I get to the parking lot and think, “I could have left even later.”<\/p>\n
This morning was going to be a little tough; i had two video conferences to launch at the exact same time, on two different floors.<\/p>\n
Launch time was 7:30, so I was glad to be getting to work early.<\/p>\n
In my pretty car, listening to the first broadcast of NPR’s coverage of the bombings of Iraq, I pull onto the 5. ooh. Backed up. I listen to the traffic report, and nothing is mentioned.<\/p>\n
Typical. They never talk about where I am. I guess that means traffic everywhere else is WORSE.<\/p>\n
I am hopeful that when I pull onto the 110, the traffic will be faster.<\/p>\n
I have a lot of time to cherish this hope. It’s 7 a.m. before I get on the 110.<\/p>\n
There are a lot of very pretty wildflowers at the exit right now. I got to examine them in detail.<\/p>\n
I also thought about the fact that I had no back up for the two conferences I needed to start this morning. NO one else was in today.<\/p>\n
I made it to my parking space at 7:30.<\/p>\n
RUNNING up to the elevator, my cell phone rings. It’s the New York site. “Murphy!” my tech says. “Someone has pulled all the cables out of the back of the video unit! I don’t know how to put them back!”<\/p>\n
I tell her I”ll call her when I get up the room. On the elevator, I try to figure out which conference is what, and which one that New York room is involved in.<\/p>\n
Clever tech, she figured it out by the time I got up to the room. With just a few minor adjustments, she was up and ready.<\/p>\n
She says, ” I don’t know WHO would have done this, they had to get all the way behind the equipment to pull it out.”<\/p>\n
“Michelle, ” I said. “It’s terrorists.”<\/p>\n
Next on the list:
\nFind those folks who didnt show up and\/or didn’t turn on the equipment. THere seemed to be a lot of them this morning.<\/p>\n
I have to check on the other room, the one located a floor below. I dash off to the elevator and punch the button. I feel a little silly, thinking I should have just taken the stairs. Just as I start to try to think about where the stairs even are, the elevator opens, and I jump in.<\/p>\n
It’s the wrong elevator. I figure that out when the doors close and I drop fast to the ground floor.<\/p>\n
So I rush out, get on the RIGHT elevator, and move into the next room.<\/p>\n
My cell rings again: “we don’t like the conference room we are connected to. We want to move to another one.”<\/p>\n
Fine, okay, just tell me which one.<\/p>\n
*Ring*<\/p>\n
“Um? hello? I think I’m supposed to do something with the video?”<\/p>\n
“Yes, you are, actually. Would you mind going to the room that you were supposed to be in a half hour ago and turning on the equiment? Thaaaaannnkkksss..”<\/p>\n
“Half an hour? I can’t do that…I turned the TV on…”<\/p>\n
“Yes, but you do need to turn on the actual video conference equipment. Do you know how to do that?”<\/p>\n
“I guess…”<\/p>\n
“Okay, why don’t you do that, and I’ll talk about showing up for the half-hour set up later..Okay? GOOoood.”<\/p>\n
Now they are set up, rush back upstairs, get that one set up. Oh look, the main speaker is completely blocked by a chair positioned in front of the camera. But before I can tell him, the introducer guy starts in:
\n“Okay, let’s get started already…”<\/p>\n
when he pauses, I have to jump in.<\/p>\n
“Hello, this is Murphy Horner. I’m the Video Conference Administrator. Could the persons in Silicon Valley just step around the table and move the chairs directly in front of them and the camera? I’m sure the folks in this conference would prefer to see more of you, and less of the chairs. Thank you.”<\/p>\n
They were good sports, they moved the chairs.<\/p>\n
Shwew.<\/p>\n
Thank god.<\/p>\n
I’m finally set up.<\/p>\n
I walk downstairs, very slowly, waiting for the adrenaline to seep out of my body.<\/p>\n
Yikes.<\/p>\n
What a morning!<\/p>\n
I’m gonna eat my yogurt now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You know, I’ve had to be at work at 7 a.m. every morning this week. That’s not so unusual, but today I have to stay until 6 p.m. or even later. I thought I would drive my car. Driving at … Continue reading