I’ll be seeing red

It's always something: now I get to work on the set of The Apprentice! No, not in NYC but right here, across the bridge. BZ has known for some time--well, like from the time the change in office setup was first announced that I'm not happy with the impending office move. I'll be losing my private office with a door, walls and window for a desk sitting out in the lobby. Gee, who wouldn't like a move like that! I'll have no privacy or quiet to do the accounting work, which is a new part of my job, no privacy for phone calls. I'm not talking personal calls but business calls. Maybe it's weird but I HATE people listening in to my work calls! It makes me self conscious. In fact people will be able to walk all the way around me and observe what I'm doing at any time. I'll be on display all day at work. Oh how I'm going to hate that!

BZ knows how I feel about this, so I thought. During the staff meeting today we were again talking about the choices of paint and furniture for "our" offices. That is, everyone but me. I had to try very hard not to pout, it's just so unfair and mean of them to rub it in. I have no choices of paint colors or furniture because I won't be having an office anymore once we move. Favorite co-worker noticed my lack of enthusiasm during the meeting and asked me about it later. She feels bad for me. Yeah, so do I!

Later in the day BZ eagerly came into my office, her face was slightly flushed. "I need a piece of paper to draw the NEW plans for the office!" She took the paper I proffered and began to draw the layout. "It's been redone and you"re going to love it!"

I practically had to hold my hand to my heart, dare I hope was I actually going to get an office after all? We ALL had been promised separate offices when the move was first planned, last year. I had specifically asked if I would get one too and was told, "Yes, everyone will." But those plans changed somewhere along the line and they decided that I would be sitting on display in the lobby instead of having an office like everyone else.

BZ drew some lines and circles and squares. She is quite a good drawer but I stared at the drawing with dwindling hope, it looked the same to me! She started pointing out objects in the drawing with a flourish, "Here's where the copy machines and the fax machine will be! Here's the breakroom! Heres the tiny little circle in the middle of the floor where you'll be sitting!" No, she really didn't say that last one but might as well have said it.

So what was the new wonderful plan for the office? They are going to paint the walls around me a deep, rich red! OK, out of all the pretty colors we (not me!) could choose for the office, that would be the LAST one for my workspace! It's not that I don't like red, just wouldn't want to be surrounded with it while I work. My co-workers can choose a pale lemon yellow, a nice rich tan, a dusty blue, a pale grass green, or a rich gold for their office and I get RED walls? That, and the fact that they are going to put up a huge company logo behind me were the new plans for the office. Oh, I was just so excited.

Last night I was watching The Apprentice and noticed with horror that the reception area outside of Trump's boardroom is red. And it has a huge logo behind the receptionist. It looks very nice, if a bit stagy and ostentatous. So we are copying the set of The Apprentice for our new office! Well, I do like that show but hadn't planned to go to work there. And, does that mean that one of my co-workers will get FIRED each week? ;)