During the business day, there are situations best left for a later hour, say after lunch, but unfortunately the most demanding of critters whelp for attention at 8AM. Why yes, I fed the cats at 5,6 and 7AM. These distractions have human origins.

For example, a vendor whom I assured on six prior calls that I have no — and no one at the premises does, maybe even the planet — interest in his wares. Or the staff who eats jelly sandwiches over their laptop, then cries about a non responsive machine, and a keyboard short half its letters. Actually, they were OK about the blank keys and jelly in the vents; it was Apple spinning wheel of doom they found irksome.

Why do I mention this? Because I’m of the opinion that for every workplace, a horde — and they may be quite beautiful or charming, others bald and fat, but no matter the packaging they are still attention suckers — lurks, watches, and waits for their victims. Like a snake in the desert they strike without warning. They live to distract someone. Possibly you. And definitely me.

I wonder though, do I play the role of sinkhole to a fellow coworker? Could I be the dullard in someone else’s office? Perhaps I too am cursed behind closed doors, in a low tones. Nah. My weekend tales around the water cooler are all aces…