One of the best parts of still working part time is the friendships I have with the guys I work with at the end of “our hall”.  We have the last 4 offices (2 each side) in the hall way.  We never need to get up and go to each others office – we all just talk out loud and holler at one another.  Don’t get me wrong – these guys work their butts off in a very stressful environment so it is a relief to them to blow off steam occasionally.  The problem is – I am usually the object of their abuse since I am the “old” guy.

They will constantly refer to my ancient project management jobs. “So  Dan, what was it like to be project manager on the Pyramids?”  They made a cartoon figure and superimposed it on a artist’s rendition of the workers on the pyramids with me wearing a hard hat giving orders.  The abuse continues – “What was it like coming over on the Mayflower?”  I respond- “ the voyage was rough, the meals were horrible and I had to row during the storms”.   “What was it like building the Ark with Noah?”  I respond- “It was hard work getting all those animals inside, especially the snakes, but the most tiring part was helping Noah replenish the earth when we landed”.  “What was it like working with Cleopatra?”   I respond- “she was super and she had a great asp.”….and on and on it goes every day.  I will leave early and the comments will start “better hurry up, the jello line runs out at 4:30”. They invite me to the cafeteria for lunch and remark that it is a cool place for me to pick up chicks since “they can’t run away very fast with their walkers”… They asked me if my first computer was an abacus.  Peg actually had one at home for the kids to play with so I brought it to work – it was a hoot.  (I told them it was my new laptop.)

They tell me how concerned they become whenever they see a Silver Alert on the highway signs, and tell me how relieved they are to see me.  One of the guys had just seen the movie Castaway again on TV and asked me what it was like to discover fire.  They asked me what gas prices were like back in high school – I respond that we didn’t have cars yet – we still had a horse and buggy. I would take a girl to the drive in – but just sit there since movies weren’t invented yet.  They asked me if the chariot races were really that exciting in Roman Days.  I stated “not really – the horses kept stopping to poop”.

It is probably one of the reasons I keep working part time – for the guys.  They had a sign on my door one day when I came in to work – It will stay on my door until I am gone – it says “DANGER – Grumpy Old Fart” – The love continues.