A Mysterious Mystery

Puddle took a day off for training or something so I pulled a shift in the Control Center.

I figured I would be okay because 1. it wasn't a transfer day and 2. Vinnie and Stubby were there to actually run things and keep me out of trouble. Figured it would be an okay night.

So the first thing I did when I arrived was do the inventory and make a pot of coffee so it would be ready when my crew got there. My timing was pretty good. As soon as they showed up and set their stuff down I had a cup of fresh coffee in front of each of us to keep us all fresh and alert through the hectic shift change.

As usual, I wandered from back to front opening doors and gates. Stubby was on the desk and Vinnie and I traded off, sharing the three sets of door panels between the two of us.

I'd set my cup down on a paper towel by the coffee pot and when I went back to get a drink it wasn't there. Snap! Where did I put it? I wandered around for a few minutes, checking on top of all the ledges and counter tops. I'd been everywhere. It could be anywhere!

A few minutes later I wandered to the back panel and there it was. Right where I had left it, on the paper towel by the pot. What the.... Man, I must be getting old.

Poured us another round of coffee and made another pot. Now where did I set my cup this time? Okay, this is getting old already... And here I go wandering around the fish bowl looking for my cup again...

It only took a few moments of that and Vinnie couldn't hold a straight face anymore. he'd been hiding my cup as soon as I wandered off and putting it back when I went looking for it.

Okay. You got me. Ya rotten fricken fracken..... mess with a guys coffee like that.... grumble grumble...

Not too long after that I went down to the bathroom and when I came back out I grabbed my cup and took a sip and set it back down again. Vinnie just looked at me and started laughing.

Oh great. Now what? He said "Did you even notice?"

While I was in the bathroom he'd poured out my coffee and replaced it with tap water and stuck it in the microwave so it would be hot. I popped the lid off my cup and sure enough..... just hot water. **sigh** I guess there was enough coffee residue on the inside of my cup that I didn't even notice.

If I would have noticed and said "Man, this coffee is weak!" he probably would have peed his pants.

And that was how my night went. Aside from taping all of Stubby's stuff down to the desk while he was gone and a visit from Peggy Sue with her big comfy squeezy hugs we had a fairly calm night and I was glad.

Peggy Sue, I sure hope you get to feeling better soon, dear. I miss that sparkle in your eyes. Even if it usually means trouble for somebody. At least it aint me this time. (grin)

Maybe I should have named Vinnie "Loki" instead. After tonight it would have been a more fitting monicker.

Thursday is going to be Do A Grouch A Favor Day (as in Be Nice To Your Sergeant Day), Innovation Day, Kyoto Protocol Day and National Almond Day.

Be nice and invent something green with almonds in it!