the Paper Clip Wars

Things had been quiet since the end of the month. But the war started up again yesterday. A snide comment was made followed by a flippant response. All because some papers hadn't been submitted to her liking.

They lacked a paper clip.

A thin bent wire has been the catalyst in the Paper Clip Wars.

It started back in January. At the beginning of the year, I have over 450 reports to review from employees. Three from each to be exact. When I finish with them, I hand them off to an assistant to file. I usually put them in a box, but not on top of each other so you can see where one finishes and another begins. Layered to the side of each other if you will.

The first skirmish went some like this:
Assistant (Ass. for short): These aren't clipped together. Put a paper clip on them.
Me: I don't have any clips. If I did, I would. If you want them clipped, give me some paper clips.
Ass.: There are paper clips in the other room. Go get some. You have legs.
Me: If you want them clipped so badly, you will make sure I have paper clips.
Ass pouts and is quiet.

During the month, she would supply some paper clips to me. I never did go to get some. I could care less if the papers were clipped or not. If she wanted them clipped together so bad, she would have grabbed a box of paper clips while she was in the supply room. Or given some from her own supply. Lord knows she had enough supplies stashed in her desk. I swear she had at least 6 pads of paper in there. If she uses one up, she will go get a new on instead of grabbing one out of her drawers.

I ran out of supplied clips a couple times in January and the same conversation would be repeated.
Ass.: These aren't clipped together. Put a paper clip on them.
Me: I don't have any clips. If I did, I would. If you want them clipped, give me some paper clips.
Ass.: There are paper clips in the other room. Go get some. You have legs.
Me: If you want them clipped so badly, you will make sure I have paper clips.
Ass pouts and is quiet.

I thought it was done, but it happened again yesterday. She bitched about some papers not being clipped together. Went through the routine one more time.

I am not saying I am innocent in this. Sure I could have gotten some paper clips. But my point was simple. If she wants-expects- these things clipped together, then she will give me some paper clips. It is that simple. It is not like she needs to sort though all the papers and separate them when they are not bound together. Yeah, I can be a stubborn SOB at times.

Thus, I will stand my ground. I shall not be getting any clips any time soon. The battle will rage on.

Which leads me to another discussion I had with friend yesterday. When someone leaves the company, how long do you take before your raid their desk for anything left behind? My response was simple. As soon as they leave the area. Other thought any where from 5 minutes to a day. A day? All the good stuff is gone by then people. If there is something you want, you swoop in before that seat is cold. Back in the day, remember people running to desks to get good pens, staplers, etc. Nowadays, people are looking for the toys and stress balls that have been abandoned.

So how long should one wait before picking the bones from the ex co-worker? Let me know your thoughts. Til then, have a good weekend, stay warm, and rock on with your bad selfs!

Weekend reading from Blender. How fucked up are country music stars?