office supplies
For the benefit of anyone starting, or starting back to an office job, or moving
to a new office, and mostly just because I was thinking about it, here is my
rendition of the cubicle dweller's survival kit. This is the stuff you should
bring to work to make your work life more pleasant:
- A calendar whose pictures are interesting enough to look at for a month at
a time. I favor Sara Steele watercolors or, for inspiration, images of the more
photogenic outdoor sports.
- A Dilbert desk calendar. Required.
- A coffee/tea mug, minimum 12 ounces, preferably the kind with a lid. Must be
ceramic or steel, as the plastic ones retain flavors.
- Good tea -- even if your office stocks teabags, as mine does, they're probably
your basic Tetley. Add hot cocoa if you're in a cold climate.
- A sweater or jacket. Almost every office is cold at least some of the
time.
- Hand lotion, because the air is also usually dry.
- Tissues, because the cold dry air makes your nose run.
- A fidgety-toy. This can be one of those balls you squeeze, or the kind of
thing you buy in science toy stores that can turn and twist into different shapes
-- anything to keep your hands busy. Otherwise you'll just end up playing with
paperclips.
- At least one pen that's a pleasure to write with.
- At least one picture of the most important person/people in your life, even if
it's your dog. There's nothing wrong with having pictures of your sweeties,
friends, kids, and your dog. Or cat.
- One CD of music you can concentrate to, for tuning out distractions, and one
CD of kick-ass music (whatever that phrase means to you) for when you need to blow
off steam. - Headphones
- Foam earplugs, if you have no way to play CDs or you prefer
silence.
- A dictionary, to clear up arguments, even if you don't do much
writing.
- A road atlas, to clear up arguments, even if you don't do much
traveling.
- A couple of band-aids, just in case.
- Bubbles, preferably packaged so that you don't get soap scum all over your
hands. Because nothing can improve your mood faster.
Posted by dichroic at May 3, 2001 04:59 PM