the emotions of a receptionist.

yesterday, one of our sales guys asked me to order pizza for the fab shop for lunch today as a "thank you" for their hard work on his project. he said he would like it here at 11 and that he would ask the fab shop manager how many pizzas to order and get back to me. he let me know this morning that i should order 8 pizzas. so, i ordered 8 pizzas - 3 pepperoni, 3 meat lovers, and 2 supreme - for delivery at 11.

the pizzas showed up at 10:55, piping hot since the pizza place is just down the road. i told the sales guy that they were here, and he helped me carry them to the fab shop. he stopped to talk to the person in whose office we put the pizzas (since there was no table set up).

i went to the fab shop manager and said, "The pizzas are here," to which he replied, "Why are they here at 11? We don't clock out for lunch until 12." I told him the sales guy asked me to order them for 11 and pointed out where he was standing to ask him before walking away.

11:10 rolls around. I get a call from a fellow co-worker letting me know that she was leaving for lunch with another person and the fab shop mgr.

11:55 rolls around. i watch the sales guy sign out for lunch and walk out the door.

11:59. i walk to the fab shop to see the status of the pizzas. still sitting on the chair in the person's office, where we originally put them. after venting for a minute, that person and i take the pizzas to the break room as the buzzer is ringing for lunch. the fab shop employees file through a line to get their pizza and thank me as they walk by where i'm standing.

12:10. after getting my own slice of pizza and coming back to my desk, i can't help wonder why this is bothering me so much. maybe because there was an obvious gap of communication. and the fact that i am now standing in the middle of it. maybe because i was the one who took the hit for the pizzas getting here "early." maybe because i ended up being the only one here who took responsibility for the "thank you" that was supposed to be so graciously extended to the fab shop employees. maybe because i'm wondering what the fall-out of this will be. and how the leadership class i'm taking for work will play into it. and if anyone really gives a damn.

and at the end of the day, all i have is a big neon sign above my head.