December 12th.

Today's date is pretty cool, right? 

12-12-12 

Way cool, actually.

I don't think I have mentioned this on my blog yet, but last week I had to move offices. I work at a very small non-profit organization and with changes in the economy over the last several years, we have been averaging a ZERO-profit exsitance, and in the fear of closing our doors the board decided that we had to drastically cut back on our expenses. Since one of our biggest expenses is our rent payment, that had to change.

The office I have been in for the last seven years is really quite nice, and to be honest, I wasn't happy about having to move out of it.  I shared the office suite with one of our board members who owns a company that builds fallout shelters. (Like the ones the government built back in the days of the cold war.)  They found a big warehouse space to rent in an industrial area out by the Salt Lake airport and figured I would head out that way with them.  Here's the thing - that move was going to add about 20 more minutes each way to my commute - NOT including any traffic delays, especially those caused by snow and ice during the winter months, and take me that much farther away from the high school where I have a student who tends to need her mama in close proximity - i.e.:orthodontist appointments, a ride to work after school, I forgot to print a paper I need to turn in 5th period so can I run to your office during lunch to do that?, and like this morning, Mom, I'm in the bathroom with one of my migraines, can you please come check me out so I can go home?

It was going to be hard to be that far away and I was not a happy camper.  In fact, I was pretty vocal about not wanting to jump on that band wagon and said that I'd go if I had to, but that I'd go kicking and screaming. I wanted to find another alternative.  

The owners of the company were rarely in the office, so I have worked pretty much alone for the last four years - which some people might think would be really boring and kind of lonely during the day, but others (like me) found it to be kind of awesome because you get to do your own thing, (like listen to the music you want, take your lunch when you want, have visitors visit when you want, talk on the phone when you want .... you get the gist. I still got my work done though.  Most of the time.)

A friend of mine is the office manager for a company who had recently downsized and thus had also made a move to a much smaller, less expensive location.  On a recent visit with her at their new place, she was pointing out all of the extra space they have on their floor and all of the empty offices that are only existing as "junk" rooms.  

Light-bulb moment.

"So, Karen.  Do you think your boss would be willing to let me rent a couple of these empty offices from you?"   He WAS .......... SCORE!

It is a completely different work environment for me now, but I kinda like it. The other company has taken me under their wing as one of their own, so they include me in their office activities - and these guys like to have fun.  I'm even invited to their management office dinner at a really nice restaurant next week - so there is an even number of attendees.  The downside, (if you can call it a downside), is that they always have a jar full of chocolate candy in the lobby, and are constantly bringing in treats and food for the taking.  That's a lot of temptation for me to try and resist.

Today, Karen left the office a little after 11:00.  She came back with armloads of stuff: sandwiches, chips, drinks, cookies, noise makers, bottle poppers ... they were having a party, in celebration of today's date. No one could start eating before 12:12, and only after the bottle poppers were pulled, streamers were soaring, and noise makers were blowing.

Everyone had gathered in the lunch room around noon. It was about ten minutes after 12:00 when Karen said, "Hey, where's Lance?!  Call Lance, we need to have everyone here!" 

Lance arrived, we waited for the clock to strike 12:12, and I counted the people in the room ... TWELVE. 

And that - is another one of those little coincidences that I get a really big kick out of. 

(Let the good times roll.)