Wacky Workdays: You’re On The (H)Air -aka- The Semi-Naked Truth

Back in mid-January I talked about the Pros and Cons of Working From Home.  Well, I’ve been at it for a year and a half, and you would think by now that I would be prepared for any eventuality. 

Like the 1990 Waylon Jennings song says, “Wrong…” (I love that song).

Around the same time that I posted that article, we convinced my beautiful granddaughter’s parents to take her out of day care and leave her with us.  Considering the high cost of childcare and the fact that there were four of us in this house, it was pretty much a no-brainer.  Here, she would get ’round-the-clock specific and dedicated care from people who love her unconditionally.

It’s a simple set-up here.  I keep my office door closed, but they can enter just about any time they want or need.  My job requires for me to listen to information from clock-in to clock-out time. 

Back in March, I was promoted to Team Leader (TL), joining a group of 10-11 others, collectively leading over 100 workers. 

As a TL, one of the lesser of my new responsibilities is using my camera during the daily meeting with everyone in the project.  But even though it’s a Video Chat the only people expected to appear on screen are the Director, Assistant Director and us TLs.  Other than putting on a new shirt every day, it’s really not a problem for me.  No make-up, no removing of curlers and sometimes, no pants. 

Don’t worry. I’m not naked from the waist down like Winnie The Pooh or Donald Duck. I still don’t understand how they get to walk around children in theme parks without pants.

As professional as these meetings are, our Director, Assistant and many of the TLs bring their great personalities, each with their own brand of humor that keeps the meetings fun. 

Add the fact that anyone in the meeting can chime in at any time and you sometimes get a free-for-all. As long as the project itself is on schedule with high efficiency levels from the group as a whole. 

It’s even more fun when we have audio issues.

Every now and then, someone’s system has a processing delay, causing their transmission to come through very low, producing a gravel-sounding voice like Fred Sanford, but deeper and seemingly in slow motion.  It’s funny when it’s a guy, but even more hilarious for the ladies.  It’s at its best when people speak, unaware that they’re voices have even been altered.

“Iiiiiii haaaaaaavvvvve aaaaa quesssstionnnnn,” one of our female associates began in a near-demonic Jeremy Irons type voice.

Naturally the room exploded.

“Is that you, Satan?” I quickly typed for all to see.  The laughter increased as people typed and voiced that her voice was distorted, all the while looking at the leaders on the screen as they laughed uncontrollably in front of their cameras.  Me included.

After a pause, she spoke again.  I suppose she was asking if it was coming through any better, but I couldn’t hear it.  At this point, I was leaning over to my left and pounding on the side of my U-shaped desk as “LOL” and other short messages popped up in the text portion of the chat.

What I did NOT notice was that as I was pounding on the desk, my wife had entered my office and was trying to get my attention to inform me that I was too loud.  The more our co-worker spoke, the more we laughed as I wiped the tears from my tightly closed eyes.

In frustration, she pounced on me from behind, grabbing both of my shoulders.  I half-jumped in surprise, then looked back to see her angry face.  I immediately realized that between my laughter and desk banging, I had probably awakened my 4-month-old granddaughter.

But that wasn’t the only realization.  In the same 5 seconds that she had grabbed me and I looked back, I also pointed at my computer monitor.  She looked up to see what I was pointing at.

There, in one of the panels of the screen, was me, leaned over…

…and her: dry-eyed, wild hair, house robe, completely disheveled.

All on display for everyone to behold.

And how quick was her exit?

Do you guys remember that witch on the old Bugs Bunny cartoons who would exit the screen so quickly that all you saw were bobby pins spinning in the air where she once had been?

Yeah, that.

Now, for those team members looking at the video chat, they could see some TLs on the screen at the same time, but not all. It just depends on which set you toggled through to see. Unless someone was talking, then they appeared on everyone’s screen.

And since I had been laughing with my mic on…

Now, if you think I was laughing before, you can imagine how I almost broke my chair, leaning back and cracking up as Connie cursed me out from another room.

Especially since the text chat immediately filled with messages like:

WTH?
Wait. WHAT?!?
Kenny, was that your wife??? LOLOLOL
OMG, I just spit my coffee out!!!

You know, there are dozens of video clips on YouTube where people get caught on camera when they don’t know or expect it. And while she doesn’t have the distinct honor of joining that fraternity, I will always take pleasure in knowing that she will at least be etched in the memory of 50-100 people.

It’s what makes me smile and helps me sleep well at night…..

…huddled up next to Chico, the family dog…

…as he keeps me company in the doghouse.

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