I arrived at work yesterday morning to discover a sign on the front door of our office suite:
Happy Administrative Assistants Day!
The sign had been put up my none other than Olivia, who is — you guessed it — our administrative assistant.
Here’s a picture of Olivia:
I knew this day was coming up, because I heard someone talking about it at the garden shop last weekend, but then it slipped my mind.
A couple of profs from Philosophy came over with cards and a gift bag, looking for Olivia.
I immediately went to Janice and said, “We are in big trouble.”
Olivia services Philosophy and Languages, but those departments require very little from her. Mainly she works with our unit, wherein she is officially housed.
Janice and I are the only other full-time employees since Katrina. We made a plan to run to a nearby store and get a potted plant, but the day proved to be too hectic. We couldn’t get away.
Since Olivia was at an all-day training session across campus, I didn’t see her until she came by for lunch. I quickly told her that “Janice and I thought this was tomorrow.”
As we were talking, another administrative assistant popped by, to ask Olivia how she’d made out. Olivia displayed her gift bag from Philosophy. For her part, the other assistant said, the Education faculty were taking her out for lunch.
“They must really like you over there,” I said.
“They love me,” she said.
Later that day, the Languages faculty upped the ante with a big floral arrangement for Olivia.
There was no way that Janice and I could compete with this monster. We didn’t even try. We got her the potted plant and a card, but they seem paltry in comparison. We knew we’d been beat.
Now we’re thinking we’d better get that office refrigerator Olivia’s been wanting…
Who was the person who left? I am confusing Olivia with that person, so I am glad to hear Olivia is currently still there. Yay!
So many people have left. Some were terminated after the storm, some moved on their own terms. But there’s fresh blood too: Olivia was a new hire as of last summer.
I hid from my assistant all morning, since I was empty-handed, and ordered flowers (by phone) to be delivered later in the day.
Rather late in the game, my boss [who also works with the same assistant] asked me what I had paid, and gave me cash for half. When the flowers arrived at the reception desk, I snuck up there (per prior arrangement with the reception ladies), and wrote in my boss’s name on the card, which was otherwise typed.
Since the arrangement was modest, but pretty, I didn’t have to hide after that.
Better put it on your Google Calender for next year!…as I will.