Please Submit All Questions in Writing. It's Easier to Ignore Them that Way.

I have a pet peeve. It is that when there’s a treat out for sharing here at the COB, which is about every day, we are Mormons after all, people ask all sorts of questions before taking one. They include but are not limited to: “Who brought these in?” “What’s the occasion?” “Did you make them?” “Have all of the calories been taken out?” That last one is a lame attempt at humor, and the attempt is made way too often. My friend Teresa used to sit close to the counter where treats are usually laid out, and that poor girl couldn’t get anything else done with all of the questions to answer. For heaven’s sake. She has since moved to another department, so I’m closest to that desk now, and I can tell you that I absolutely do not want to have to deal with it.

I suppose the whole thing shouldn’t bug me so much, but it does, and I can't seem to make myself get over it, so I’ve put some plans into action to try to curb the annoyance. Sometimes Cheryl and I post a sign with answers to all conceivable questions. It doesn’t always work. People just think of more. I’ve thought of posting something that says, “JUST TAKE ONE AND GO!” but haven’t. That's a little too harsh.

Over the weekend I bought a big package of Oreos. OK, two packages. I like both the original and the Golden Oreos, and couldn’t decide which kind to go with. The logical solution was to buy both. I’m sure you understand. Of course, I can’t/shouldn’t eat all of those, so I decided to enjoy them through Sunday evening, and then bring the rest in to work. But that brings up the ever present problem of having to explain to all creation where the cookies came from and why. It almost made me just throw them away. What a sad, sad waste. I decided to be brave, and this morning arrived with cookies in hand.

They had to be placed in an area nowhere near me, and at a time when no one would see me putting them out. I could not be in any way connected to the cookies. This took planning and stealth. I found the perfect place, an empty desk some distance away from my own. But how to do I put them there without anyone seeing me? Devotional! We have a devotional every Monday morning that everyone goes to. Well, everyone but me because someone has to stay and answer the phones. Here was my opportunity. As soon as everyone left, I took my Oreos, put them on styrofoam plates, and took them to the open desk, keeping my eyes peeled for any stray devotional skippers. The coast was clear. I set the treats out, and got back to my desk. Whew!

I have heard comments this morning. Someone hollered to no one, “Who brought the cookies?” just to be ignored. One of the guys entertained the closest person he could find with fun facts from the Nabisco Company on the nutritional value of an Oreo. Should I feel bad about this, the ignored questions and someone else having to listen to nutritional information? Maybe, but I don’t. I don’t think that the others are as bugged by it all as I am, so no harm done. And I got rid of my treats without having to talk to about them all day long. Mission accomplished.