To the appliance team...

After working an 11-hour day, sans lunch or workout, I headed to the grocery store for some ice cream and came home to watch American Idol (no, I cannot get enough) and an episode of The Sopranos (no, I cannot get enough of this either). Everything was perfect: a quiet night at home. Leftovers for dinner, American Idol, James Gandolfini (HOT!), and some ice cream.

8:55pm -- my phone rings. Naturally I figure it's DJ -- probably walking home from the clarinet studio, about to get some beer. I look at my phone to find a number I do not recognize, though it appears to have a work prefix. I answer. Yep, work. Thomas has called to tell me China (ok, not the entire country, rather the factory in China) has not received the manuals and warranties for the new 4.5 cu. ft. refrigerator and will delay shipment if they do not receive tonight. I tell Thomas to relax, I can tap in to the system from home. So I do. Only to find the manual cover is missing the image. Awesome.

9:00pm -- call Thomas. His pissy wife answers as if 9:00 is so late and I am the rudest woman she has ever met. Talk to Thomas. Give him three options: send a manual with an incorrect image, noting the factory will still delay and make me revise tomorrow; send the manuals tomorrow, one day should not delay the shipment that much; or, drive the 7 minutes it takes me to get to the office and fix the manuals, send them to the factory, and call it a night.

9:05pm -- back in the car, heading back to work. Thomas has told me it is my decision as what to do and he will live with the decision I make. Bastard. Doesn't he know me at all?! Lord knows I could never have slept the night know the shipment would be delayed and ultimately due to my manuals and warranties. Not to mention the disappointment Thomas and Dan (his boss, who someone cleverly cc'ed on the damn email, and for whom I have total respect) would have in me.

9:12pm -- arrive at work. Walk through the creepy dark building to my desk, wondering if Al the Security Guy will be making a special visit to see what I'm up to.

9:14pm -- computer has booted, Outlook has loaded, warranties are sent. On to the manuals.

9:25pm -- manual covers fixed, sent to factory.

9:27pm -- computer shut down, back down the creepy dark hallways, have a nice little chat with Al the Security Guy about how "when China calls, China calls", wish him a pleasant evening, and head back out into the cold to my car.

9:35pm -- home again.

I will now sit on the couch with my ice cream (which after the first two bites isn't even any good) and see how many times James Gandolfini says "fuck" in the next episode of The Sporanos.

And to the appliance team, never forget that while I may be a shared service, I do care.