Punk'd

About 1:45 this afternoon, my co-workers and I were sitting quietly at our desks working, when Big Brother came over the loudspeaker to make an announcement. Due to the inclement weather, we were being sent home at 3 p.m. A chorus of yelps were heard throughout the marketing and merchandising department, including my own. I think I lifted my hands in the air and said "testify!"

Three minutes later, an email rolled into my inbox. It was a meeting invite to Matt and I from my boss. The meeting titled, "budget revisions," was set for 3:30 p.m., thirty whole minutes after LifeWay goes on lock-down. I hollered over my cube at Matt, and told him to check his email. What the heck?

He walked over slowly, and looked just as dumbfounded as I did. We said things like, "can you believe this?" and "why would he do this," and "is this a mistake, and "a meeting of this nature could last hours." About that time, Nathan walked past and I yanked him into my office. Swiveling my computer screen around, I exclaimed, "you've got to see this!" Nathan, of course, laughed. He thought it was hilarious that I was so happy to get a teensy bit of a snow day, only to have it yanked out from beneath my feet.

I picked up the phone and ordered Courtney over. She saw it and gasped. How could this be??? Courtney said, "surely not. He was probably in the bathroom or something when the announcement was made."

I looked up at Matt with desperation and said, "what are we going to do???" He said, "let's go talk to him. C'mon." As I stood up from my chair, I glanced at Courtney and said, "oh, we can't! He clearly wants us to stay." "You're right," she commented. "You don't want him to think you aren't committed."

"Well, at least give him a call and ask him what this is about," Matt said.

I picked up the phone, and dialed my boss' number. "So," I said casually. "Tell me about this budget revision meeting this afternoon."

My boss laughed and said, "April fools." Puzzled, I looked up as Courtney and Matt are rolling on the floor with laughter. I'm confused....were you two in on it? About that time, Nathan waltzes by laughing, and I walk over to my boss to demand an answer. He's already outside his office doubled-over in laughter. Courtney and Matt tell him that they almost got me to go over to his office like the Spanish inquisition.

I've been going on and on about the weather all week long, so they thought they'd pull a fast one on me. Well, it worked, and it was hilarious. But it's on. They don't know who they're messing with.

Courtney and I are probably even. After our big interoffice Thanksgiving lunch, I placed all of the leftover rolls in Courtney's desk drawers. She didn't find them until about a week later...and I heard her scream down the way when she finally did. By that time, they were crumbly and hard as a rock.

Matt and I are definitely even. I've tormented him since day one. See here.

I have an understanding with Nathan. It's called, don't mess with him and he won't mess with you. Unless you count the time that I jammed Twizzlers into his phone cradle or hid his chicken biscuit...

And my boss? He gets a "Get out of Jail FREE" card." Why? Because he's my boss.