Party! (Store)

When the cat’s away, the mice will play. And when someone on my team goes on vacation, they get pranked.

It’s become sort of a tradition to have some sort of shenanigans awaiting anyone who is returning from vacation. I’ve had rice in my drawer and Saran wrap around every item in my cubicle, and last week, we filled a coworker’s cubicle up with balloons.

Next week, my coworker Ryen will be going to Hawaii. I had what I thought was a genius idea: turn his cubicle into island paradise (complete with beach sand) so that when he returned to work he could pretend he was still on Maui. On lunch, Bob and I visited a local party supply store to see what we could get to put the prank in motion. We found limitless island-esque items that would be perfect for a luau, but the decorations proved to be expensive.

After looking around awhile, we decided that this was NOT going to be a worthwhile prank due to cost (breathe your sigh of relief, Ryen). We wandered around the store for awhile, trying to come up with an idea that wouldn’t be so financially tasking, but didn’t really come up with much.

And that’s when I saw them.

Tucked in a corner of the store were all these display setups. It looked like photography sets in a studio. We guessed that the equipment must be for rent to use as props at dances and weddings and such. For some reason, I was struck with a sudden desire to pose in the different displays. It felt like cheating, like using a backdrop meant for paying customers and getting myself photographed for free, but I did it anyway. Handing over my iPhone, I posed next to the sets while Bob snapped pictures of me.

This one made me think of a school dance:

This one was more wedding-y:

We left the store empty-handed, but I had my fantastic photos safely stored on my phone.

I don’t know if we’ll actually pull a prank on Ryen or not. The whole thing seems to have lost its appeal to me. The hijinks are expected now. Maybe it’s time to throw in the towel and give up pranking for good.

You know, unless I get a really great idea before he comes back to work.

Keeping Monday Fresh

Recently, the bf and I took a week-and-a-half long road trip for our spring vacation. We stopped first in SoCal to visit family, enjoyed a night in Vegas, then headed on to Moab, Utah for some hiking and sightseeing in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Paul took some really fantastic photos, and except for his having a cold through most of the trip, the vacation was very enjoyable.

When I returned to work on Monday morning, I admit I expected shenanigans. It’s sort of a tradition in our group to prank one another. I may or may not have wallpapered a coworker’s cubicle with pink My Little Pony wrapping paper while he was gone. Last time I was on vacation last October, I came back to an entire desk drawer full of rice.

As soon as I came around the corner, I was confronted with my grinning coworker, camera in hand (ok it was actually his smart phone, videotaping me, but anyhoo….). I glanced around, a bit nervously, knowing something was going to happen and it was going to be worthy of a second appearance on YouTube. I walked to my desk….and found it was covered in Saran Wrap.

(Watch the video of my discovery here.)

In the last few days I have managed to unwrap the majority of my belongings, but I’ve left the canopy up. I like it not just because the people around me are complaining a little about the glare, but because it seems to trap heat and my little desk is nice and warm now and I can drink iced tea without needing a sweater. I had the brilliant idea to write on my Saran Wrap Canopy, which now bears my name in red marker and a cute little drawing of Snoopy in a baseball cap.

Beware, gentle coworkers. I will get you back. Mark my words, I will.