Yes, you read correctly... My office is kicking off the Dog Days of Summer with "Bring Your Dog to Work" day at the office. For the most part, the dogs are well behaved (even while most of them run loose) but every now and then, one triggers my misophonia. With all the exposed wooden architectural beams/structure, I hear the clickity-clack of their paw nails on the wooden floor above my head / desk, the high-pitched whining of the dogs trying to get their masters' attention (I can just picture the dogs crying, "Stop working and play with me!!!) I couldn't believe it but I even heard my old pod-mate's dog loudly lapping his water bowl in my old location a floor below. (Thank goodness I moved up to the mezzanine level, otherwise that water bowl would've been right next to my desk!)
All this week, I had been so distracted with what was going on with my car that I kept forgetting my favorite, noise-cancelling earbuds. (I put them in my jeans pocket when I scrambled to collect the stuff from my car on Saturday before the body shop owner drove me to pick up my rental car.) For the most part, leaving my earbuds home hasn't been too much of a big deal. Much of the office has been out this week, either on business trips or on an early summer vacation, but as soon as I heard my coworker's dog lap up her water this morning, the trigger noise was so loud and annoying (she was a very thirsty dog), I was thankful that I finally remembered my earbuds today.
That in itself created a funny situation because, as I mentioned in previous posts, those earbuds are so good that I don't hear anything around me. Unlike my previous location where I faced people as they approached me, now my desk is situated so that I face away from the entrance of my area. I have a tiny, convex mirror just above my computer monitors that, when I actually look at it, I can see people behind me. For the most part though, unless someone stands in my peripheral view or taps me on the shoulder, I'm completely oblivious to my surroundings. So, this morning, after the dog started lapping away at her water, I plugged myself into my Lita Ford album and a little while later, I sort of barely heard one of my coworkers behind me try to get my attention. I unplugged myself and before he asked me what he came up to talk about, he asked what is the best way to get my attention, since I don't like sound. I told him that it's not that I don't like sound, only certain sounds, but he could either wave his hand in my peripheral view, tap me on the shoulder, or even toss something above my head. (I said the last thing in jest, because I had friends who would throw a crumpled up piece of paper or a rubber band at me to get my attention.) Again, all I can say is that I'm glad that my coworkers are very understanding of my condition. He could have just as easily gotten annoyed that I was "plugged in" and walked away in a huff, instead of asking the best way to approach me.
Anyway... Going back to "Bring Your Dog to Work" day... Don't get me wrong about what I said earlier. I like dogs and my coworkers' dogs are really cute and friendly. If it weren't for the fact that my shoulder has been bothering me after the accident, I might have even brought my cockatiel into the office for today's event. I can just imagine how popular my remote location would have been with all the dogs in the office if I had done that. Then again, whereas all the dogs have been relatively quiet (other than a random whine or slobbering here and there), I don't see how I could've brought my little guy into the office. As small as he is, he's got a BIG mouth, especially if I leave him alone for a few seconds. I'm not kidding. When I lived in the DC area, I was able to hear him "yelling" after me while I was at the strip mall behind my apartment... I was fifteen floors below him!!! With all the walking around I do at the office coordinating with coworkers, not to mention with all the water I've been drinking for my fitness class, I wouldn't be able to leave him for even a few seconds. He's actually very quiet when he's on my shoulder. I just don't trust that the dogs in the office wouldn't try to jump up near him and freak him out.
Oh well... Maybe one day they'll have a "Bring your Bird to Work" day. LOL!
All this week, I had been so distracted with what was going on with my car that I kept forgetting my favorite, noise-cancelling earbuds. (I put them in my jeans pocket when I scrambled to collect the stuff from my car on Saturday before the body shop owner drove me to pick up my rental car.) For the most part, leaving my earbuds home hasn't been too much of a big deal. Much of the office has been out this week, either on business trips or on an early summer vacation, but as soon as I heard my coworker's dog lap up her water this morning, the trigger noise was so loud and annoying (she was a very thirsty dog), I was thankful that I finally remembered my earbuds today.
That in itself created a funny situation because, as I mentioned in previous posts, those earbuds are so good that I don't hear anything around me. Unlike my previous location where I faced people as they approached me, now my desk is situated so that I face away from the entrance of my area. I have a tiny, convex mirror just above my computer monitors that, when I actually look at it, I can see people behind me. For the most part though, unless someone stands in my peripheral view or taps me on the shoulder, I'm completely oblivious to my surroundings. So, this morning, after the dog started lapping away at her water, I plugged myself into my Lita Ford album and a little while later, I sort of barely heard one of my coworkers behind me try to get my attention. I unplugged myself and before he asked me what he came up to talk about, he asked what is the best way to get my attention, since I don't like sound. I told him that it's not that I don't like sound, only certain sounds, but he could either wave his hand in my peripheral view, tap me on the shoulder, or even toss something above my head. (I said the last thing in jest, because I had friends who would throw a crumpled up piece of paper or a rubber band at me to get my attention.) Again, all I can say is that I'm glad that my coworkers are very understanding of my condition. He could have just as easily gotten annoyed that I was "plugged in" and walked away in a huff, instead of asking the best way to approach me.
Anyway... Going back to "Bring Your Dog to Work" day... Don't get me wrong about what I said earlier. I like dogs and my coworkers' dogs are really cute and friendly. If it weren't for the fact that my shoulder has been bothering me after the accident, I might have even brought my cockatiel into the office for today's event. I can just imagine how popular my remote location would have been with all the dogs in the office if I had done that. Then again, whereas all the dogs have been relatively quiet (other than a random whine or slobbering here and there), I don't see how I could've brought my little guy into the office. As small as he is, he's got a BIG mouth, especially if I leave him alone for a few seconds. I'm not kidding. When I lived in the DC area, I was able to hear him "yelling" after me while I was at the strip mall behind my apartment... I was fifteen floors below him!!! With all the walking around I do at the office coordinating with coworkers, not to mention with all the water I've been drinking for my fitness class, I wouldn't be able to leave him for even a few seconds. He's actually very quiet when he's on my shoulder. I just don't trust that the dogs in the office wouldn't try to jump up near him and freak him out.
Oh well... Maybe one day they'll have a "Bring your Bird to Work" day. LOL!
RSS Feed
