"I need a fainting couch for this one."

[brilligspoons]

therealljidol Week 5: Inconceivable

I am, above most-if-not-all things, a creature of habit. Every morning when I get to work, I log on to my computer, open Outlook, and check my voicemail. Then I open Firefox, load my personal email, LiveJournal, Twitter, Tumblr, the Archive of Our Own (otherwise known as AO3), and a multitude of other websites I use for Actual Work into separate tabs, in that exact order. No deviations, not in the entire year I've been employed at my current job. I get cranky when any of my sites are down for whatever reason and I can't get into them in the morning; I know, I'm predictable (and spoiled) that way.

This morning as I'm going through this routine, I clicked the handy link to AO3 I keep on my journal, but when I switched to that tab, I saw this:



I immediately panicked. My breath caught in my throat, and my heart plummeted into my stomach.

AO3 - blocked? What? WHAT? How could they DO this? Don't they know I depend on my ability to read fanfic during the day to ensure I don't end up screaming bloody murder at someone? How am I expected to work under these conditions? Isn't there something in the Geneva Convention about this sort of situation? It's just not right, I tell you!

Naturally I took to Twitter to express my horror at this despicable turn of events, knowing that my friends would flock to comfort me in my time of need. pocky_slash, who shares cubicle space with me, responded shortly thereafter with the appropriate amount of despair:



I'm still having trouble processing this, an hour and change after discovering this betrayal. The day is ruined. We will spend the next 7 or so hours wandering about the office in a haze of hurt and dejection, and even the knowledge that management is buying us pizza for lunch is no source of comfort. One truth remains: there will be no dawn for men Margaret and Kait.

I feel I should put a disclaimer on this entry: Kait and I do do Actual Work during the day, we swear! The rule in our department is that as long as our to-do lists get done in a timely manner, we're allowed to goof off on the internet as often as we want. As much as we joke about it, we're not actually slackers. Most of the time. ;P

Comments

[whipchick.livejournal.com]

I'm a habit person, too - every morning I wake up and squint at my phone with one eye in bed before putting in my contacts! Great job conveying the need for routine in a humorous way :) And how cool is your work! I love places that use that protocol of "get your work done in your own way as long as it gets done."

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yeah, I appreciate my bosses' tolerance a LOT. I lucked out with them. :)

[pocky_slash.livejournal.com]

::weeps openly::

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

*searches Amazon for fainting couches*

[fluffygremlin.livejournal.com]

You are such a goober.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

*bats eyelashes* You love me, don't front.

[myrna-bird.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a pretty special workplace to me!

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Well, "special" is one way of putting it. ;) It's a pretty awesome place to work for the most part, so I can't complain!

[basric.livejournal.com]

I understand completely. Well written. (=

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[vaguelyclear.livejournal.com]

I'm a creature of habit, too, and I have the same reaction as you if my favourite sites aren't working :D Great entry!

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! :D

[kaaatie.livejournal.com]

I completely relate to this entry. Like you, I slack off some of the day, but still get all my work done, and my boss is cool with that. A few of my favourite sites are blocked at work, but at least I can still access LJ. If they took that away, I may have to find a new job!!

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

I don't know what I'd do if they took LJ away from us. It wouldn't be pretty, that's for sure!

[imafarmgirl.livejournal.com]

I feel like that when LJ goes down. I am beside myself with not knowing what to do.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

LJ being down is the worst!

[noodledays.livejournal.com]

awww, I can imagine the frustration. :o

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

We spent a lot of time turning to each other and going NOOOOOOOOO. It was actually kind of hilarious after a while. XD

[genesisdesire.livejournal.com]

This. All of this. We can't have Twitter/Facebook/etc, because with social networking sites, they are concerned about the plug-ins that the sites carry, and our systems have to be secure.

Thankfully, I have lots of LjIdol and TvTropes to read. Nyaha.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Heeee! I think it's so strange that social networking isn't blocked at ours, considering the HIPAA laws and all that. Just doesn't make any sense to me!

[jacq22.livejournal.com]

No LJ? I would need the fainting couch, I was on Bigbog then lj six years of my life, have seen children of friends grow up, no I would be mortified! Well done, and yes you work in a special place! Great job.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! :)

[monkeysugarmama.livejournal.com]

I hate it when unexpected changes happen!! I wish I were more flexible but it would ruin my dang day too!!

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Ugh, me too! It'd be nice to be able to adjust to things quickly.

[jem0000000.livejournal.com]

Oh no!

"Explicit art", though? You'd think it would say "explicit fanfiction", seeing how much more fic is on there.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

I mean, I guess "explicit art" is probably a blanket term? I would have thought they'd use the ever popular "adult/pornographic content" instead, but IDK.

[ktdid525.livejournal.com]

I have mini panic attacks when one of my sites are down too. However, I don't have a job where I can check on it during the day so instead my husband gets to witness my meltdown haha.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

XD It's always nice to have someone to vent to in times of distress!

[tjoel2]

This was great! I can totally relate to the frustration of note being able to get on a site that you NEED.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And yeah, I feel like this is something that happens to most people who spend their day in front of a computer. XD

[pixie117.livejournal.com]

I am a creature of habit too! I have a smart phone and do nothing from my work computer... I play in the GR, check FB, read Idol entries... all from my phone.

And yes, I still get my work done too :P

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Heeee :) It's surprising how productive you can be when you've got access to little distractions!

[shimmerdream.livejournal.com]

I loved this! It was funny because it's true - I also open sites in a specific order and I'm totally thrown if one of them's down.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad I was able to write something that people could relate to, as silly as it might seem. :D

[fourzoas.livejournal.com]

Fun entry about my greatest first world fear!

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

I feel for you.

[ellakite.livejournal.com]

A couple of years ago, my job installed a firewall on the company network... and every few months, they block something new.

When they cut off my access to LiveJournal... I damned near had a stroke.


I bought my new smartphone with an unlimited data plan less than two weeks later.


Really.

Re: I feel for you.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

I totally don't blame you. I have a smartphone with unlimited data just in case anything else goes down!

[n3m3sis42.livejournal.com]

I so understand. This is how I feel when LJ is down, even now.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

YES. In some ways LJ being down is worse, because that's how I keep up with most of my friends!

[solstice-singer.livejournal.com]

Very mean of them to block such a necessary site. (sad face)

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

It WAS very mean. *pouts*

:)

[xreesex.livejournal.com]

Oh, I feel you. I have my routine, and I can't start my day till it's been satisfied. The days I get bombarded as soon as I walk in the door, without a chance to check my sites, I am "off" the whole rest of the afternoon.

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

It's pretty awful, right? And then I feel silly for being so put off by it. XD

Thanks for reading!

[sweeny-todd.livejournal.com]

I agree with Kait: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

nice story! humourous and well told

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! :)

[malinaldarose.livejournal.com]

I used to make two morning posts to LJ and then check my friendslist at 10:00 and 2:30. The Day They Blocked LJ lives in infamy....

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Oh no! D: That's TERRIBLE. LJ being blocked would be something akin to a fate worse than death.

[phoenixejc.livejournal.com]

Awesome! I could have written this, so much are my habits with windows at work!! Love it!

[brilligspoons.livejournal.com]

Heee, thanks! :D