Visitor Center crew from left to right: Alicia, myself, Autumn and Katie.
I don’t know why but ever since Katie and I began working at the Visitor Center (about 5 years ago for both of us) our co-workers can’t keep us straight. These co-workers don’t work in the same building with us, but they should know our roles and responsibilities by now. It’s annoying and when it happens we roll our eyes (because they can’t see us) and gently remind them of who does what.
A new twist:
Last week one of Katie’s temp staff, Amanda, casually says to me “Dorian says hi.” I stop sorting paper and try to recall if I know anyone named Dorian. That’s a pretty unique name it should ring a bell, but it doesn’t.
“Who?” I ask her to repeat his name.
“Dorian” some last name I’ve never heard. “He went to school with you.
I mull this over some more and am clearly stumped. “What does he look like?”
But Amanda has moved on and she half heartedly describes him “he’s this tall (gesturing to a guy about 5’ 10”)and has blondish hair”. Since that pretty much describes just about every guy I’ve ever met I drop the conversation. I spend the next hour or two feeling like an oaf for forgetting this person.
But then…
Later in the afternoon a package arrives and Amanda brings it to me. I can’t hear conversations that happen at the front desk or up near Katie’s office very well in my office. (I’m in the far back.) But Autumn appears soon after Amanda returns to the front desk with a puzzled expression.
She tells me that after Office Depot dropped off the paper Amanda asked her supervisor, Katie, what she should do with the package. Katie looks at it and says, “It looks like the paper Autumn’s been waiting for- bring it to her.”
Autumn’s office is between mine and Katie’s office. And I do recall her squealing with delight (she loves packages and has been waiting to finish a project with this paper) “Oh goody it’s finally here!”
But Amanda marches right past Autumn’s office and brings it to me. “You got a package!”
So here Autumn and I are standing in my office with a roll of paper between us trying to piece everything together. “Autumn, do you know someone named Dorian?” She slowly nods and we realize that Amanda has us confused. How do we delicately UN-confuse her with embarrassing her?
Autumn waits about 10 minutes and then visits with Amanda at the front desk. “So I heard you talking to Krista about Dorian, I know Dorian too! How is he doing?
She’s not convinced it’s cleared up yet… perhaps more to come?
