Tidbits for a Tuesday...

I noticed a lot of people have been dragging their feet around today at work. Even one co-worker didn't seem fully awake.

I'm with ya, you guys!

Today was an interesting day.

This afternoon we had a retirement party for one of our long-time co-worker in the building. He was one of the 2 electricians who would repair...anything. For the campus, really.

The other guy retired like a couple years ago.

Left this guy behind.

He's retiring and I think his last day is at the end of this month. We'll miss him.

Anyhoo, a few months ago, I was working in the mailroom, prepping shipments for UPS and the mailroom is by the loading dock where deliveries are made all the time. It's constantly busy.

This one particular morning, it was so noisy! Shouting, banging, clanging and noisy lift (an elevated lift), the truck door slamming and stuff like that. I finally came out of the room I was in, and saw this deaf man and signed to him...."SHHH! It's a library, you know!" in a teasing mood.

He just laughed...and we introduced ourselves but did not have an opportunity to talk. We both had work to do. He was delivering or picking up furniture from the building, and I had to get things shipped out via UPS.

Every now and then, I might see him in the halls, we'd wave hello...

Until today....

I went upstairs with my department co-workers for the retirement party. As I was piling up some yummy food (you know, hummus, spinach/artichoke dip, crab dip, etc), the deaf man came up to me! COOL!

So I quickly finished piling food on my itty bitty plate and went to sit with him. We just chatted away like old friends. Our hands were flying away...and I know many of my co-workers were quite surprised to see that. The deaf man and I talked about everything in general and then I mentioned helping someone move recently only to find out he and his wife knows them! He and a friend were supposed to help with the move but had a family emergency and couldn't make it.

Talk about small world! So it was nice to get to know him better, and I have a feeling his wife did interpret for me (or for my husband???) when I had my kidney stone surgery after my wedding in 2005. She looks very familiar. I would have to meet her in person soon and if I recognize her, then we'll say...very small world!

It was funny though, because he has put in 25 years there at the University and I've put in 20 years. I've heard or knew about him, but never had the opportunity to meet him or be formally introduced. I *think* we are the only 2 deaf people that works there. I do know of a deaf woman but I have not heard anything more about her or if she is still on campus or not. I would have to ask my new friend about her. But if it turns out we are the only 2, then that's really something!

So it was a nice feeling to know that we could get to know each other properly and we just hit it right off. And knowing the same people made it even better ... because I do know we would be seeing more of each other---and my husband would be over the moon meeting him as well. The guys could do football games on TV's while the wives could sit around and just chat away like women always do...

Been invited to see his magic show next month...his wife is an assistant so I've heard many great things about him and his wife and their magic show. Been in this business for 30 years. How awesome. Can't wait to check it out!

That is one of the few good things that has happened today--and giving me something to praise God for.

In spite of that, I am happily....tired. I mean, I know I'll get a good night's rest. With students back at school, the work load has picked up and I'm currently brainstorming with someone in the IT dept to help me create a new way of making a particular program work faster for me and my teammates. I am excited at the possibility of helping my teammates and myself have a quicker, faster, easier way of doing our job.

So, today has been good. Yes sirree...