How to Be a Thoughtful Officemate
food, work March 16th, 2016You know how people get all ragey when someone in the office heats up fish for lunch in the communal microwave?
You know how you want to ask them if there is possibly some other less smelly kind of food they could eat instead? But you don’t dare because it’s considered rude?
Instead, you tolerate the smell that lingers for two hours afterward and pray they don’t want fish again tomorrow. But they do. And you want to murder them. But then they finally retire and you can go about the business of smelling other people’s less offensive food choices.
And you rejoice.
But then, if you’re like me, you worry that your own food might be offensive to someone else and they’re just not telling you because rude.
And then you get all paranoid because you really like your food choice, but you don’t want the smell to permeate the entire floor of your building when you heat it in the microwave inside your office.
So what’s a gal to do?
You do this.
I’m so paranoid now about my breakfast and lunch smells that I’ve taken to blocking the wide crack under my door during cooking, and for half an hour after. Because I’m thorough. And paranoid. And weird. Yet thoughtful.
The only problem is I don’t know if it’s working because, you know, I’m inside with my food smell and don’t know if I’m truly blocking it from seeping out. I’ll have to call someone on the other side of my floor and ask “Hey, do I stink down here?”
I’m also guilt-ridden because a friend knitted the shawl that I’m using on the filthy floor as a smell blocker and she’ll only know about it if she reads this blog post. Heather, if you’re reading, I swear I’m going to bring in an old towel instead so that I can go back to wearing the shawl instead of using it to keep my food odors from the noses of others.
Gotta keep the peace, right?
Stumble it!
March 17th, 2016 at 7:34 am
The smelliest are:
1.) Tuna fish; and
2.) Leftover broccoli.
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March 17th, 2016 at 7:58 am
I can honestly say, I’ve never smelled anything coming from your office, even before you started doing this. Much ado about nothing.
Of course, now you’ve got me worrying about my food choices…
March 17th, 2016 at 8:37 am
PLEASE come and work with me. You sound wonderful. People are so UNAWARE where I work. We have people who crunch ice and smack their lips all day, people who come in wafting of awful perfume, people who clear loogies all day. Awful!!!
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March 17th, 2016 at 1:58 pm
Had a coworker who use to add a can of tuna to his Ramon noodles. Talk about smell! Everyone in the building would complain.
March 17th, 2016 at 4:18 pm
Vanessa — Agreed on both counts. And the person who eats leftover broccoli is destined for a gaseous aftermath. Serves them right.
Grant — Good to know, except Jason said he does smell it from the distance I do (over by the glass-enclosed stairs). I still worry. You know me!
halfa1000miles — I hate all those things too! You would love to work with me and my two sisters, who are equally self-aware and don’t want to inconvenience others. We are a thoughtful bunch! About the perfume, I know some offices post signs that read “Fragrance-free zone.” I love that idea. I wish we could hang signs for “Reheated fish-free zones” too!
Tonya — There is no place for fish of any kind in an office, unless it’s right out of the can or pouch. It should never be heated because ragey co-workers!
March 20th, 2016 at 1:54 am
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March 21st, 2016 at 4:52 pm
If more people were like you, the world would be a happier place. The worst is broccoli. Thanks to a coworker, it smelled like a sewage leak one day. Sadly, I don’t know if a door stopper would stop it, but at least the effort would be there!
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April 9th, 2016 at 12:32 pm
I love how no one has mentioned this is what stoners usually do when they wish to hotbox a room. 🙂 now you have something else to be paranoid about! (Sorry!)
April 21st, 2016 at 12:27 am
I have it here a warning comment.
Do not eat it the Punjab Cricket. If eat it then a problem of a bad smell gas happen. One time my woman friend Smupa eat it the Punjab Cricket. She then have it the bad smell gas for 4.5 days. For this time she not want to have a fun time in the bed at the night. Not good my friend.
June 22nd, 2016 at 3:31 am
great article I can apply to my website here|
August 25th, 2016 at 3:33 am
I think it does not need too thorough so.
September 15th, 2016 at 11:37 am
One of my colleagues would bring in left over Malaysian fish dishes that added a tamarindy, soy, heaven knows what to the overwhelming fishyness. 3 Minutes in the microwave, 7 days lingering in the office. Phew Whee!
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September 26th, 2016 at 12:51 pm
Very Smart Article Kathy. One should be careful with foods in the office considering other people’s comfort
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