Sitcom Moment in My Office

Posted by snarfyboy on 20 April 2005 at 08:26 PM

I was in need of something to enter into my blog before the month runs out, and today presented an opportunity. This is the kind of thing that only happens in a sitcom, not real life.

Anyone that spends any amount of time with me usually finds out that I am a not-so-secret Anglophile. I love all things British. Peter Gabriel, Monty Python, Dominic Monaghan, Tea, The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, XTC, "Theatre", The Underground, Queer as Folk, Imperial Pints, Bad Teeth, "Colour", Absolutely Fabulous, Driving on the wrong side of the road, Altoids, Benny Hill, Dominic Monaghan. You name it, if it's British, I love it. Unless it's the food. That I can live without.

This fact has recently come to light at work since one of my co-workers, Ben, went to London and brought me back a "Mind the Gap" magnet from London. I had told him about the Tube's popular safety warning before his trip. This gift prompted me to bring in my matching "No Begging" sign and put that above my inbox. Now my office was turning from geeky decor to British. Or at least a Tube museum.

Because of this, another co-worker, Chris, felt it necessary to search the Internet for more British items to decorate my office with. Chris' office is decked out with Pez dispensers and Simpson's collectibles. Theme decoration is obviously important to him. It also bears mentioning that Chris' office is next to Ben's office. Oh, and it's important to note that Ben's name is, in fact, Ben. Also, Ben is about the same shape as me, except about a foot taller. This is all relevant to where I am going. Chris' name and body size is irrelevant, so don't worry about it. Screw him.

So, there I was, in Chris' office, with him looking up British "items", and it suddenly occurs to me that he is looking for the wrong stuff. I'm not looking for models of British landmarks or a Union Jack to hang in my cubicle. I am fascinated with British culture, not objects.

So I say to him, "Chris, you're looking up the wrong stuff. It's not like Big Ben gets me all excited."

At this, Chris' eyebrows raised up a notch and his eyes focused on something behind me. Suddenly I found myself in the "sitcom moment". I turned around to find what I had already guessed: Ben was standing right behind me. You couldn't have fed me a more awkward line at that moment. This kind of thing just doesn't happen in real life. Well, I guess it does.

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