Sunday 27 September 2009

George and the Dragon

I think I suffer from a mild dyslexia. Seriously, I am bad at remembering telephone numbers and I haven't been able to accurately memorise my cell yet. I actually realised this the other day when a prospective client asked me for my number. Afterwards I realised I think I gave him somebody elses... O well he now has my card and he will think he probably misheard me. :-)
But yesterday being a Saturday, I went into work to get some stuff done. And the place has an alarm. But knowing myself, when I got my alarm code, i typed it dutifully into my phone. SO I unlocked the front door and swung it open with a flourish and punched in my code. Then at the bottom of the key pad, there are 2 buttons - one is 'stay' and the other 'away'. yes should be obvious, but the Admin / logistics Director who is the only one who issues the codes, when he gave me my code said that it is setup that you punch the same one in and out. So i stared at the keys. 730 on a saturday morning... if I set this alarm off, they will be rousing my boss's boss and his wife from their slumber, so let me not get this wrong... Well never mind that anymore... you know at those massive oil refinery sites or industrial sites where you have those outdoor horn sirens that summon people to work? Our helpful alarm company had installed it in our reception area of about 30m2 and mounted it, give or take about 900mm from my right ear. I can't be sure, but I actually think I felt the wind from the sound waves as it hit my ear and all hell broke loose. I punched at the pad frantically. She screamed at me. #### stay. ####away. ####stayaway ####awaystay stay####away away####stay. The screaming of the blasted thign just seemed to get louder. So I phoned the director directly from my cell to get the overide code, stepping outside where it was marginally quieter. O great, my cell is dead!..o no wait I just can't hear anything out of my right ear... try my left...? Hi... George... (to the groggy voice)... really sorry to wake you and your sleeping wife, sorry about this....and I vanquished the alarm with 4 malicious angry stabs.

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