Out to "Early" Lunch!!

Had training at work Monday morning....so I told M.M. the night before that I would meet him at 8:45 at the visitor's center. We're not technically supposed to park there, but I am all about breaking the rules and keeping the "rent-a-cops" on their toes!! Earlier that morning I got up and ready and headed out the door. Yep, a very rare occurence for me to get up and ready so quickly. On the way to the office I called him, keeping an eye out for the lurking police cruisers just waiting to write me a ticket for talking on the phone and driving. S.M. tells me he is finished getting ready. (Later I find out that he was running around the house like he was on fire looking for his keys. S. tells him to take hers and as she pulls out a set of keys from her purse, Lo and Behold, they are his!! He got caught in traffic and as he got closer to work I think he was doing 110 down the 25 mph school zone road.) So I arrive at 8:45 and he's obviously not there...at 8:50 I see the other attendees enter the traning hall. I know some of them, but I'm still fairly "new" and I want to make a good first impression, and well I can't wait for M. any longer cause it's 8:55. I will let him embarrass himself. I head toward the hall...on the way, I see S.P. and he also asks about M. I tell him he's probably gonna be late so we should head in. It's in the basement of the building and as I get up to get coffee, I pull my phone out and notice a missed call; I must have been out of area as we were in the basement of the building and I didn't hear the phone ring. I called him back and he tells me he just go to the visitor's center. We walk into the hall together and the facilitator stops his lecture, looks over at us and mubles something....I couldn't hear....but the entire room errupts in laughter. The red somehow shows through my lightly colored olive skin. We settle into seats toward the back or the room. 20 minutes later two people walk in and the speak doesn't say a word to them!!! How rude to embarrass us, but spare these two!!! All of a sudden there is a LOUD BOOMING KNOCK on the emergency exit doors. Everyone turns around and looks as me as if to say, answer the door. I get up go over to the door and open it. It is a security guard and by this time I am sure they are coming to get me and M to tell us we parked in the wrong lot. I didn't turn around to see M's face, but I am sure he was shaking in his seat. If the guard asked for us by name, we'd never hear the end of it. Luckily she motions over her shoulder to the catering service employee and he wheels in the refreshments! At last it's break time and time to mingle and snack on the food. We (S, M and me and also by this time our colleague R is with us) are told that we "are free to leave"! He doesn't even finish the phrase by the time we are packed up and halfway up the stairs. It's 10:30 and way too early for lunch. We decide to go out for breakfast...the four of us. We all look at one another...we know if we get caught there would be hell to pay. Other groups are so jealous of our group and would love to highlight the fact that we slack off when we should be working. Our group is split between two different sites that are divided by a wide river, and our department consists of roughly 100 people. We are at one site and our boss is at another...he won't even know we are gone. I mention that I want everyone to swear to secrecy and for covering each of our @$$es. So we go around and each one pledges not the snitch on the others if asked. We decide to go to diner far from the office, you know just so we are not spotted.

When we get there all hell breaks loose...we are wild and obnoxious! Talking about everything under the sun....and the conversations even went into R rated topics and even NC-17. Good thing there were not many customers and even the few that were there quickly finished their meals and walked out...eyeing our table and they left. After 1.5 hours of sitting talking and laughing, we figure we better head back and attempt to do some work. But we were working....working on team building! I really had a great time with you guys...and for sure we'll do it again very soon. Maybe we'll schedule a staff meeting that is offsite...maybe head to the minature golf place too!

A, sorry we didn't invite you....but you were in Beantown. And boss, we'll invite you next time....you just had so many meeting on your calendar!! And M, S or R if I hear anyone mention this to anyone, I am sure you know d@mn well what I will do to you, your wives, or even your kids! That river outside our office could be a nice place to try out those cement boots and the shark infested ocean is a very short boat ride away! Got it, good!!