Badge Follies

About two weeks ago, I left my badge at the gym. It was a gym I don't normally go to, so it meant getting my badge back would be harder than normal. Luckily, the next day, someone turned in my badge, and the nice woman at the local security desk called, and asked if I wanted it sent somewhere. I said that would be lovely, and send it to my normal office. It was to be there by Monday at the latest.

Two Mondays came and went, and still no sign of the badge. I had a 2:00PM meeting in the factory today, and there is a badge office right by the factory. I figured I could kill two birds with one stone here. At 1:15, I headed to the badge office, in the middle of a typical Seattle rain. (This becomes important later.) I park, and get to the badge office at about 1:25, and get in line. At 1:40, I realize I need to leave now if I'm to make it to my meeting on time.

So I leave, and head to the turnstiles with my temp badge. Unfortunately, the temp badge doesn't let me in. And it's raining. I trek along the fence a bit to where there used to be a manned gate. But that's closed now. I trek back to the turnstiles, and still no luck. I trek to the badge office, and they tell me to try again. By now, it's about 1:55, and I'm soaking wet.

I go back to the badge office, and they let me in through the back door. Now I'm inside the fence. But, I'm on the far west side of the building, and my meeting is on the far east side of the building. (East-West length is about 1.1 miles). I get there 20 minutes late, and almost dry.

But now, 8 hours later, I'm getting a cold. I love my employer just a little less today.