I couldn't believe it!

[natalie_ca]

I was packing my tote bag this morning and came across some cookies that I bought at a bake sale at work on Friday, which reminded me of something I forgot to tell you about.

Besides the cookies, I also bought a loaf of banana bread which I took into clinic for me, the doctor and my clerk for breakfast. I had the intention of wrapping up the remainder and taking it home and bringing slices of it to work for breakfast this week.

After lunch, my clerk asked if there was anymore banana bread. So I pulled it out of my bag and handed it to her so she could have more.

Well, colour me shocked to find out that she had offered up that bread to several other people which is why she came to get it from me. She had also asked if there were anymore cookies. I told her no!

Needless to say I didn't get to take any banana bread home with me for breakfast this morning

When I think people can't surprise me anymore, someone up and does something that makes me shake my head at the shear rudeness that some people display.

There are a few people I work with that bring things for everyone to nibble on. I've done it too. But if it's a community snack, it's set out on the empty desk in our office, not tucked away in someone's bag.

 

[Winchester]

When we first moved into this building, we were told that if we bring something into work, it is to be shared with everybody in the building. Everybody. It's a government building and there are many offices and departments here.

So that's what we did. Every time we brought in a cake or cookies, we took it back to the main cafe and kept it out for everybody to take a piece.

Only to find out that other depts weren't doing that at all. And the main offices with the secretaries? They were completely off in their own little world doing their own thing and the heck with everybody else.

Needless to say, we bring in what we want and for whom we want. There are six people in my dept and two people in an adjoining dept....that's good enough for us. I'll bring in cookies, enough for us. Or I'll make cupcakes for us. And although they have a main holiday luncheon next month, our dept will also do a small appetizer-type party where we just bring in enough food for ourselves....although truth be told, we usually have enough for a small army anyway.

Several years ago, when I was training a new zoning officer, he knew that I always brought goodies into work to share. And even after he was transferred to another dept, he would call me in the morning to ask if I had any food.

"Aw, c'mon, didn't you bring any muffins into work? How about cookies? Got any cake?"

And if I did....he would walk over from our neighboring building to grab some of whatever I had brought into work....for him AND for his co-workers! It got old quickly and I finally started telling him that I wasn't bringing anything to work any more. I don't mind sharing with people and I'll gladly bake for my co-workers. But mooching is a different story.

 

[otto]

Geesh Linda, the rudeness of people never stops amazing me. I was at my hair dresser the other day and she told me that someone waiting for a client who was having her hair done started ripping pictures out of one of her hair style books. I mean...just tearing them out as if it were a magazine she found in a recycle pile or something.

As she did it she said to my hairdresser: "Oh I hope you don't mind I just LOVE these styles and want to try to copy them". Out of a BOOK.

Anyway back on the bringing in food topic.

I am so glad I no longer work in one place. (I'm itinerant and rarely even go into the office)

When I worked in education, I hated it the way people were always bringing in cakes and cookies and other stuff.

I have no resistance, for one thing. And if I DID manage to resist, I would feel so deprived I would stop at the store on the way home and buy a cake and eat the whole thing.

I don't miss that at ALL!

 

[swampwitch]

Wow! And unless she made a point to tell everyone that you brought in the banana bread (not likely) I'm guessing she's the one who got the kudos from your coworkers, too. How lousy.

 

[natalie_ca]

I love to cook and share baking/snacks and such. Back when I worked in a law firm I used to bake bread and/or cookies all of the time and take them to work. Same at my last job.

However, where I work now, our desks are in what are called "prep rooms". Each room has other desks that sit side by side. The desks are similar to the one in the picture only it has a shelf and a top on it.

The first prep room I sat in had 12 people in it, and the second had 16 people!! Way too many people to even consider bringing food for, so I didn't bother except for once when I made muffins.

The prep room I'm sitting in now has only 6 people in it, a much more manageable number so I bring snacks fairly often, as do others.

A few weeks ago I made a Tai Noodle Salad. It isn't that cheap to make on a larger scale because chicken is pretty pricey, as is the Tai sauce that I use. I made a double recipe which should have been enough for all 6 of us to have it for our entire lunch.

That's not how it turned out.

The mail clerk from the 1st floor came and ate. As did the 2 housekeepers from the 3rd floor (the floor I work on), as did nurses from the main floor who had a clinic up on the 3rd floor, as did doctors from those clinics. It was gone 10 minutes after it was put out.

Four people from the 6 out of my prep room didn't get any of the noodle salad at all. Someone spread the word that I brought lunch for everyone!! Which was so not true! It was brought in for the people sitting in my prep room only, no one else.

I will bring lunch for the 5 other people in my prep room, but next time I'm packaging it up into single serving containers and giving it directly to them. None of this communal stuff.