My home away
from home
My home away
from home
My usual work pose is shown at right, if you adjust for hair length, degree of sleep deprivation, and lighting conditions (natural sunlight by day, unnatural monitor glare by night).
The non-stop hilarity in my office is due largely to a string of officemates who seem to get younger every year (in relative and absolute terms!). This year: at long last, a girl!! We plan to redecorate in pink.
Before that, my secretary/DJ was a charming young lad (formerly here) who is proud of his hillbilly heritage and only occasionally menacing ("You'll pay for your insolence! You just wait!") or unnecessarily cruel ("That's what you get.").
Previous 'mates I have outlasted include a Big Red Truck driver,
the king of cool and a crazy monkey (who has
moved
to fairer
shores).
Whiteboard adornments past and present:
NC is the exception to the rule that the exception proves the rule that proves it.
Nancy is the exception that proves that the exception proves the rule. - Ben Bergen, 9/2000 (to present), after this
NANCY CHANG EATS BUGS (strategically placed out of my arm's reach)
"...check to see that nothing horribly awry has gone here" - Johno Bryant, 4/2002
Snippets overheard during EDU research meetings:
...recorded for all time...
Past entertainment: a few thoughts from The Bergen...
My officemate's heartfelt response to my tale of woe, racism and chicken breasts in the 4th grade (but at least he didn't guffaw at the peak of sorrow, unlike some funmeisters):
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 17:30:41 -0700 (PDT) From: bbergen To: nchang , Madelaine Plauche Subject: chicken breasts they are bosoms, but for chickens. -------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2001 17:39:14 -0700 (PDT) From: bbergen To: Madelaine Plauche Cc: nchang Subject: Re: chicken breasts > Is this a Nancy quote? No, but this is: "Why does she think it's a me quote?"
My officemate's heartfelt response to news of my pneumonic state:
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2001 19:26:34 -0700 (PDT) From: Ben Bergen To: Nancy Chang Subject: Still alive? Haven't heard from you, so I'm assuming you've passed on. We'll be holding a memorial service this wednesday instead of the usual NTL meeting. Carter will be performing a collection of international hymns and robert will be accompanying him on the congos. I'll be in a bright green spandex tube-top and loafers. B -------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 17:41:15 -0700 (PDT) From: Ben Bergen To: Nancy Chang Subject: Re: Still alive? yeah, one other thing. why won't you give us the spyplane back? come on.
(I would have appreciated a more lugubrious tone.)
My officemate's heartfelt defense of his afternoon snack:
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 18:07:57 -0800 (PST) From: Ben Bergen To: Nancy Chang Subject: Simma I don't know why everyone's got to get so riled up about a guy who just wants to eat a potato, with some cottage cheese on top and some sausage on top of that. I just don't see what the problem is. -------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 18:56:09 -0800 (PST) From: bbergen To: nchang Subject: Mkay IT'S JUST A POTATO WITH SOME COTTAGE CHEESE AND SOME SAUSAGE!!!! THAT'S ALL!! I DON'T SEE WHAT THE BIG PROBLEM IS!
For the record, I didn't say a thing. I guess it was kinda
weird though.