Today is the day I plan to bear down and work at work. Don’t tell my boss(es) lest you destroy the equilibrium within our office.

Here is what I decided last night — The good thing about missing being with someone is at least it makes you feel like you are alive, or possibly capable of emotion. I occasionally prefer to think of myself as a rock, or maybe an island. But maybe I am part of the continent afterall.

I’m taking a little break from my current obsession. It’s more or less complete, and I am more or less pleased. I think I will send out some announcement/feedback request emails today, see what folks I know have to say.

Oh, and here’s the only interesting thing going on at work. The best part is in my head I will be pretending I’m Tony Montana of Scarface.

One of the postdocs here is sending out a survey to 2,000 physicians. (Sending out a large survey is kind of a pain in and of itself. No one seems to ever be able to conceptualize that there may not be 4,000 manila envelopes with the hospital logo (one to send out and one for return) lying around in stock whenever they want.)

I digress, however. The important part is this particular survey will have a crisp two-dollar bill inside each envelope to guilt the recipient into replying. (Surveys show (well not this one) that cash talks and responses go up). The institute accountants are freaked out that we will be handling cash at all, since there is no mechanism for cash transactions beyond $45 petty cash. None. It’s like we invented currency with this request. Add to that edginess the potential of our having $4,000, yup 4Gs, lying around and there is the kind of tension that preceded the Brink’s robbery.

Here’s an excerpt from an email I got about it:

I propose the following for your consideration.
1, That a group of two or more work in a locked office and provide Mark with the room number and dates so that Security can come by to check on you.

A locked room with one or two people stuffing envelopes? How many drug trafficking movies has this guy watched?