![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
There's A New Boy In Town
Aug. 27th, 2004 08:28 amHere's a story that's kind of gotten lost in the shuffle.
As we were planning for the new team, we hired an new fellow. Greg had interviewed him, and found that his previous job gave him a lot of experience that we, frankly didn't have, and he would be good for our new product. I was kind of worried that he'd be bored - and he probably is, because our work is rather simplistic compared to the testing and accounting work he's done. Greg told me that as he was interviewing Rick, he couldn't stop thinking that he was talking to me. There's a similar way of saying things, and a off-beat sense of humor.
So Rick went of to new employee training and we didn't see much of him. When Greg left, Rick was assigned to my group. I knew that he came here for Kansas City, and he had once worked with our data vendor, so I bet the training was boring the life out of him. When he got back to our group, we put him on our marketing callouts and left him there because our product launch had been delayed.
Rick, we've found out is about 41, he's somewhat stocky with a comb-over that really should be killed. I'm sure it worked for the last few years, but now it really looks like a comb-over. He does look like he may have played some football a long time ago, out in his native Iowa. If you shaved his head and made him grow a goatee...you might have something there.
Now I know a lot about the people on my team. We have worked together for a long time, some of us for more than 3 years, a couple of them I trained before that. I know that John's wife is pregnant with their second child, Zack is going through a divorce and fighting for custody, Yohan likes asian girls and his cats...so on. We get to know each other, mainly because I keep the lines of communication open and don't stress that the team should be so PC. These guys (and one gal) know me, know about Chris, and are often asking me if I'm headed to Dallas for the weekend.
Well, Rick moved here from Missouri, and many of us wondered why. We knew that the bank he was working from did some layoffs, but still, Houston? Rick said that he was building a house in Kingwood, which is in far Northeast Houston. i asked why and he said he liked the woods and that you could build a large custom house there, where as in the city, the same money would buy you a lot less house. I could understand. Many of the teammembers own houses out in far flung parts of the city.
Rick had the plans for his house on his desk one day, and we started to talk about it. The house was two stories, and seemed to have four bedrooms and a game room. I said that it's a lot of space. Any kids? He said no. A small feeling crept up in me, but I didn't listen to it. i should have.
"So," I said, seeing his wedding ring, and speaking loud enough (as usual) that others around me could here. Our cubicle farm doesn't allow for much privacy, and often people overhear, and sometimes join in. "So, just you and that wife?"
He politely told me, "No, no wife."
I suddenly understood that little feeling in the back of my head and knew I should try to recover, quickly. "Oh, well...It's a nice house."
Smooth. i think I had just outed him to anyone smart enough to put two and two together. I sent an apology email, but really, i came to find that he didn't mind it too much. Most people seemed to be oblivious. Still, I took him out to lunch a couple of days later and we talked about it. When he and his hubby, Troy, were laid off from the band, his hubby found a job at Administaff, a company that's based up in Kingwood. It took Rick a little longer to find a job here in Houston.
Again it's nice that our little gay group is growing here. Rick knew early on that I was gay (bear flag at the desk), but we discussed some of the others around the floor. We've chatted about a few things, including the Olympics - but he's more interested in the gymnasts while I like the wrestlers. Silly stuff.
I also notice that he's opened up to the rest of the team lately, which is good. I went out to lunch with Rick and Monica and monica asked "So you guys (meaning Rick and Troy) have been trying to buy furniture for the house?". I'm glad he's becoming one of the guys, so to speak.
I saw Greg the other day and had to let him in on my finding. I said, "You know how you were remarking that Rick seemed a lot like me? Well you didn't know how much." He laughed.
As we were planning for the new team, we hired an new fellow. Greg had interviewed him, and found that his previous job gave him a lot of experience that we, frankly didn't have, and he would be good for our new product. I was kind of worried that he'd be bored - and he probably is, because our work is rather simplistic compared to the testing and accounting work he's done. Greg told me that as he was interviewing Rick, he couldn't stop thinking that he was talking to me. There's a similar way of saying things, and a off-beat sense of humor.
So Rick went of to new employee training and we didn't see much of him. When Greg left, Rick was assigned to my group. I knew that he came here for Kansas City, and he had once worked with our data vendor, so I bet the training was boring the life out of him. When he got back to our group, we put him on our marketing callouts and left him there because our product launch had been delayed.
Rick, we've found out is about 41, he's somewhat stocky with a comb-over that really should be killed. I'm sure it worked for the last few years, but now it really looks like a comb-over. He does look like he may have played some football a long time ago, out in his native Iowa. If you shaved his head and made him grow a goatee...you might have something there.
Now I know a lot about the people on my team. We have worked together for a long time, some of us for more than 3 years, a couple of them I trained before that. I know that John's wife is pregnant with their second child, Zack is going through a divorce and fighting for custody, Yohan likes asian girls and his cats...so on. We get to know each other, mainly because I keep the lines of communication open and don't stress that the team should be so PC. These guys (and one gal) know me, know about Chris, and are often asking me if I'm headed to Dallas for the weekend.
Well, Rick moved here from Missouri, and many of us wondered why. We knew that the bank he was working from did some layoffs, but still, Houston? Rick said that he was building a house in Kingwood, which is in far Northeast Houston. i asked why and he said he liked the woods and that you could build a large custom house there, where as in the city, the same money would buy you a lot less house. I could understand. Many of the teammembers own houses out in far flung parts of the city.
Rick had the plans for his house on his desk one day, and we started to talk about it. The house was two stories, and seemed to have four bedrooms and a game room. I said that it's a lot of space. Any kids? He said no. A small feeling crept up in me, but I didn't listen to it. i should have.
"So," I said, seeing his wedding ring, and speaking loud enough (as usual) that others around me could here. Our cubicle farm doesn't allow for much privacy, and often people overhear, and sometimes join in. "So, just you and that wife?"
He politely told me, "No, no wife."
I suddenly understood that little feeling in the back of my head and knew I should try to recover, quickly. "Oh, well...It's a nice house."
Smooth. i think I had just outed him to anyone smart enough to put two and two together. I sent an apology email, but really, i came to find that he didn't mind it too much. Most people seemed to be oblivious. Still, I took him out to lunch a couple of days later and we talked about it. When he and his hubby, Troy, were laid off from the band, his hubby found a job at Administaff, a company that's based up in Kingwood. It took Rick a little longer to find a job here in Houston.
Again it's nice that our little gay group is growing here. Rick knew early on that I was gay (bear flag at the desk), but we discussed some of the others around the floor. We've chatted about a few things, including the Olympics - but he's more interested in the gymnasts while I like the wrestlers. Silly stuff.
I also notice that he's opened up to the rest of the team lately, which is good. I went out to lunch with Rick and Monica and monica asked "So you guys (meaning Rick and Troy) have been trying to buy furniture for the house?". I'm glad he's becoming one of the guys, so to speak.
I saw Greg the other day and had to let him in on my finding. I said, "You know how you were remarking that Rick seemed a lot like me? Well you didn't know how much." He laughed.
