Efficiency

I have a bit of an obsession with doing things efficiently. I try to find the shortest or fastest route to getting from one place to another. I try to multi-task whenever possible (as we speak I'm watching Lost), in order to get everything done. Usually this characteristic means a fair level of productivity. Well, a few weeks ago the obsession backfired.

I had a meeting I needed to get to at 1:00, but hadn't had a chance to eat yet, so at 12:45 I got my lunch ready and ate it as quickly as possible. As I was rushing to get to my meeting I grabbed my cell phone, notebook, key card and the garbage left over from lunch. I swung into the kitchen and dropped the trash into the nearest garbage can and went on my way.

It wasn't until the end of the day that I realized I didn't know where my phone went. I looked everywhere in the office that I could think of, but ended up heading home without it.

As I was riding the blue line it occurred to me - I must have dumped my phone was in the garbage with my lunch left-overs. I panicked as I realized that the garbage would be emptied in a matter of hours, let alone before I got back to the office.

I ran home and used Shi's phone to call one of my colleagues... on the off chance that she was still in the office. In a brush with luck, she was.

I told her what the situation was and she offered to go to the kitchen, call the phone and listen in the garbage to see if it was there. In another brush with luck, it was.

Sometimes efficiency is a good thing. Other times it makes your co-worker dig in the garbage for your stuff.