Steph, maybe you should periodically ask him if he knows what time it is and then turn back to work without asking him what the time is.

Also, sometimes you ask him what time it is, and when he replies predictably say "Okay! What is the time?" and if he checks a clock or anything say "I thought you said you knew what the time was."

Off to read the NYT article.

Re: fish choices, here's a link to the Audubon site and an exciting print out wallet card with the greens, yellows, and reds of seafood eatin'!

My boss is difficult in different ways, depending on the day. Today is Shit Rolls Downhill Day, in which she got shit from her boss for my handling of my coworker's going-away, which she then kindly passed on to me. Luckily, I managed to reframe it from I Fucked Up to There Are No Rules In This Place! Until You Break Them!

Whatever. I'm still convinced I did the exact same thing I've been witnessing since I got here, and don't know what the BFD is. Of course, that didn't stop me from tearing up, thanks to not enough sleep, hormones gone awry, and the imminent departure of my awesome coworker.

Bleh.

Maybe today would have been better if I had started the day with vitamins.

Also, sometimes you ask him what time it is, and when he replies predictably say "Okay! What is the time?" and if he checks a clock or anything say "I thought you said you knew what the time was."

Heh. This is excellent!

Oh, this got away from me this morning. Cindy, I hear that Knights of Prosperity gets better. This is from someone with a friend who's a writer there, so take that for what it's worth.

Also, sometimes you ask him what time it is, and when he replies predictably say "Okay! What is the time?" and if he checks a clock or anything say "I thought you said you knew what the time was."

Heeeeee! Awesome.

This will, however, lead him to subsequently answer "No" to "Do you know what time it is?" requiring the follow-up question "Can you check?" which will then garner a response of "Yes."

Actually, that's probably correct, as hard as it is for this lifelong Bears fan to admit. Although, if they lose to New Orleans, it'll be a lot worse than if they lose in the Super Bowl--one of the local sports news guys said that the whole season would be considered a failure if they lose this weekend.

@@ 4 evah. Not that I'd enjoy it if the Pats lost this weekend (or the Super Bowl, particularly if it was to dah Bears - too much history in that result, both personally and demographically), but I think it's insane not to think making the playoffs - even just the first round - is the sign of a good season (although the NFC was pushing it this year). The Pats were GAWDAWFUL for way too many years for me to take them for granted. Pity the same can't be said for all Pat's fans, but a lot of us seem to keep things in perspective by having a reasonably long memory.

Here's how I would almost certainly respond to the "try to have a good night" and "see you tomorrow...maybe."

"I used to talk like that when I was 13. I could never say 'I'll do a good job' - I'd qualify it with 'I think I can try to do a good job.' But that's because I was weak and indecisive and waffling and unsure of myself when I was 13. Qualifiers are lame. Don't be a qualifier, chatty!coworker. Be a man."

From the NYT thing:

“Having somebody who is really difficult can actually be good for the workplace,” said Jo-Ellen Pozner, a researcher in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern. “If everyone really hates this one person, it becomes the basis of social bonding for the rest of the group.”

Heh.

It finally dawned on me - Chatty!Coworker is a text-based adventure game.