My Dear Work Colleagues…

Yesterday was my last day at work. I did not quit work and I wasn’t let go. No, we are moving location. It kind of makes me sad. We have discussed this big move for nearly two years now and I am 100% that we have made the right decision. As mentioned before hubby is working away three days every single week. Sometimes he has to end up going another day up and down in one day. He has been doing this for almost two years now. You’ll get fed up.

Luckily both my hubby and I work in the same company. This company was setup by him in June 2004. Such a long time ago and it is remarkable how far Socrates has come. Hubby worked so hard for the first four to five years. There wasn’t many people employed, only a few friends he was in college with.

In June 2009 I started working as a helpdesk operator. Back in the day we had our office in the Sligo IT complex. Great memories. There was only a few of us on the helpdesk then. We used to go down for tea or a bite to eat in the canteen downstairs. Grabbing a sandwich or a scone. Our phone system wasn’t as good as it is now. I remember the times where you received call after call and our logging system was packed with open calls. How times have changed.

December 2010 I attended one of many work Christmas party in the Glasshouse in Sligo town. I remember it like it was only yesterday. Me and Dermot actually stayed overnight in the hotel even though we only lived down the road. The view was amazing. That winter we actually got a good bit of snow as well. At that point we were only around 20 people who attended the party. Still a small business.

The following year we moved office. We actually moved into an office that is located right beside the estate we live in. What are the chances. Unfortunately there was fencing around it, so you still had to drive around it. But overtime we figured out there was a shortcut through the estate next door. Now you can actually literally walk into the door from our estate. About a year ago someone from the estate drove into a fence bit and they haven’t replaced the fence since. Slowly everyone became wind that you can walk through it. If I wouldn’t have to drop the kids off to creche each morning, it would take me basically 3 minute to get work and that’s walking.

We first had a few offices in the building upstairs. Again, so many memories. From playing on the mini pool table at Christmas, stuffing our face with Butlers chocolate, working on the American helpdesk for a few weeks which meant late hours, spending a couple of weeks in New York supporting our American product back then, a work colleague and great friend and I wobbling around the office because we were both pregnant at the same, fighting on toilet trips, drinking tea and eating biscuits ’till we drop, creating a million custom forms, playing Xbox in the lunch area, having a chat between calls when we were clearly too loud (apologies to my helpdesk manager at this end), that air con (I have  no words for it other than it ruined my neck facing it with my back), playing one and the only tag rugby game, having the craic in the afters of tag rugby,  Summer BBQ’s in our house, to keeping track of hardware orders. I am sure I am missing a whole lot more but it is hard to list every little thing.

We dropped in employee size and the office was too big for us. We moved downstairs at the end of January last year and so did our lovely air con. It hasn’t worked since and we’re all sweating through the summer, windows wide open, all doors open, every fan possible turned on. Those were the days. The reason why I remember the move so well, is because I actually went in labour one day later with Chloe.

We started making more memories. We had our first employee appreciation day last summer. What a lot of fun it was, drinking alcohol during working hours, having a table tennis tournament and of course not to forget singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Thomas the Tank Engine with helium. For Halloween we had a party in our office too. My great work colleague and friend Sandra and I dressed up as Mario and Luigi. We even won a prize.  An amazing job was done with the decoration and organisation those two days. For Christmas we went all out. I actually stayed in the office until late in the evening time to get it decorated with a few other work colleagues. If I remember right we even got pizza. Cracking evening after a busy day on the helpdesk anyway.

I will actually miss my little desk in the corner. My computer which crashes at least once a day due to a problem with the connector of my monitor cable. I need a bit of drama everyday. I am going to miss looking at the phone system on the wall, knowing who is going to call next. I will definitely miss all the random conversations we had. Again not to forget the huge consumption of biscuits and cake. How I haven’t put on two stone is beyond me. The afternoon is our low, this is where the sweets and chocolate comes out.

What I will probably miss most, is ask questions in the round to solve the issue when I might not know the answer. In the other office they support a different patient management software, so only option is going to be Lync. I know Louise will love me for messaging her all the time. At least she will appreciate me not flicking the finger at her anymore. She got into the habit of doing it now. (HAHA) I have to dedicate a line to our small kitchen. It might be small but we can make tea, toast, porridge and coffee in it. We even have a sit down area in it. A lot of events happened in it with one being my leaving cake ceremony. This was a complete surprise to me. My dearest friend Sandra was so nice and baked us all not just one but TWO tasty apple pies for yesterday afternoon. It was all gone within minutes.  Everyone started disappearing and logging off their phones… I didn’t know what was going on. They presented me with a card and the cake. What a touching idea.

Yesterday evening we all went for a last meal together. I was quite surprised how many people were able to make it considering it was only organised a week ago. People do have busy lives. In total we were 12 for the dinner but there were more for the drinks after. I didn’t last too long. I had so much food that the drink didn’t really mix well with it. I only had two drinks and I didn’t like my cocktail at all. I ended up going home at 00.30am. (I didn’t “fire the drinks into me” unfortunately, John) I had to get up early anyway with the kids jumping up and down from anytime after 7am.

I have been working in this company for over seven years now and I will continue doing so but in a different office and with different people. Every single person I met over the last seven years in the Sligo office have been more than just work colleagues to me. We have all developed a friendship. The office is like a big family. We have such a nice atmosphere to work in. A new girl started on the helpdesk around six or seven month ago. Her grandparents are German. I only started getting to know her now which is a shame really. I am sure I will adjust to the new place quite quickly too but it won’t be the same that’s for sure.

Guys, we will definitely meet again… whether that’s at the house warming party (shhh, hubby is not aware of a house warming party whatoever but we will have to have some sort) or at the Christmas party. I know some of you work in the Dublin office a few days a week anyway. It has been lovely working with you all over the last seven years. Don’t miss me too much. haha