Sure, we all hate our cubicle jobs, most of us yearn for something more, or at least a nice vacation…but what are the little things that happen during the day that make the job tolerable?
Today I had to drive in to work in the driving rain…and for some reason, I love it. I feel all warm and safe in my little car, with my coffee, my favorite morning radio show on.
Plus my closest cow-orker is out of the office so I can listen to my radio at my desk today.
It’s the little things… you know? 
Crosswords, cigarettes, clients/customers who are really angry, but really wrong at the same time.
I like to start the day by drinking a good cup of tea, something I can really savor. Good tea is a beautiful sensory experience: the aroma, the taste, the feeling of hot, hot liquid in the pit of your belly—not to mention that little thrill of gratitude from my body as it absorbs the caffeine… If there’s a better way to kick off your morning, I have not discovered it.
I like to listen to This American Life episodes online while doing menial tasks. It makes me look forward to grading problem sets, alphabetizing exams, and that kind of stuff, instead of dreading it.
Sdmb
SDMB, I-tunes set to shuffle all day long, a warm cozy bowl of soup for lunch today.
I love the iTunes shuffle, and I have all the Ricky Gervais shows on a playlist. That’s a good way to get through accounting.
My desk is situated in a very weird area of my workplace - I’m the only one who gets FM radio reception! And, they just added Ginger Ale down in the cafeteria! It’s work - it doesn’t get much better than that. 
I’m just the opposite. I get to look out and see all the drivers going nowhere fast in a trafic jam as the train scoots along at 70 MPH. Doesn’t hurt to know that most of them will pay more to park for the day (not to mention gas and bridge tolls) than the regular round-trip train fare.
Aside from that, I was able to finagle a cube next to a window at our last “re-stack.” The view is the side of a parking ramp, but at least I get natural light. And no parade of people walking past all day long.
When I check my email and see “Doughtnuts in the kitchen”.
Podcasts of Manic Mondays, Freakin’ Funny Music, and Penn Jillette’s radio show. And the half-decent mocha java our coffee machine spits out.
I was beginning to think I was the only podcast listener to that show. Love me some podcasts.
I listen to that LIVE! LIVE BABY! I find it gets a touch too self righteous, but I mostly enjoy it. Right before Steve Dahl. Great afternoon radio!
Oh yes, donuts are just about the best thing that can ever happen in the morning.
Donuts and a nice French Press full of dark roast with half and half. I have the coffee no matter what, but anything in the pastry family is a bigtime bonus.
Best. Radio. Show. Ever.
At my old job, when I had to commute an hour a day, I would record one episode from the web site each morning and listen to the first half on the way to work and the second half on the way home. It made the commute a pleasant experience, and gave me interesting food for thought to keep my mind distracted from the hours of wage-slave drudgery. I probably got through about 90% of the archives, which date back to 1995.
Mine are pretty simple, the German girl and the Irish girl. I do software support and we have clients in Germany and Ireland that call from time to time. The German girl is named Berbel and we talk for a bit when she calls. The other girl has a name that I cannot spell and can barely pronounce (thankfully it comes up in our case tracking software) and she is way cool as well. It’s a nice little break and they both have great voices (i.e. they sound really hot*).
There is another woman who calls that I enjoy talking with. She had a very serious problem** one night and I got it resolved pretty quickly. Since then she thinks I’m ‘the bees knees’, a direct quote. We talk about all kinds of non-work related stuff. She’s offered to put me up for free the next time I head out that way and I am planning on going out there in a couple months, though I can’t stay for free as it is against company rules. I can accept room upgrades and she is the GM…
Slee
*Yeah, I know that sounds shallow but it is true.
**She was doing an upgrade and it toasted the databases. I managed to get it all cleaned up in short order and got the upgrade to work. She was extremely happy about that.
I really like it when an asshole customer comes through. It’s entertaining, and while I do my best to treat everyone the same it takes the pressure off a little because I don’t have to worry about whether I’ll make them happy because the answer is guaranteed to be a big fat no. And then you can laugh about them later. I don’t know ANY people who agree with me on this. Odd.
I agree with you! (see Post #2) - as I say, it’s only those irrationally aggressive types without a leg to stand on though. If they have a comedy voice that’s a bonus.
I really love it when my ‘bad vibe’ about another workmate comes true.
There was a guy who worked here last year who I thought was the biggest arsehole in the world, but everyone else just luved him, because he was so charming and sweet to all the ladies, heh.
Today in our local paper was a report about how is is up on murder charges against another inmate in the prison where he was serving time on remand for undisclosed offences…but I am guessing they might be drug/extortion/gangland ones on a hunch!!
I just love being right!! 
Well, now, the commute is a whole 'nother deal. I listen to podcasts on the bus. PRX & Transom have a very similar vibe to TAL, and you’ll hear a lot of the same people. Science Friday, the SETI podcast and Slacker Astronomy, Skepticallity and Point of Inquiry . . . Ahhhh . . . Information.
I take great pleasure in my massive midmorning crap. I get a few pages of reading done and I walk out feeling five pounds later.
Speaking of which, I’m about due. BRB.