A Practical Joke.

I have to admit that it does not happen often but they got me good today. So good, that I need to document this occasion for the simple fact that a small war has been started in my office. I am ok with that because I think that I am the funny man of the office. The one that will not only make you laugh but will make you see the other side of an issue that you did not see. The devil's advocate and a bit of a jester. I keep in real and I keep it light as well because we can work in a stressful environment.

Today was set to be a day that was potentially stressful. It was the last day of class and graduation is just around the corner which means that planning for the next two weeks has become paramount. It was raining this morning and I was rushing to get in like I normally do. I walk into my office suite and say my hellos to my student employee and my assistant. I open my office door, put down my laptop bag, and take off my coat. The first thing I do is turn on my computer and start reading email. Then it happens, I hear this beep.

It sounded like one of those short beeps when you leave something in the microwave and it makes a noise to remind you that your food is still there. I look over to my right and I am like....what the hell was that? I know that I did not have any electronic stuff laying around. I check the general area where I heard it and I see nothing. I sit back on my chair just looking in that general area. At first, I am thinking that this has got to be me or quite simply...maybe one of my students left something in my office and the battery is dying. This is not a far fetched thing. So I take my laptop out just make sure that is not me.

I get distracted by work and I get into it and another beep happens. This time it was different. I am now looking up and to my right. I know that the light above me has had electrical issues in the past. It has flickered and gone out, but they fixed it more than once. Although that light was fixed awhile ago, I am thinking this has got to be it. It wasn't that big of a deal at the time but it was becoming a small distraction. I make this joke that perhaps this is a bomb and it just my time to go.

This kept on for a little bit. My assistant and my student heard it so I know that it was not me. I had to get coffee and do some running around so it was forgotten for the time being...until I came back only to hear it again. A co-worker of mine comes into my office to discuss something and I tell him to sit down in hopes that he would hear it and help me identify what this is. In the effort to not use real names I will just day his name is DAVE. He sits down and we talk and then it happens again. Of course I ask him. "Did you here that?" He is tells me that he did and we are both looking around. I tell him that I think it is the light and perhaps we need to call Physical Plant so they can see what is going on.

So minutes later, PHIL (we are not mentioning real names <..sarcasm font..> ) walks in and I explain the situation. This man is not very understanding. I am making jokes that perhaps it is big brother watching and the battery in the camera is dying. So as we are talking, it beeps again. I asked Phil if he heard it and he says NO! He was too busy talking to hear it, which I believe because lord knows he loves to hear himself chattering. Dave says he heard it. So I ask Phil to sit down so we can talk about whatever until it beeps again. I told him that it seems to go off every 5-6 minutes. He comments that if the interval shortens that I should run (ha ha -_- ).

It beeps once again and Phil tells me he heard it! But that he thinks it is my computer or laptop. Perhaps I need to clean my office up including all the electronic chords because it sounds like something is feeding back. I am looking at him and say "no." At this point, I am thinking this man is useless. He has no clue what the hell he is talking about. I give him a sarcastic agreement so he can leave. Phil humors me and checks the light and promises someone to look at it later.

At this point, I am thinking this is crap. I have work to do and I will have to figure this out. I leave my office in order to check on an event. I need to pass along some information to one of our students. So I get back to my office 10 minutes later and I am busy...and it beeps again. This time it is different. A short beep a little louder and definitely not coming from the light. It sounded like it came from the back of one of my file cabinets. I quickly move shit out the way and I see this:

What the fuck is this????? As you can see I took a picture of it. I certainly was not touching it. What if it is something like a bomb? Oh hell no! I go to Dave and I show him this very picture. I ask him if he has seen anything like it...

...and he starts laughing! O_O Dave tells me that he cannot believe I found it. Then he proceeds to tell me that he went in my office and placed it there this morning! The entire office busts out laughing! They were all in it. They all knew. Dave tells me that he would change the beeps every time I left the office. He tells me that he told Phil to play along. After I tell him that I hated him, he tells me that is called "the annoy a tron". His wife bought it on ThinkGeek.com. So in effect, he got me...but this does mean war...

Clearly I tweeted all this...