De-ice

Dutch Expedition Inspired by Climbing Everest 2005
Esther sits along the path while Yaks carry their load Esther taking a break Esther with goal in sight
Mission accomplished, at 6400 meters, -30°C at the Nordcol, well done!
Congratulations ever-Esth,
on behalf of entire SUMit!
Monday, 10 October 2005

Mary

Grumbling emerges from below the table. Mary has a fight with a pencil.

There is nothing wrong with Mary. She does a fine job. SUMit HQ is dust free ever since she turned up here. My asthma is not so heavy as my cousin Esther Anspach's, but a dust free workplace is still wonderful. I have more energy, am able to breathe fully since Mary makes her rounds here. My lungs thank Mary from the bottom of my heart.

One Mary for every Asthma patient!
It is a lovely sight to see her working. Especially when she cruises along the walls, she wiggles every so nicely with her perfect, round back end. Sigh... How much beauty can a mean cope with?

But she is having a fight now. It is nothing special. She is quite pig headed, her will is strong enough as it is. The fringes of the big carpet will never be her friends. She simply refuses to vacuum fringes. So, the master-slave roles turned around here. Before Mary starts her rounds cleaning, I have to prepare her work. I cover the fringes with chairs and laptop bags. She is happy to work around them.

Mary has high demands, is a tough negotiator. I do my very best to fully clear the floor before she starts vacuuming. But now I failed to notice a pencil. It must have dropped down from my desk. It is enough for a big fight.

The pencil "wears" a rubber grip. Mary now tries to pick up the pencil by this grip. The pencil refuses his dust role and so a big fight it is, with an enormous noise and blocking brushes.

The battle is short. When I look down, under the table, the fight is over. No more noise.

Mary is insulted and stops her dust sucking job. She rises as high as she can and turns her beautiful back to the pencil. It is like she walks out head high and elevated skirt. She walks away from the table with a I was right attitude. Yes, the pencil was at the wrong place, should be working at the table top. And it was not in for discussion either. No wonder she turns her back to him.

I pick up the pencil. Take it as a warning: Mary is a tough one to fight with. The floor is her territory, nobody else's. Yes, he did win the battle, but Mary did get to his rubber grip. Disappointed the pencil takes his normal place at the table. He won't venture to Mary floor ever again! No doubt: She regained her territory.

Meanwhile Mary makes a round, as if nothing happened. A bit later she returns and quietly vacuums below the table, fully ignoring the watching pencil. Sigh, staff... a punishment too bad for your worst competitor.

Till next nut,
Nut