Isn't it great to get back to work?

This IT support pilot fish is back after a brief holiday break, with a shoulder that's painful from shoveling show -- and a very special status.

"Hobbling into work nursing my sore shoulder, I find myself the immediate victim of the green dot -- the status indicator that indicates I'm ready to receive instant messages," says fish. "And I'm the only support guy not on vacation for the week before New Year's."

A help-desk staffer soon informs fish that a user's monitor has gone out, and after extensive troubleshooting it has been determined that a new monitor is needed.

Fish winces at the thought of how his shoulder will feel after he unboxes a new monitor, hauls it upstairs and crawls under someone's desk to connect cables. Did you check for all the obvious things, like disconnected cables and power cords? he asks.

"Of course!" help-desk staffer says. "That was the first thing we asked."

So fish collects a new monitor from the inventory room, then decides to take a shortcut up the back stairwell to the user's floor. But when he gets to the next floor, the door is locked.

He hauls the monitor back down to the door he used to enter the stairwell -- and discovers that door has locked behind him too.

"Wonderful, I mutter to myself, and look over at the emergency exit going outdoors next to me," fish says. "There's a sign clearly posted on the door: Alarm will sound if opened.

"Pulling out my cell phone I look for a signal. Nope, this stairwell might as well double as a bomb shelter."

Fish puts down the monitor and begins to knock on the door, hoping some passerby will take pity on his predicament and open the door. There's no response.

He begins to knock harder, then bang on the door. After a few minutes, it finally opens, and a co-worker sticks his head out. "Stuck?" he asks fish.

Yeah, says fish, the morning crew must have forgotten to unlock the doors. A few minutes later he's taking the long way around to the upper floor -- still carrying the ever-heavier new monitor.

"Once upstairs, I don't know exactly where the user sits, so I read every name plate until I find the right desk," fish says. "I painfully set the monitor down and size up the situation. Then I lean back behind the monitor, reach a hand up underneath and plug the display back in.

"The user looks surprised as the screen pops back up, exclaiming, 'Wow, that was it? Why didn't the help desk just ask me to check the power cord?'"

Sharky's checking e-mail for true tales of IT life. Send me yours at sharky@computerworld.com. You'll score a sharp Shark shirt if I use it. Add your comments below, and read some great old tales in the Sharkives.

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