Sometimes Work Is Worth Going To

So there I am at work. We were due for our quarterly inspection and by golly they came. In my line of work inspections and inspectors are a way of life. You can't do anything without an inspector being there to watch and grade you on it or write you up about it.

So there I was, just doing my daily routine work and in walks the two inspectors. One guy, our long time inspector (a good guy too) the other has only been there a handful of weeks and is new. He was like in charge of lots of inspectors in his last job.

So there we were. I was doing my work and the inspectors start rummaging through our tool cabinet. Our long time inspector just kind of hung back and watched the new guy go about his rather thorough job. He pulls out the flashlight and unscrews the top of it.

Out slide the three batteries and he states that he always looks for batteries of different brands as they pose an explosion hazard. Now I've been around batteries before right and I know that I've mixed and matched brands before without explosive incident.

I so wanted to engage in debate with said inspector alas I saw the "look" from the lead who was entertaining the inspectors and discouraging debate and questioning. So shortly after that the inspectors headed back into the office and I shortly followed suit.

The new inspector has decided to look into the rag log. A written log in which we keep track of rags we really don't use at all. This log hasn't been used in a very long time but our thorough new inspector was undeterred and ventured forth into the rag drawer.

The log boldly declared that there were one hundred nineteen rags present and accounted for. The new inspector asks the simple question, "are there one hundred nineteen rags?" Keep in mind there are not rags in the traditional sense, they are more like paper towels, high quality paper towels but paper towels nonetheless.

The lead rose to the challenge and declared before heading off to a "meeting" that yes, "if you were to count them there would be one hundred nineteen rags present." again promptly leaving for previously mentioned meeting. He glances at me and says, "you can do this."

So there sat me and the new inspector. "I get paid by the hour." I tell the inspector before he digs into the box of glorified paper towels. He starts at one and counts semi loud to himself while glancing at me every tenth so I can say, "Ten, Twenty, Thirty, and so on." Before ten the good guy inspector poked his head into the office and saw what was going on. He smirked at me and quickly closed the door.

What strikes me most is the seriousness in which he pursues this endeavor. He is both professional and very interested in seeing how many rags we have for some reason. I barely contained my laughter and had to fake cough a couple of times during the count to one hundred eleven rags. Yeah we were short. He looked at me as if I had been the torch bearer at a Klan convention.

"Only one hundred eleven rags. You counted right?" Yes I counted and as he well knew I came to the same count...especially when he hit one hundred eleven rags and lifted the empty box up to show me there were no more left.

Gleefully he wrote something down and asked me about tech orders. "Do you want to pick one or should I?", he asked me. "I'm headed to the bathroom, the rag counting wore me out. knock yourself out", I replied. He was unaware of the dripping sarcasm present in my voice. He attacked the tech order cabinet with zeal and passion.

Rarely have I had this much fun at work. I am excited to see what tomorrow will bring when he finishes his inspection! I really believe that tomorrow will not be as eventful. Tomorrow he will deal with the temporary lead, a man who wakes up and finds a reason to be mad.

Now the new inspector seems like a good guy, just very very very thorough and very serious about his job:)