| | Back when I was working ten hour days due to my overtime project, my eating schedule got thwarted. I would eat breakfast around 9am-10am, then lunch was around 2pm-3pm. Dinner was usually around 8pm and I would have a snack when I got home around 10pm. The shift change definitely affected me....I was drinking a lot more caffeine
When the overtime project was put on hold, my eating and sleeping schedule suddenly changed. I was exhausted all the time while working so much, and now I was able to "catch up" on sleep and eat at regular hours. I still don't eat lunch until 1pm or so, but breakfast and dinner are pretty standard.
On New Year's Eve Eve (Tuesday), I went to lunch around 1:30 p.m. The building we used to rent space from is just across the street, and we have a Subway, Charlie & Barney's and a pizza place to choose from. A flatbread sandwich sounded good so I stopped by Subway, grabbed a sandwich and took it back to work to eat at my desk.
When I got to the lobby in our building, an elevator door was *just* about to close but the gal ahead of me held it for me. We were joined by a guy too. When we reached his floor, the doors opened and he got out, and we headed up to the gal's floor. We reached the floor, the elevator stopped, and the doors made a "CLUNK" sound but did not open. For just a moment there was silence, and then when the usual timeframe of the door opening passed and then some, I looked at the buttons and saw that her floor button was no longer lit but mine was. The elevator continued up to my floor, stopped, and once again we heard the "CLUNK" but the doors stayed closed. We both said "Hmm..." and watched as the elevator descended to the parking garage level, stopped, said "CLUNK" and once ahead did not open the doors. At this point, we looked at each other and realized we were in trouble.
Did I mention I had left my cell phone at a friend's house the night before? *sigh*
We sat down on the floor of the elevator and I pressed the "HELP" button. A recorded voice instructed us to sit down on the floor, remain calm, and indicated that the distress call had been received and help was being dispatched. A couple seconds later we heard a live voice and I stated that while the elevator was going to the called floors, the doors would not open. By this time we had been up and down the building at least three times, stopping at various floors----8th, 11th, parking level, lobby, 3rd, 4th, parking level, lobby, 6th, parking level, 3rd...and I was getting very nervous and queasy. I introduced myself and found out the gal, named L., works on my former floor for one of the attorneys that I knew. We joked that this is how people become bonded for life, and even end up in each other's weddings. I stated that I was married so sorry, and L. said she wasn't so I would be in the running. She asked about my holidays, we talked about our favorite gifts, etc., as the elevator continued on it's trek up and down the building.
We couldn't decide if we were relieved or not that the elevator was functioning. If it were stuck we might be concerned about it plummeting. As it were, we were a bit nervous, a wee bit scared and I was getting more and more queasy. I joked that at least I had a sandwich, so if we got hungry later I would share it. L. had her cell phone with her and just as she prepared to call the security desk, the elevator stopped on the lobby level and H., the security dude, knocked on the doors and said, "Helloooo! Anyone in there? Are you okay?" I said, "H., this is M. We are okay but the elevator keeps going to called floors and the doors will not open!" He said for us to stay calm, that the elevator repairman was there and working on it. About this time, the elevator shot back up and we were off again.
A few more rides later the elevator stopped on the second floor and the doors opened! We scurried up and jumped out, suprising a coworker who was waiting for the elevator to arrive. We told him what had just happened, but he simply shrugged and said, "Well, they are probaby just testing it." I looked at L. and we both said, "Good luck getting out!" I leaned over the balcony and called down to the lobby where the security desk is "This is M. Me and L. are out of the elevator!"
Not wanting to ride again, we headed for the stairwell. Our stairs well are secured in that you can enter them without your ID badge, but in order to exit the stairwell on any floor, you must have your ID badge. When we reached the stair well, we realized that L. had to walk up six flights, and I had to walk up nine. We made it about two before we became winded and started rethinking our plan. But everytime I thought of heading back into the elevator, my palms got sweaty. So, we trekked up to six and I, being very out of breath, decided to try the elevator for the next five floors. L. then realized she did not have her ID badge with her, so if I left the stairwell, she would have no way of exiting it. She was afraid to get in the elevator again, and I couldn't leave her stranded in there. Besides, what if *I* got stranded in the elevator again, this time all alone?
So, we steeled ourselves and completed our ascent to our respective floors. By the time I reached my floor, I was winded, sweaty, shaky and nauseous. The sandwich no longer appealed to me. I just wanted to lay down and die. Truly.
Once I got to my desk, still lightheaded from the elevator ride and the spiraling of the stairwell, I thought about how much more unnerving the ordeal would have been without L., without the knowledge that help was simply a button call away. We have twenty-four hour security, and that day I was made aware of just how important that is.
If nothing else, I've learned that I am seriously out of shape. But then, how many people can tackle nine flights of stairs without being winded? |
| | Posted 1/1/2009 8:45 PM - 4 Views - 0 eProps - 0 comments
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