From the CPMO
December 21, 2020Winter is here!
As we begin our trek out of darkness here in the Northern Hemisphere, take our offering of humor to light your way.
Whether you celebrate one of the Winter holidays, or the hope for the end of this year's craziness, we celebrate with you. May your days be brighter, your hearts lighter, and your Mondays easier.
Thank you for being a part of our family!
Swan Song
December 21, 2020
It was snowing in Cindy’s office. Icy powder fell from carefully engineered nozzles hidden in the ceiling. It was the perfect use of the former medical building’s water purification systems and the cooling loop that used to keep medicines stable. A few taps on her tablet replaced the powder with big flakes of wet snow. She would be able to make a snowman during lunch.
A Hot Mess
March 17, 2018
Daniel raced up the last flight of stairs, ignored the irritated glances of the people he narrowly avoided crashing into along the way, and slid into the last seat by the door. He hoped he would catch his breath before he had to talk to anyone. He hated appearing rushed. It sent the wrong message. People would think he was disorganized.
The meeting hall was arranged in tiers around a central demonstration area. It had the appearance of a classic operating theater, which hardly made sense given the age of the building. It had been modernized with huge, high resolution screens capable of bringing clarity to even the most boring presentation. High definition cameras allowed detailed views of the presenter and anything placed on the operating table’s marble surface.
Sweater Weather
March 15, 2018
Jorge sighed as he watched people scurry between buildings, bundled in drab layers of wool. It was unseasonably warm for January but still cold enough to encourage a sense of purpose in one’s movement.
It had been another long day. The governor had decided to withhold an unprecedented amount of pledged financial support from the Collegium — ostensibly to balance state budgets, but one had to wonder in an election year. An article about the withholding was mysteriously leaked to the campus newspaper on Sunday. The reporting was thorough and insightful when it came to how much damage would be done to services and departments that were straining under nearly a decade of withholdings and cutbacks from the government. The outlook was grim.
Rebranded
October 09, 2012
By the time her presentation was finished, Bethany could hardly wait to escape the conference room. In the darkness, her slides and comments had been met by quiet coughs and fidgeting. She thought she heard someone snoring. Finally it was over. The lights came up to some polite applause. Sitting at the head of the table was Darlene Feltzer, the manager of the Division’s digital learning assets. She seemed confused, yet thoughtfully so. Bethany knew that was a bad combination.
Unfashionably Interrupted
September 25, 2012
Daniel was listening to recordings of thunderstorms and ephemeral music, connected to the womb of nature sounds by the umbilical cable of his headphones, waiting for his happy pill to kick in, when he noticed a motion in his peripheral vision. Like all the cubicles, his was arranged so that he had to sit with his back to the entrance or with his side jammed against the space where the keyboard was supposed to be. The choice was to be startled by visitors or be in pain. He had chosen pain.
The motion turned out to be Vishnu, one of the other inhabitants of the Dungeon. Daniel sighed and removed his headphones, prematurely birthing himself into the harsh fluorescence of reality.
Meeting Stella
September 14, 2012
When Gary opened his eyes, he was lying on the most comfortable and luxurious carpet he had ever encountered. In the dim light, he could see it was the color of tobacco, with flecks of gold and rust throughout. It smelled faintly of coconut or chocolate chip cookies. A slight motion drew his attention to a red leather boot mere inches from his face.
“Do you like them?”
Gary flinched and tried to stand up. Too late he realized his body wasn’t cooperating. Back to the carpet he went.
Clear Your Cache
September 06, 2012
Vic knew he was in trouble long before he reached the door of the conference room. Referred to as the fish bowl, the room had its origins as a monstrous saltwater aquarium. One could imagine wealthy patrons swimming with exotic fish to ease a variety of ailments. Now a gleaming table and wide assortment of castoff office chairs were easily visible through the greenish glass walls. Any therapeutic quality of the space had long since been scoured away by the unhealthy glow of too many fluorescent lights.
Introduction
May 30, 2012
Daniel loved the early morning hours. Most of the world was still asleep, leaving empty streets and coffee shops ripe for thinking, relaxing, expanding.
On an unseasonably warm October morning such as it was, the Missouri humidity was slipping into memory and autumn seemed impossibly far away. He was walking along one side of the park, halfway between the office and his parking garage. Here he might slow his stride to enjoy the manicured lawns that swept up to the brick facades of the Red Campus and the quad beyond.