Ode to Professionalism

Yesterday I got a message on my phone from one of my former co-workers in Boston. She was sending me a link to an article in the NY Times about textbooks. She sent me the message on face book but I told her to email me on my work email. She titled the email "Ode to Professionalism" and the following is the string of messages that followed that very professional email.

R: Now that you're in my address book I can harass you with some frequency

JRH: Fantastic and since you work for a publisher and I work for a bookstore nobody even has to know we aren't discussing work!!!!

R: I don't know what you're talking about. I only email about the most important of publishing/bookstore issues. Btw... I'm telling (sales rep)that you promise to be nice if she stops in because you LOVE little independent publishers (at least in comparison to some not to be named major media conglomerates).

JRH: Make an appointment!!

R: Send your ego out for a massage that day :P

JRH: When is she coming ill pencil her in. See how easy making an appointment is!

R: Oh please, like I keep track of when the reps are going anywhere :P

JRH: :-P

R: Stop bothering me; I'm very busy and important.

JRH: really do i need to make an appointment to bother you? I was just contributing to our ode to professionalism! I was thinking about publishing this ode on my blog!!!

R: As long as you take my name, email, and company off of it :P And you know I would never be so snotty as to require an appointment...Unlike SOME people. Lol

JRH: Of course don't you read my blog, i don't include anybodies name etc :-)are you calling me snotty

R: If it helps at all, I don't read any one's blog... I prefer long drawn out email conversations Yes, you elitist bookstore manager :P

JRH: but i have some great posts like how we nabbed a shoplifter with 20 bags of heroin on him i am not an elitist I am just good and manage 10 million dollars in business... ummm kinda busy

R: Hey, my textbook list was nothing to sneeze at and I didn't need no stinkin' appointments. Just sayin' man ;) You told me about the heroin over the phone. Isn't having LIVE CONVERSATIONS with people fun!! Hahahaha

JRH: You were the lead of a buying office... I have one buyer

R: Oh yeah, totally. Cause A. and N. did sooooooo much work. Really, it's a wonder A. had time for that porn habit. Lol

JRH: Hmmm I kinda forgot about the porn habit! Gotta love employees looking at porn at work. Seriously, how have we not written that bestseller yet. We could disguise it as fiction- nobody would believe us if we insisted it was real anyway!

R: Especially when we start naming the type of Web site he liked to visit. Since I've started telling that story (maybe 2,000 times)only ONE person has actually heard of that site. Amazing.

Oh god, and do you remember the couple in the bathroom when Ms. Amos came to visit?

JRH: oh yeah i forgot about the people in the bathroom during the Tori Amos thing, but don't get me started with Tori... hatred!

R: Oh come on, J's little f-up alone is worth telling that story. Hahaha. I have to say though, I honestly miss playing practical jokes on you. It's just not the same.

And so it continued over the course of two days, and that is our Ode to Professionalism!