The Fill-It Fairy

Too funny, I could not think of a thing to write and then a coworker popped in my office and a subject surfaced.

We have a 'break room' so-to-speak here at work with a coffee pot, microwave and refrigerator.  I think all of those items are hand-me-down's and have seen better days.  Regardless, I use them and I'm glad they are here.  I have a mini fridge in my office (thanks to Spank), but when I get groceries on my lunch hour, I put the cool stuff in the fridge over there.  Unfortunately, the fridge is more like a freezer...but I am aware of this and don't put anything in there I don't want exceptionally cold.  It works.

It is nice to have this space, and I utilize the microwave almost every day.  Plus, there are napkins, plates, cups, salt and pepper, etc. over there that people bring in to share. Several coworkers use ice from the ice trays in the freezer, which brings me to my point.

On a consistent basis, the ice cube trays are either left on the counter empty in front of the microwave, or they are put back in the freezer empty.  Repeatedly.  I didn't really get it until my friend "Kathy" departed.  You see, her office was right next door to this break room and somehow it became her job to tend to it...or so it seemed anyway.

Every morning she made coffee, first cleaning out the coffee from the day before...although she didn't really drink the coffee very often.  She was always filling the ice cube trays, even though she only used a couple here and there.  I remember her making comments about the ice cube trays every now and then, but it didn't really sink in.  And most likely it didn't sink in because by the time I went over there, Kathy had refilled the empty abandon trays and put them back in the freezer - get this - to make more ice cubes! The trays weren't lying in front of the microwave door...empty...when I was going to heat up lunch.

After Kathy left, I soon realized that, much to my dismay, coffee duty was now on me (even though I don't really drink coffee either), and more importantly, I began noticing the stupid empty ice trays. One day when a gal from another office was over there, I said something about the ice trays.  She pointed out the culprit and said she wasn't sure why, but another lady who uses the ice cubes leaves the empty trays for someone else to fill. She will not refill the trays.

Honestly, I do not understand this concept.  There is no Fill-It Fairy floating around here, someone has to physically take the trays to a stream of water and fill them, replace them in the freezer to freeze or THERE WON'T BE ANY ICE CUBES the next time you go to get some.  Am I missing something?

Do not even get me started on the empty containers of creamer that are left on the counter, with the lid off.

It is akin to leaving an empty roll of toilet paper on the toilet paper holder when there is a full roll readily available.  If you are going into a women's restroom to relieve yourself, either way, you will require toilet paper.  I can (sort of) get it from a man's standpoint (although it's still ridiculous) because they don't always use toilet paper, but a woman is an entirely different story.

When I worked in the other circuit down south, I don't know who it was, but there was a female at the courthouse upstairs who never, ever replaced an empty roll.  She just left the scrap hanging.  WHO DOES THAT?  It was maddening.  We are all adults.

I am very fortunate to have a restroom pretty much to myself, unless we have a jury trial...and unless men get impatient waiting on the men's restroom and use mine (I HATE THAT - it is clearly marked, "Women" on the door).  Every now and then another female coworker uses the restroom when she is up here.  I had to say something to her one time because I went in after she had been in there and the roll was empty.  The process of elimination pin-pointed her as the culprit. Please don't leave me stranded!

There is no Fill-It Fairy around here.  If I use it, I will glady refill or replace it, but I am not touching those empty ice cube trays.