I own a business where we all work remotely, so instant-messaging is a mainstay of our daily lives. For me, the ritual is this: I stagger downstairs in the morning. By this time, the east coast staff has been creating problems for three hours. I stagger over to my desk. I groggily jiggle the mouse. My presence switches from "Away" to "Online."
WHAM!
It's a chat ambush! I swear they coordinate their attacks. About seven hours later, I realize I haven't eaten or showered. I've taken to calling the chief offenders "polar bears." You know how polar bears stake out seals' air-holes in the ice, waiting to strike the moment the seals' heads pop out of the water? That. That's the exact feeling.
This is my view every morning.
