05 February 2007

Great Moments in Pointer History II

A week and a half ago my team lead called me up at my desk and said, "Would you happen to have an extendible, retractable pointer? We need one."

At first I was a little incredulous. I asked if he was serious; he was. Apparently a group of executives from other companies was in our little corporate conference room giving presentations. One of them had asked my company, their host, for a pointer to use in his presentation. One of our vice presidents offered him a laser pointer, which he declined. He wanted a reliable mechanical device. In a flurry, people were assigned to track down a telescoping pointer. Our employees called everywhere and could not find them. Even the clerks at Staples were unaware of their own pointers (same aisle as protractors, $3.50). Finally someone asked one of my coworkers, who had seen me pointing at something only days earlier. He told my team lead, who promptly gave me a call.

Needless to say, I happily loaned my instrument of pointing for the good of the company. They used it for a full three days. At the end of the third day, my company president brought my pointer back to me himself. He had placed it in a foam-rubber lined case. Inside, wrapped around my pointer, was a crisp twenty-dollar bill.

And people ask why I carry a pointer around.

For Great Moments in Pointer History I, see the other blog I contribute to: Salsa Night.

9 comments:

Nick said...

Hurray! A shameless plug for Salsa Night! Oh look, there goes another one!

Cabeza said...

Hey Nick, in your second link you put the URL as salsanight.blogpost.com. I think you get a little overzealous in your typing.

Nick said...

oops

JennyW said...

Hilarious! I wish things I carried around every day would be borrowed and returned three days later with twenty bucks ... but diaper bags aren't quite as cool as pointers.

Wendi said...

Wow. Reason #47 "Why I need a pointer": Success at work. Reason #48: Monetary reward....And, now I even know where to buy them. Staples. Same aisle as the protractors.

JonF said...

A heartwarming story if I've ever heard one. This has motivated me to finally try to rebend the clip on my pointer into place by the means of a complex procedure involving rubber band. Okay, maybe it's not so complex.

The Shark said...

Here in Provo inflation has influenced pointer prices. Either that, or Staples is trying to exploit one of the only people who buys points from them. All I know is that it's now 3.95 or something for a pointer. Ridiculous.

I should make a film about this...

The Shark said...

Here in Provo inflation has influenced pointer prices. Either that, or Staples is trying to exploit one of the only people who buys points from them. All I know is that it's now 3.95 or something for a pointer. Ridiculous.

I should make a film about this...

Warren said...

Shark, I feel you should make a short film about pointers.

And toast.