Assuming you work a day shift, that is.

Do you work through lunch? Study? Surf the net? Eat at home, pack a lunch, eat leftovers, or go out for chatty lunches with coworkers?

Is there a fair amount of camaraderie at the place where you work? Do you wish there was more socialization, or less?

-- Anonymous, September 18, 1999

Answers

I don't take lunch. Ever,practically. In fact,the mere idea of taking lunch is so foreign to me as to almost be incomprehensible. Of course, I have never not had a job with an hourly wage, and my Super Cheap-Ass company doesn't pay for your lunch hour, so I'd rather take it as overtime and eat at my desk. AAA

-- Anonymous, September 18, 1999

You know, I'm almost afraid to admit it, but I think I must work in the coolest office ever. Not only do we have a group that gets together to watch wrestling twice a week (go ahead, laugh; it's supposed to be ridiculous; that's the point), but we invite each other to barbeques and bonfires on the beach and ACTUALLY HAVE A GOOD TIME.

Of course, it helps that it's a creative office (publishing, South of Market in San Francisco), that it's owned by two former Japanese hippies who dropped out of the salaryman lifestyle in Tokyo to come here and start their own company, and that we're still relatively small (30 or so employees, with me being the third full-time still with the company). Some people play D&D (Tuesdays), while others go out to films -- our Friday "opening night" movie group, for example, has been going on for eight years.

Really, I have to remind myself of these things when I'm feeling pissy. I am incredibly, incredibly lucky...even if I really DON'T have any social life outside my work. Blessed am I that what I do have, is wonderful.

Sei

-- Anonymous, September 18, 1999

My SO and I work at the same place. We always eat together. We did that for years at my previous job because we worked in the same vicinity and I had missed that at this job. It's the only time we can hold a conversation that doesn't involve a six year old showing us what's in his mouth or discussing Pokemon in wretched mincing detail. We also have had perfectly silent lunches.

Mostly, we pack lunches. Other than that, we go out to Mexican. My diabetes does better with Mexican. Besides, I can't live without my daily half gallon of salsa. Chinese always screws me up and I've never been able to deal with Japanese food. I like tempura and all, and vegetarian sushi, but raw fish and I are just not on speaking terms.

I do go out occasionally with one other person in the office, but would really like to go out with more people. The office is mostly men and just a few women, and friendships seem for the most part to be divided along gender lines. My closest office friend is another woman. I wish there was more socialization, but with the gender lines, it's awkward.

-- Anonymous, September 19, 1999

I drink. 5 Zima's down at the moment. Cheers, Jenn

-- Anonymous, September 20, 1999

If I don't go out and do some errand, I go on the net. Lunch time is when I read all the diaries. On the other hand, it's not like I don't go on the net all day long. Some days I don't get much work done.

I bring lunch, always the same thing: cottage cheese, whole wheat bagel, those little carrots. Me and my co-workers go out from time to time, usually when someone is leaving.

I wish we had more socializing. Every time we have a lunch out we say "Gee that was fun - we should do this more often!" but we don't. I've worked at places that had a lot more socializing (and more fun people, though I basically like most everyone in my group) and I miss it.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 1999

I put on my walking shoes and walk for an hour on 3 days, and on the other two days I go to the weight room and lift weights.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 1999

That's two totally different questions, isn't it? On my lunch break I walk home, eat leftovers or make something fast, check the email, walk back (passing the bookstore), sometimes step in and buy a book, and get into the office twenty minutes late thinking "Shit, now I have to stay till 5 again."

There's a heapload of camaraderie in the office. Trouble is, most of it I am not interested in -- Generic Radio Listeners planning their next weekend out at Generic Bar with Faded 80s Rock Star, people talking about their latest score at the sales, people talking about their children, people talking about TV shows. Our department does do potluck lunches every month or two, and that's kinda fun -- though I don't listen to Hits Radio or have children or a TV, I can cook.

Sometimes I wish I wasn't the solitary weirdo in the corner. Mind you, I don't wish I were normal. I wish I had other weirdos to play with.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 1999

I dont usually work the day shift because I am still in college so I still have a crappy job and only get a half hour for lunch. I usually get Chinese take-out at a place in the strip mall or I go to Chick-fil-A.

I like pretty much everyone I work with and we seem to have a good time together but it is a really small bookstore so we have to take seperate breaks and don't do much together.

I try to grab a book or a magazine on my way to the breakroom but sometimes I am so tired I want to just rest or nap.

-- Anonymous, September 21, 1999

Okay, well, I don't work the day shift. When I work swings, I drive home to fix dinner for Vivian on my lunch hour, or I drive home to check my email and tell Vivian there's some frozen leftovers in the fridge. Depends on my mood. I work half a day shift. I technically don't have a lunch hour, but there is a half-hour gap between the time we close up the office to go to our staff meeting and the start of the staff meeting, so I often grab lunch food. Since half an hour (including transit time) isn't enough time for a sit-down lunch, I bring it to the office. I don't really socialize with my co-workers and don't think I've ever gone to lunch with one, other than sitting in the break room eating at the same time, or the occasional office potluck. I keep my work out of my personal life and vice versa. It saves much time explaining certain of my recreational pursuits (being a social worker means being fairly straight-laced at work, and many of my musical and recreational interests are very, well, *unlaced*) if I just don't mention them. Besides, I have enough friends.

-- Anonymous, September 21, 1999