Chuck: "There are these little green bugs that keep coming into my office. It's driving me crazy."
Me: "Uh oh."
"I might have to put a screen up there."
"But then the birds can't come in."
"Oh, that's a good point."
My office is inhabited by my boss, myself, and the occasional graphic designer, proper bookkeeper (as opposed to my seat-of-my-pants methods) or high school intern. We sell fins for surfboards, windsurfers, and kite surfers. We're kind of a big deal in the local surf industry, and we ship all over the world. My boss is a fucking genius. He's just this super nice hippie surfer, a dude if ever there was one, who happened upon an industry niche and improved upon it. He's thriving in the current and coming recession, something I didn't understand until recently, but the reality is surfing is a lifestyle and windsurfing a rich sport, hence, there was always be a niche market. Also, he could be making just a shitton more money if he sold out, but he's refused to several times, primarily because he likes to keep things mellow and easy, like to be able to come and go when he pleases, to drive his kids all around town at all hours of the day, and I have to say I'm a huge fan of this business philosophy as well. We don't hate what we do for money, but we love the ability to thrive and live within our means and show up late because the surf was good and leave early because I feel like it, without pissing anyone off.
I've worked here for two years, just floating along, sometimes working 30 hours a week, more often working 15-20, showing up when I want, taking a week off at a time with a moment's notice. It's literally no stress. When I had the dogs, I would bring them in. There were two stray kittens that were living amongst the stack of buildings we share for which my boss bought cat toys. We leave the windows open so the wild birds can come in.
There's also mold in the trash cans because no one could possibly fathom spending time doing something about it -- eventually, Chuck will buy a new trash can, but no one could possibly fathom spending time doing something about it, least of all me making a formal request ("Chuck, maybe it's time for a new trash can," I would say. A half an hour later, one would arrive. That's good enough for me, the knowledge that a new trash can would appear without actually needing it to.)
Here's another conversation we just had:
Me: "Did that customer ever send payment?"
Chuck: "No. I guess you could send him an email letting him know his shipment is waiting pending payment, but I think there are a lot of other, cooler things to do besides that."