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12 February 2010
AskMecha! My husband hasn't found metachat yet, and I used my askme question anyway, so I am asking you!
Do you have a pair of haz-mat gloves? In a pinch, oven mitts will work, but I'd recommend dipping them in a latex and saltpeter mixture first, and then rolling them in crushed walnuts.
Anyway, here goes: My husband's been unemployed for 4 months, he starts a new job on Monday, and I'd like to do something special to mark the occasion (plus as you know, Sunday is Valentine's Day). Is there any one thing you would have loved to have on your first day at your new job? He's going to be in project management for an IT department. This is really, really significant because it means we can live together again (backstory). He is stereotypically mefi - late 30s, progressive, geeky, NPR-listening, chai-drinking, outdoorsy. He's also Christian and would welcome something with that theme. I am not, so I have no clue along those lines.
But, yeah, do you want him to find it? I think I remember you saying before that you kinda don't. Do you guys talk about it. Does he show interest? I mention it occasionally to my wife, but just like 'I read it there' nothing in deeper. She is uninterested and I think I like it. But if he had an askme account you could just like appropriate it at times like these.
on preview, dangit. Umm, an email about halfway through the day? Nothing I'd have to respond to, just a 'thinking of you/you can do it' kinda thing. Something dirty would be even funner.
I'd get him a hand stress toy, a bottle of aspirin, and a bottle of gin.
Seriously, though, when I was doing management, I liked having a variety of felt-tip or highlighter pens in different colors than you can typically get from an office pen supply. Having a lot of different colors was very useful when dealing with printouts of project plans and I was trying to balance resources. Also, excellent for doodling.
Buy him lunch! If you know the address of the company, you can do a search for restaurants that deliver and arrange for a really nice mid-day surprise.
Well, darn, that wasn't as exciting/salacious/scandalous a question as I was hoping for after such a long wait!
But anyway, tuck a note into his briefcase (or messenger bag, or whatever he carries to work) letting him know that you love him and you're proud of him.
First days at new jobs are typically overwhelming, bewildering and plain old anxiety-provoking. I vote for something recognizing these feelings,inspiring confidence and optimism and reminding him of your support.
If he drinks coffee, a nice travel mug. Or make a work kit of tea bags, sugar packets, gum, peanut butter crackers, plastic cutlery, etc., to keep at his desk.
A martini shaker, martini glasses, a bottle of gin and a bottle of vermouth. Send him a link to this page at work, and have the ingredients ready when he gets home.
If he's not really into the straight martini thing, get some Triple Sec and some peach schnapps and make something like fuzzy navels instead.
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