you da bomb

Not that this story hasn't already hit the local news (click here), but in the event that you haven't heard, this past Tuesday, the rather large building that I work in was evacuated due to reported 'actual' bomb threat. I happened to be trying to enter the campus around lunchtime and there was a huge traffic snarl because the security gate was down. I thought that was kind of weird, so I circled the block, came in another entrance where a policeman had just pulled away from blocking that entrance. It was all a tad bit odd, but, oh well, we hadn't had a fire drill in a while, so I just chalked it up to that. I found a great parking spot...like totally impossible...got in the building and there was just this really strange vibe...couldn't explain it. When I got to my cubicle, no one was in my department. Still I'm thinking, "oh...they must have a department meeting or everyone is out to lunch together..." So I go about my business and gradually people start slowly trickling back in and I start to hear snippets of conversations...

"...evacuated for 2 hours...bomb threat...found it in a conference room...the entire building has been crammed in every restaurant within walking distance..."

Then I hear a gal 2 cubes from me, let's say her name is Samantha (wink wink). I hear Samantha on the phone with someone saying, "Tell me it's not what I think it is...No...No...and they destroyed it?...oh I think I'm going to be sick." So, of course, my curiousity is off-the-charts-peaked. I get up from my desk, walk to Samantha's cube (where she is now off the phone and talking to the guy across the row from her), and ask, "Okay you guys, what's been going on?" To which, the guy looks at Samantha and says, "Go ahead Samantha, tell Susan what happened." Long story made longer, Samantha is part of a professional group that trains people in public speaking. They use one of the conference rooms in our building for their Thursday meeting. The person who is normally in charge was on vacation, so Samantha was facilitating the gathering. During their meeting, they use an electric timer that has lights on it and plugs into the wall, in order to train the speakers to pace themselves as they speak. At the end of the evening, whoever was in charge of packing up the timer, obviously forgot it and five days later, our crack bunch of security folks stumbled upon it and called in the local bomb squad, who took no chances and obliterated the deal with a high pressure water bomb deactivator thingy.

...suffice it to say that Samantha found out today that conference room P is no longer available to her group and has been cancelled for...ever. When asked 'why', security said that they are re-evaluating their processes and procedures.

...I just bet they are...

That is without a doubt the funniest thing that has ever happened at the deathstar. Sigh. Good times...

PS/Yesterday I ordered a "You Da Bomb" t-shirt for Samantha. Maybe she can wear it to her next club meeting. hee!