new junk for my desk

We had a "kickoff" meeting for "The BIG Project," the worldwide upgrade to Windows XP and Active Directory (along with a host of other systems) that my firm is starting this fall. There was the usual PowerPoint presentation and a continental breakfast. At the end of the meeting management sent us off with what they called "toys." We each got a 30-oz ceramic coffee mug, a computer-shaped foam stress reliever, and the biggest novelty pen I've ever seen, each item emblazoned with the "BIG Project" logo. I guess they're serious about the "big" theme. The pen is at least 12 inches long, about 3 inches around, and it's so large it's utterly impossible to write with it. I can't wait to bring it to a meeting with the project managers. The coffee mug is a good try, but someone else pointed out that your coffee would get cold long before you could finish it. I'll stick to my Novell mug, even though I dropped it in the office kitchen yesterday, breaking off the handle and cracking the plastic exterior. At least it has a lid.

Here's a picture of my new acquisitions:



I should have included a normal pen in the picture, because I don't think you can accurately gauge the size of the novelty one without it. I'll have to get some oversize sunglasses for the project meetings to go with my pen.

By the way, I hate the name "The BIG Project." I realize that to refer to it by any of its component items (the XP rollout, the Active Directory deployment, the switch to Microsoft SMS, etc.) doesn't reflect that each item depends on the others, but couldn't anyone come up with a better name? And what happens when we have another massive group of projects all coming together at the same time? Will that be "The BIG Project II?" "The BIG Project Strikes Back?" "Revenge of the BIG Project?" I've got a million of 'em, folks. Every one a Maserati.