About a month ago I had an idea.

A stupid idea.

It was a wonderful, stupid idea.

Strolling into my company’s brand-spanking-new world headquarters early one Monday morning, something stuck out to me. It stuck out like a gun control advocate at a Ted Nugent concert. Or like Ted Nugent at a Mensa meeting.

Ya see, our new office has this massive reception desk. HUGE. As soon as you step off the elevator, there it is. Large, round, and – initially – unmanned. And while our company is growing (and actively hiring), having a dedicated receptionist is still a ways away.

So, like any good employee would do, I went into our office’s storage room and rummaged through the costume box (your office doesn’t have a costume box? What?!?) until I found Cookie Monster.

Cookie Monster has now been sitting behind the reception desk for about a month, flipping through an old issue of Sports Illustrated. He doesn’t say much, though. And he rarely answers the phone. Still, if you’re looking for a receptionist, I highly recommend Mr. Monster. He’s the first one here each morning and the last one to leave each night – no exceptions. Now THAT is dedication.