Beyond the Lean Office

Chapter 5

The Old Friend

It was still early Tuesday evening by the time I got home, but the week already felt like it had lasted an eternity. I seldom had such stressful days—I was not accustomed to tackling a task for which failure might be a realistic outcome—and I was drained of energy. I needed to clear my head so I could think outside the box tomorrow.

I was about to check the refrigerator for some leftovers when my cell phone rang. I did not recognize the number displayed on the screen, which meant I probably did not know the person on the other end. Should I answer it, or just let it go to voice mail? Ignore the phone and maybe the person will go away, I thought.

I looked over the contents of the fridge, but there was nothing too appealing, ...