As a sleep technologist, our job entails not only watching people sleep, but helping treat their sleep issues. We take our job very seriously, because patient care is no joking matter. However, now and then, two of my coworkers love to play a practical joke or two on me.

I suppose this all started years ago with a tech who is no longer working here. Thankfully, the moment was recorded on video and we often revisit it to laugh. I had been out of the tech room. When I returned I sat in my chair to find that they has placed a whoopie cushion there. The loud fart noise naturally freaked me out and everyone in the tech room laughed.

Since then, we’ve all played a joke or two on each other. One time I wrapped a coworker’s chair in toilet paper. Another time a coworker had wrapped my supply box in plastic wrap and rubber bands. One coworker had taken the label maker and labeled all of my stuff (Keith’s Mug, Keith’s Chair, Keith’s Post-It Notes, etc…).

Last week, I was up early to go with my wife and son to an appointment. It was a mile from work, so I packed my scrubs, deodorant, toothbrush and everything I’d need to get ready for work. After the appointment, I came back to the lab and went into one of the rooms to sleep until I had to get up for work. I put a sign on the door so that the cleaning guy wouldn’t come in and I crashed. About a half hour before my shift started, I woke up and showered.

When I was completely dressed and ready, I put all my stuff back in my bag and got ready to put it in the car. I opened the door and walked right into one of my coworker’s practical jokes.

They had put toilet paper with my name and a reminder to punch in across the door of the room I was in. Val was responsible for this. The “Happy Birthday” is there for a reason. In all the years I’ve worked with her, I would call her name when the room was quiet and when she answered me I would say, “Happy Birthday” and go back to work. It drove her crazy. For Christmas one year, I got my coworkers wine glasses. Everyone’s glass had some design on it, except hers. It read, “Happy Birthday.”

The second joke I was subject to was a delayed joke. These make me laugh even more. After work, I packed up my stuff and went home. The library book I was reading was obviously left out by my work station that night and Amy got to it. When I got home, I changed and went to bed. I opened the book to read a chapter before falling asleep and found …

This was strategically placed right where my book mark was. What made this joke even funnier was that more of these would pop up throughout the rest of the book. Before I returned it to the library, I flipped through it and found even more in the beginning of the book. I can’t imagine what the next read would have thought if they found this inside the book.

Amy and Val truly know how to make me laugh and make me look forward to work. Of course, I am thinking about how I can pay them back …