The U.S. Department of Redundancy Department

I've spent a lot of time this week asking "Did you send in a work order?" Most of you know what I'm talking about, it's a little sheet of paper, or for the technology department it's an online form, that you have to fill out and send to the proper place to get something fixed. Every bureaucracy, be it in the public or private sector, has them for just about every problem imaginable. And I'm getting tired of being greeted in the halls or as I walk in a room with "Hey, I got a problem." - "Hi, how's it goin', I've got a problem" would be nice. Anyway, there's this one teacher who thinks life needs to be lived in triplicate. I've finally made it clear that I will not fix anything without a work order, so now she'll send in the work order - and then tape little notes to my door to let me know she sent in the work order. Well, today I'm walking down the hall and I hear "Did you get my e-mail about the work order?" Uh, no, I've been working on some older work orders and haven't had time to check my e-mail. "Oh, well, I sent you an e-mail to let you know that I sent in a work order because......" and proceeds to give me the details of the problem. At this point all I'm hearing is the sound of an adult in a Peanuts holiday special, and thinking "She stops me in the hall to tell me about the e-mail she sent me to tell me about the work order she sent in to tell me about her computer problem." I haven't answered the phone for fear of hearing "Do you remember me talking to you in the hall about........"