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Dawn and Kelsey, 2 Twinns employed to help take stock

Stocktake! It's a chore dreaded by technical staff all around the world. We always have to count heaps of really small components and sort through mounds of intertangled springs and wires, all at the whim of some bean counter who has nothing better to do than demand that we count them. Very occasionally outside help is brought in to assist with the counting. Dawn and Kelsey volunteered to come help out one day with the year end stocktake. They arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed. "Good morning, we are here to help take stock." Kelsey said. "And to count the nuts and bolts and things like that." Dawn added confidently. "What time is tea time?" asked Kelsey. "When is lunch?" asked Dawn.

While Dawn went to count boxes, Kelsey started to count the many hundreds of different gears "... 67, 68, 69, 70, 71....." "Keeeeeeeeeeelsey, where did you put the calculator??" Dawn called from the other room. "its in the.... oops! drat! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7......." Kelsey started anew. "It's OK, I found it!" Dawn informed her helper.

"Dawn, we have to count all of the components in these drawers." "All of them?" "Yes, all of them." "But there must be 11 gazillion nuts and bolts in this drawer alone!" "I know that, but we must also be accurate, the auditors will want to check up after we have finished and if they find any mistakes they will come and ask us why." "Thats not very nice, Ok, lets mark these things as "consumables", that way we wont have to count them!" "Now you're talking Dawn. You sound like you have taken stock before."

"Ok Kelsey, lets get this bin moved to the other table so long and then we can clear the workbench so we can sort out some more of those gears." "Oh, this is heavy, what is inside it?" "It looks like nuts and bolts and lead weights." "Drat, that wasn't in the job description. I want to raise this with my Union." "But Kelsey, there is no Dolly Union." "Well maybe she should start one, fight for the right of Dolly's in the workplace."

Dawn and Kelsey paused for a moment to consult their stock sheet. "We still have measure all the wire and check how many tools there are in the big toolbox".

"Oh Dawn, this is very educational, I never dreamed of working in such a high tech environment." "It's a lot of work Kelsey, and very dirty too. Caitlyn applied for a job here once but she found the machines were bigger than she was so she gave up." "Hmm... she was right there, look at the size of these gears!" "Never mind the gears, Kelsey, you can go sort through the tools so long while I see what else has to be done." "Right-ho Dawn, although I don't know my flat screwdriver from my pozi."

Dawn came back from reception. "Are you afraid of heights Kelsey?" "Oh, I don't know Dawn, I have never really been far off the ground. Why do you want to know?" "Well, we have to get to those shelves up there and count the stock there too." So Kelsey and Dawn went up and down the ladder, then they climbed on the shelves and up the ladder and down the ladder and up and down and up and down. "Kelsey, I think we need a break."

"Good idea, let me go see what is in the fridge to nibble, and maybe get some nice cold water." Dawn also found some biscuits and they sat and nibbled on them for awhile before returning to work.

Kelsey sat down and had a biscuit with her tea, she was bushed, this was hard work, but they were almost finished and soon could go get their pay and get ready to come home.

"Dawn, next time these people want to take stock I am going to give it a miss." Kelsey faxed the office with their report and soon the very tired Twinns were ready to quit for the day.

Then it was time to get paid.

"Well Kelsey, the money will come in handy to buy sweeties with." "Oh, I never thought of that, I wonder how many M&M's can I buy?" "This is South Africa Kels, not too many, not with the money we earned." I took the 2 tired Twinns home and they were in bed very early. But I think they secretly enjoyed the outing. I know it was great having them there. Fortunately no bill validators or Twinns were injured during the making of this story. And we still don't know how many gears there are.

© DR Walker 2004, revised 12 July 2008.