We're Really All the Same

So I have the pleasure of working with two lovely lady process engineers named Danielle and Jen.  They're both young engineers just like me so they're the first people I turn to when I need to vent or when something frustrating happens at work.  Jen is originally from Ohio and I'm sure you recognize her from a bunch of my other blogs about our trips.  Danielle is from Utah I've also blogged about her a few times as well.  They are easily my best friends up here in Ogden.  In 2008 we even took a trip to the Grand Canyon together since none of us have been.  I think that was the best organized and easiest camping trips I have ever been on.  Here's a picture of us on that trip.

 

As you can see, we all look pretty similar.  We're all younger ladies.  We're all kind of tall (I'm the shortest at 5'9").  We all have brown hair and lighter colored eyes.  We're all on the skinnier side.  We're all white.  And to top off the look alike contest, we all wear the same uniform to work everyday. 

 

You can imagine we get mixed up at work quite often.  We've finally come to the conclusion that we really are the same person to everyone else here (except our other fellow lady engineer Carolina - She also has darker hair too but she's originally from Columbia and a mechanical engineer so it's harder for her to be thrown into the mix though it does happen sometimes).  We've hypothesized different ideas why it's so hard to tell us apart for our coworkers.  1)  They're always just looking at our chest (ignoring the name embroidered on our uniforms) and thus can't tell the difference.  2)  They never see us in the same room together since we typically are working on different things so we really might just be the same person (one amazing person at that!).  3)  Remembering names are hard (especailly when said person literally wears their name around on thier shirt all day).

 

Regardless of why it happens, it makes for some pretty funny conversations.  Like one I had this morning with a team leader.  The team leader saw me walking in the hallway and stopped my by saying

 

"Hey, I was just bragging about you and what a good job you're doing." 

 

Cue my first skeptical thought since I haven't talked to said team leader in a good 3 weeks but maybe I've done something for him without knowing.  I respond with a,

 

"That's good, what did I do?"

 

"Oh I was just telling you manager how great it was that you went through my board (as in status board) with me and asked some good questions."

 

"That's great

 

By this time I'm certain he doesn't really mean me but after having this happen so many times, I've learned it's just easier to play along for now then relay the information back to the person that really needs it.

 

I figured it out a few hours later by asking both Jen and Danielle if they had talked to the team leader recently.  Danielle and Carolina had last week so I relayed to good news to them.  I can't help but wonder now if he thought I was Danielle or Carolina though.  Good times. 

 

It really sucks when you're sitting in a meeting and they get the name wrong.  I can't count the number of times one of us has panicked when they've said Jen will be covering this trial (on a material she doesn't own) or Allyson is on backs tonight (I am, really?  I better go home then...)