Thermos - Freedom from Work Awkwardness

Yea, I said "manly"

Look: I'm a highly, highly social guy outside of work.  I regularly wrangle my guy friends together for a bi-weekly, aka bi-monthly, (seriously Oxford: why don't you clarify those definitions?) game night; I mentor junior-high kids; I'm on a first-name basis with the baggers at our local grocery store.

But at work? I have nothing in common with those people.  Oh sure, I'm cordial and friendly, I banter and make small talk, but frankly I only enjoy talking with a few of them so I pretty much keep to myself. 

That's ok.  I've learned over the years that there's an importance in of keeping personal and professional lives separate; an air of mystery is a good thing at the Office.  It's not that I'm Don Draper, it's just that I wouldn't ever choose to hang out with most of my co-workers, so why try to force a friendship that doesn't need to exist?  I come in, I do my work, I do it well, and I leave - isn't that America? Maybe it's that way in every traditional office environment, maybe it's just because we're a bunch of lawyers, who knows? I don't fret about it anymore.



Regardless of your social connection with co-workers, we can probably all agree that no moment during the day is longer than when you are waiting for the office microwave and have to make small talk with someone you'd rather not for 2-3 minutes.  You can't just turn around and leave (though I have been known to do that on occasion - oh? you're using the microwave? Suddenly I have an important call to make!), so what's a frugal "bringer" like yourself going to do?

Purchase a handy Thermos.

Remember Thermossssesssses? (Thermosi?) Remember how they were plastic and had a worn picture of Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends on it? Forget about keeping anything warm or cold, the best you could hope for was that your milk didn't leak out all over your sandwich.  Well apparently Thermos technology has come a long way, evidenced by the Stainless King Food Jar I received from Lady Rad as a birthday gift.

In addition to looking as manly as a double-walled food container could possibly look, this thing really keeps things piping hot for hours.  LR or I will heat up some leftover soup or chili first thing in the morning, drop it into this bad boy, and when lunch rolls around between 12:30 and 1:30, it's still as steamy and scalding as it was when it came out of the pot.  More importantly, you don't ever have to enter the office kitchen again! And with a folding, portable spoon that sits underneath the lid - a hot lunch is ready for you wherever you are - whether at your desk or feeling the breeze of fresh air for your moment of workday freedom!  Bonus, there's a matching Thermos for coffee available, too.

When I first started writing about consumer technology professionally in 2004, I never thought that I'd end up writing a review on a Thermos.  But here I am; and here you are - do yourself a favor and pick one up for the reluctant professional in your life.