The morning began with a bang, or rather, a poof. Brenda, the office klutz, tripped over the welcome mat, sending a cloud of dust motes dancing in the sunlight and knocking over Mr. Johnson's meticulously placed potted cactus. Laughter erupted, momentarily chasing away the usual Monday blues, as Mr. Johnson, ever the optimist, declared, "Well, at least it wasn't the coffee maker again!"