We are sad to say goodbye to our Assistant Christmas Elf and Rehab Manager, Bart Thein. Bart Thein was working as punch out at Weekly Homes before coming here in 2009 as a warrantee manager. While here, he has also been involved in building preparation and working with the Gray Ghosts.
Bart has brought a lot of fun to the Habitat office over the years. He loves practical jokes. For example, while working on rehabs, Bart would clean out junk left behind. Occasionally, he would confiscate some to give to the office staff with an amusing note. He found a pair of headphones for our former CEO, John, “So you don’t have to listen to Bill [our CFO].” He wrapped up a mat to give Bill, “So you can take a nap.”
Once Bart found an amusing discard, he would “give” it repeatedly. He recycled a plastic hyacinth. He placed it as a welcome gift on every new hire’s desk for years. This year, he found a Superman doll and taped “Bart” to its chest. He then proceeded to give it in succession to each of us.
A few years ago, our office was fixing some moisture damage to an outside wall. Marianne asked for a window. Bart made a FAKE WINDOW! Since it was Christmas, he created a Christmas theme window with Santa in the top pane and a sleigh ride in the bottom pane.
For several years, during the week before Christmas, he and Brett Thein were our office’s own “Elves on the Shelf”. Each morning the staff found new elfish pranks or decorations throughout the office–desk knee-holes stuffed with balloons, “Naughty/Nice” snowflakes hung desks and Christmas stockings tacked to door lintels of each office. They draped twinkling Christmas lights on computer monitors and put holiday snow globes, bobble heads and other toys everywhere. Christmas candy showed up on some desks and Christmas “coal” (chocolate) showed up on others.
We are sorry to see our one of our merrymakers go, but we know Bart is looking forward to taking a break from his heavy schedule and pursuing new career opportunities. Wherever he goes, he will bring smiles.