Can there be TOO MUCH togetherness?

The girls in the Benefits Dept. are so adorable. They are young, bright, optimistic, enthusiastic and the best of friends. Five females spending 40+ hours per week, year in and year out, in close proximity to one another can produce a variety of effects. They can work side by side, interacting when necessary as business dictates; they can more or less ignore each other and just email pertinent info to each other as needed; they can positively loathe the sight of each other and merely tolerate any required interaction, or they can become the best of friends. The Benefits girls have chosen the latter. They plan weekend get-aways (with spouses) to places like Hawaii, Saturday play days (without spouses) to San Francisco, and have weekly departmental lunch dates. Last month they all began dieting together. Never mind that some of them are rail-thin already – they ALL participated. Although they did not all follow the same weight-loss program, they praised and encouraged and celebrated each miniscule achievement towards their individual goals.

Yes, they lunch together, they travel together, they diet together and today I saw them go into the bathroom – all together – at the same time – chatting all the while. I had never really thought of a bathroom visit as a social activity. Apparently, I was mistaken.