This creature is harder to find than the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, and the McRib sandwich combined. I’m talking about, the office buddy, or OBud for short. Before you call the Weekly World News to report you’ve found one, you must verify the authenticity of your OBud to make sure she’s not an imposter.

OBud Verification Checklist

1. Nothing bonds like a common enemy. OBud hates all the same people you do.

2. OBud helps you nickname all the people you hate. Such as "Ms. Pee-Pee Paws", the snotty executive who never washes her hands after she goes to the bathroom.

3 OBud IM’s you when there are Dunkin' donuts on the 8th floor before she sends out an all-office email.

4. OBud can keep it a secret when you sneak into your evil boss’ office and change his Facebook status to “Rubbin' one out to a Tinky Winky poster.”

It’s hard to tell if you have an authentic office buddy, and believe you me, I’ve been burned before. But there’s no use crying over spilled wine. I’m grateful for my office buddy because our friendship reminds me of the story of the Ugly Ducking. The Ugly Ducking isn’t about growing up and becoming beautiful, it’s about the search to find people like yourself. My Obud is a swan, just like me. At work we don’t try to impress the ducks, because we’ll never be like them, for the simple reason that we’ll always wash our hands after we go to the bathroom.

That's why I'm grateful for my office buddy.