1.
L., who works in the office next to mine needs advice. Can she approach my boss, the CEO? Yes. I reassure her. He welcomes questions and is easy to talk to.
2.
My favorite young assistant is wearing a wonderful floral maxi skirt. It flows beautifully as she walks down the hall and I tell her so.
3.
The new assistant needs a lot of support. She's come from a distant city and everything is a shock to her system. She is overly eager but no one seems to mind.
4.
My friend A. is very sick. Each day she comes to the office is a triumph over illness and the illness has given her unbelievable clarity in vision. It is fascinating to watch.
5.
My friend J. wears pink from head to toe. She does this unselfconsciously.
6.
The new guy IM's me from his first day. He misses us but is excited about his new position.
7.
V.'s red hair is mesmerizing...a tumble of curls and waves, I find myself envious of its romantic tussled look.
8.
The V.P. down the hall shares a joke with me. I am, somehow, on par with the V.P.s and the assistants, bridging both worlds.
9.
I convince the Art Director that he can meet with his staff and then present final sketches to my boss. It is, otherwise, impossible to get everyone in the room at the same time. He trusts me.
10.
I remind The New Guy that his time with us will be a small blip in his history but that he has made an impact nonetheless.
11.
I always look at work emails at home and, though this is okay with me and mine, it has given my boss further opportunity to work after hours which may or may not be prudent.
12.
As I leave the office the receptionist points out that I've had quite a day. I had no idea she was conscious of it but she's right.
With thanks to Alice.
this made for an interesting commute home
Because of lightning strikes to crucial switching equipment, customers are advised to seek alternate means of transportation while crucial repairs are made.
Crews continue to work to restore the signal system after the earlier lightning strike. Expect significant delays
Service remains suspended due to a lightning strike . Employees are manually resetting switches. Expect significant delays.
Survivor
Oh, so much white wine.
Is there more wine, asks Oldest.
There is always more wine, I tell him.
But, I ask, do you want to fetch it from the basement and open it?
That was the end of that.
See how easily I slide right back in to my Survivor reports?
Ozzie has an idol. There's an aliance of five at each tribe.
It's raining. Here!
Brandon gives me the heebies. He lies and is sneaky and then confesses - go figure.
Semhar and Christine are on Redemption Island and discuss their plight.
But what challenge will they face as they make fire together?
Oh! I've just realized that Mikayla is a lingerie football player.
Brandon regrets acting like his uncle. Poor baby. Why do I have no sympathy for him?
The blue team is invited to Redemption Island. Coach hopes Christine loses as he does not want to see her back at his team.
Semhar and Christine will battle to stay in the game.
Ozzy visits for the red team.
The ladies will have to build a totem on a pole to win. More poles will be added.
Semhar does a prayer/poem/spoken word to calm herself while Jeff sighs.
Both women balance their poles carefully. It's tedious.
Semhar wavers but survives but goes on to lose - she has a teary moment.
She passes her sweatshirt to Christine and departs.
So, I wander off to see Middle for a bit and, it turns out, he wants to hash some things out.
I return just in time to see Tribal Council.
It's all about Cochran again.
Papa Bear has lots to tell Jeff about the team and explains that he has nothing in common with his tribe. He points out that five of his tribemates have an alliance.
The red tribe vote.
It looks like Papa Bear gets a few votes...and he does and he goes! And I was just starting to like him.
And then I remember! He goes to Redemption Island!
In the meantime, have I shown you this?
I'm taking both grandmothers to see this:
Is there more wine, asks Oldest.
There is always more wine, I tell him.
But, I ask, do you want to fetch it from the basement and open it?
That was the end of that.
See how easily I slide right back in to my Survivor reports?
Ozzie has an idol. There's an aliance of five at each tribe.
It's raining. Here!
Brandon gives me the heebies. He lies and is sneaky and then confesses - go figure.
Semhar and Christine are on Redemption Island and discuss their plight.
But what challenge will they face as they make fire together?
Oh! I've just realized that Mikayla is a lingerie football player.
Brandon regrets acting like his uncle. Poor baby. Why do I have no sympathy for him?
The blue team is invited to Redemption Island. Coach hopes Christine loses as he does not want to see her back at his team.
Semhar and Christine will battle to stay in the game.
Ozzy visits for the red team.
The ladies will have to build a totem on a pole to win. More poles will be added.
Semhar does a prayer/poem/spoken word to calm herself while Jeff sighs.
Both women balance their poles carefully. It's tedious.
Semhar wavers but survives but goes on to lose - she has a teary moment.
She passes her sweatshirt to Christine and departs.
So, I wander off to see Middle for a bit and, it turns out, he wants to hash some things out.
I return just in time to see Tribal Council.
It's all about Cochran again.
Papa Bear has lots to tell Jeff about the team and explains that he has nothing in common with his tribe. He points out that five of his tribemates have an alliance.
The red tribe vote.
It looks like Papa Bear gets a few votes...and he does and he goes! And I was just starting to like him.
And then I remember! He goes to Redemption Island!
In the meantime, have I shown you this?
I'm taking both grandmothers to see this:
things change
The Reuben, dear friends
was abandoned for the heat and replaced with sushi
as the idea of traipsing down to the subway, traveling uptown, and eating all that meat did not appeal. Never mind. Lunch (only the third I've taken with my boss) was very nice.
Sometimes it's good to step away and have a chat.
And the fried chicken last night? Superb.
I've taken a sick-day today.
K and I are off to a closing as we've refinanced.
I've just realized I don't discuss such things but there you are.
We reducing payments by two percentage points and that's when you are supposed to do that sort of thing, I'm told. I'm not good at these things. Signing checks of great magnitude make me uneasy. And by 'great magnitude' I generally mean more than two hundred dollars.
After hearing about it for weeks we woke to rain. My neighbor told me it's going to be 45 this weekend!
There. Now I've written about money and the weather. Perhaps it's best if I walk away now.
I am trying to write about Sunday evening but the words aren't coming.
was abandoned for the heat and replaced with sushi
as the idea of traipsing down to the subway, traveling uptown, and eating all that meat did not appeal. Never mind. Lunch (only the third I've taken with my boss) was very nice.
Sometimes it's good to step away and have a chat.
And the fried chicken last night? Superb.
I've taken a sick-day today.
K and I are off to a closing as we've refinanced.
I've just realized I don't discuss such things but there you are.
We reducing payments by two percentage points and that's when you are supposed to do that sort of thing, I'm told. I'm not good at these things. Signing checks of great magnitude make me uneasy. And by 'great magnitude' I generally mean more than two hundred dollars.
After hearing about it for weeks we woke to rain. My neighbor told me it's going to be 45 this weekend!
There. Now I've written about money and the weather. Perhaps it's best if I walk away now.
I am trying to write about Sunday evening but the words aren't coming.
I've now got two sets of new shoe blisters and my little toes and ankles are all bandaged up.
Aren't you fascinated?
How about this: this morning at work begins with a pumpernickel bagel meeting at which actual pumpernickel bagels are consumed. Kierkegaard is discussed as well but that's too complicated to explain. This afternoon I'm taking the boss to lunch for a Reuben sandwich at a place where the sandwiches are as large as my head, and for tonight I have requested K's fried chicken.
The way I see it, it's a three thousand calorie day.
I only mention it as the clothing I purchased when I began work (exactly three years ago) nearly fits me again. (I got a job, bought go-to-work clothing, lost a pile of weight, plateaued, gained some weight back.) I'd like to not return to that weight from three years ago but with days like this ahead of me it's sure to be a battle.
And the blisters? Make the daily walk kind of rough.
I'll complain about the weather too. It's warm. Too warm. 70 and higher warm. Humid too. I'd very much like to bundle up in a sweater and pull on some tights, thank you.
And it's only Tuesday.
Aren't you fascinated?
How about this: this morning at work begins with a pumpernickel bagel meeting at which actual pumpernickel bagels are consumed. Kierkegaard is discussed as well but that's too complicated to explain. This afternoon I'm taking the boss to lunch for a Reuben sandwich at a place where the sandwiches are as large as my head, and for tonight I have requested K's fried chicken.
The way I see it, it's a three thousand calorie day.
I only mention it as the clothing I purchased when I began work (exactly three years ago) nearly fits me again. (I got a job, bought go-to-work clothing, lost a pile of weight, plateaued, gained some weight back.) I'd like to not return to that weight from three years ago but with days like this ahead of me it's sure to be a battle.
And the blisters? Make the daily walk kind of rough.
I'll complain about the weather too. It's warm. Too warm. 70 and higher warm. Humid too. I'd very much like to bundle up in a sweater and pull on some tights, thank you.
And it's only Tuesday.
Episode 2 of brother B's travels in Alaska.
Paddle North - Episode 2 from Paddling Otaku on Vimeo.
I must say, there is no way I could attempt such a thing. But you knew that.What are you people looking at?
Top ten searches that brought people here:
Roz Chast - who I love. Still. Snowcoat - three or four years ago I spent a lot of time looking for a coat. Decorative Objects - yeah, no clue why you'd look here for that. If All The Animals Along The Equator - from one of my favorite movies. Ever.* Speedos Kids - never wrote anything about Speedos and kids. Can only imagine. Not good. 80's Prom Dresses - been to two 80's parties. Didn't wear a prom dress. Jane Fonda Hairstyle - not a bad hairstyle. Meg Ryan Hairstyles - Meg's stylist does Jane's hair as well. Did you know that? Pop Tart Cartoon - shown briefly, three years ago. Still popular. Sandra Bullock Short Hair - has she ever had short hair? *So, remember that scene in Ocean's Twelve? Where they talk about calling Marcy? Well one day last week, I found myself doing just that, and, let's just say, that's two minutes of my life I wish I could get back. Sometimes, a teeny brush with fame isn't all that fun. What have I been up to this weekend? I had coffee with a work friend yesterday and then dove into the attic and put away the summer things. It's a chore I hate and I'm not finished. This evening all five of us are heading over to a hootenanny. Photos from recent events here in Tuvalu:  I won at Words With Friends! I play every day but I never win! Sure, it's only two points but let's not burst my bubble. If it looks like this outside my house |
it will probably look like this inside my house
as there's probably some of this going on.
Just another artificially smoke-filled day.
(That would be smoke provided by a machine on the dining room floor, provided for "atmosphere.")
Good hair?
All right. I'll talk to you later.
the new girls
One must look forward as well.
On the left is K, who hails from Minnesota. She started a few weeks ago and has a fondness for bright legwear.
On the right is M, who hails from Michigan. She joined us last week and also enjoys bright tights.
I introduced them seeing as how I thought they might wish to discuss their new surroundings and they have become fast friends.
The outfits above were purely coincidental.
They are both delightful.
Happy weekend!
Me. And the new guy.
Tomorrow is The New Guy's last day.
We had champagne today and wished him well and are sending him off with our warmest thoughts.
A lot has happened since February 2010, when someone took this photo of me and The New Guy and he's become dear to me.
I cannot say he's the first kid who has breezed through here and made an impression on me but I will say that he is the first one whose leaving has stung. A bit. He wants to go back to school and work in a different field and cannot do either from here.
And so it goes. He goes.
I've got good friends in middle management too, fortunately.
They don't leave so frequently as kids looking to find their way and move up.
And how far have I come since February 2010? Hard to say. I'd have to sit with paper and pen to make a list.
I have grey hair now.
Those pants don't fit me in quite the same way.
I wore those boots today, in his honor.
And I realize that nothing is forever and that that is not easy or hard but just the reality.
It's difficult, sometimes, being the older person at work. One can guess at people's trajectories, speculate on motivations and figure out the choices others make but some of the paths are surprising, not all of the news is good.
I've felt the disappointment when someone doesn't "work out" or isn't "a good fit."
He was a great fit, The New Guy, and I'm so sad to see him go.
Survivor
Poetry woman is on redemption island. She's struggling and reciting poetry and trying to sleep.
Water is creeping in to camp at the red team's home and they are re-evaluating tribal council.
Cochran is still there but Ozzy warns that he may not stay forever. Keith has a good compass tattoo on his flank. (I just thought I'd mention that.)
Is Coach the biggest fool in this game? I don't know. I'm eating a brownie.
It's a brownie from a trip to Costco which I didn't invite my mom to. So, now I'm in trouble.
Ozzy's walking around in his tie-dyed boxer briefs looking casual. But he's also looking for the immunity idol. He climbs up into a crazy tree and finds a rock which is covering the idol!
He says he's going to save it, secretly, until the merge.
Coach is working hard to make friends with his team, especially Brandon, who is Russell's nephew.
He feels wrong about lying and confesses to Coach who is shocked. But Brandon feels good about telling Coach and reassures him about keeping his identity a secret. Coach thinks he may be able to trust Brandon...redeeming Russell's family.
Keith, Ozzy and some other guy go fishing. They hatch an alliance plan. It's Keith who feels he's orchestrating the plan to get rid of Cochran and Papa Bear ASAP.
Brandon tells us about how he doesn't like Mikaela. He's threatened by her seductive attitude and he swears he'll get her voted out.
Isn't it time for a challenge?
Christine, on the blue team, starts looking for a clue at her camp. Her teammates think she has it already. And, in fact, she has found a clue. Does she tell her tribemates or not? She doesn't know.
It IS time for a challenge. The blue team brings fruit to the challenge to taunt the red team. The challenge? Get keys, get crates, push them together and win comfort in the form of pillows and blankets -- along with a clue to where the idol is.
The challenge is like a reverse maypole that must be unbraided. The blue team is ahead and get their keys first. The blue team move to the puzzle quickly as the red team release their keys but are moving slowly. The red team pulls ahead suddenly and wins.
Who will go home? Coach realizes that voting Mikayla off immediately may be wrong. Coach thinks Christina might be the right person to have go and asks Mikayla to give them some privacy to talk about it.
Brandon lies and says that other team members are voting for Mikayla.
At Tribal Council, Jeff is able to ask Coach and Brandon about their first impressions.
Coach blurts out who is thinking of voting for whom.
And it's Coach who throws Christina under the bus. There's lots of conflict. Why is Mikayla not asking about who would vote her out?
Brandon has to come clean. He admits that he wants votes to be cast for Mikayla.
It's time to vote.
(And I'm willing to bet there won't be any votes for Brandon or Coach.)
All the women get votes.
Tied, Stacy and Christine.
Christine goes.
No votes for Mikayla!
Christine goes to Redemption Island.
Water is creeping in to camp at the red team's home and they are re-evaluating tribal council.
Cochran is still there but Ozzy warns that he may not stay forever. Keith has a good compass tattoo on his flank. (I just thought I'd mention that.)
Is Coach the biggest fool in this game? I don't know. I'm eating a brownie.
It's a brownie from a trip to Costco which I didn't invite my mom to. So, now I'm in trouble.
Ozzy's walking around in his tie-dyed boxer briefs looking casual. But he's also looking for the immunity idol. He climbs up into a crazy tree and finds a rock which is covering the idol!
He says he's going to save it, secretly, until the merge.
Coach is working hard to make friends with his team, especially Brandon, who is Russell's nephew.
He feels wrong about lying and confesses to Coach who is shocked. But Brandon feels good about telling Coach and reassures him about keeping his identity a secret. Coach thinks he may be able to trust Brandon...redeeming Russell's family.
Keith, Ozzy and some other guy go fishing. They hatch an alliance plan. It's Keith who feels he's orchestrating the plan to get rid of Cochran and Papa Bear ASAP.
Brandon tells us about how he doesn't like Mikaela. He's threatened by her seductive attitude and he swears he'll get her voted out.
Isn't it time for a challenge?
Christine, on the blue team, starts looking for a clue at her camp. Her teammates think she has it already. And, in fact, she has found a clue. Does she tell her tribemates or not? She doesn't know.
It IS time for a challenge. The blue team brings fruit to the challenge to taunt the red team. The challenge? Get keys, get crates, push them together and win comfort in the form of pillows and blankets -- along with a clue to where the idol is.
The challenge is like a reverse maypole that must be unbraided. The blue team is ahead and get their keys first. The blue team move to the puzzle quickly as the red team release their keys but are moving slowly. The red team pulls ahead suddenly and wins.
Who will go home? Coach realizes that voting Mikayla off immediately may be wrong. Coach thinks Christina might be the right person to have go and asks Mikayla to give them some privacy to talk about it.
Brandon lies and says that other team members are voting for Mikayla.
At Tribal Council, Jeff is able to ask Coach and Brandon about their first impressions.
Coach blurts out who is thinking of voting for whom.
And it's Coach who throws Christina under the bus. There's lots of conflict. Why is Mikayla not asking about who would vote her out?
Brandon has to come clean. He admits that he wants votes to be cast for Mikayla.
It's time to vote.
(And I'm willing to bet there won't be any votes for Brandon or Coach.)
All the women get votes.
Tied, Stacy and Christine.
Christine goes.
No votes for Mikayla!
Christine goes to Redemption Island.
have I mentioned my latest addiction?
Not smoking -- though I could use a cigarette today.
It's gum.
Raspberry Lemon Dew gum.
My clothing-switching pal D, at work, turned me on to it.
I protested at first: I don't like fruit gum!
But it worked its spell on me and I fell hard.
And here's the thing, I have never seen it in a store. I've looked every chance I get and have never found it. She brings me a pack at a time.
Like a junkie.
A gum junkie.
It's turning out to be a tumultuous week at my office.
I need all the Orbit Mist I can get.
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