Monday, July 30, 2007

moment of silence

today was a day of sadness, something i hadn't expected. disappointment, anger, that sort of thing was more expected. profound and deep anguish over the end of an era was not something i thought was going to grip me as i moved desks today. leaving behind my friends, i will be sitting with two managers and a whole pile of empty cubes. this isn't the worst thing ever, just a moment when it seems a lot less worthwhile to go to work each day.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

hello goodbyes

i convinced myself, somewhere saturday afternoon, that i am leaving. that meant a consideration of what i need to do - look into housing options, take a look at what things i can divest myself of, clean things up, and generally get ready. one thing is sure; the decision that something like this is finally happening brings doubts more quickly than anything else. a little more than a day later, i feel like i'm trying to put things in order in my head, and that's the way to take it at this point. this past week was amazing, most especially because i took a trip. i'm out most of this coming week too. i'm already excited.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

the spoils of childhood

my nephew got christmas gifts before he was born. i got him some stuffed dinosaurs that are now in his crib (if i remember correctly). it seems that his luck continues; i went to buy a belt for myself, second-hand. i figure it's a good idea to buy as many things as possible used. shirts are easy; pants are nearly impossible, same for shoes. if you wanted to be particularly insistent, you could do it, but i am not that committed. though i found belts, none fit. i found this fantastic rocking horse that is a pig, however, attractively priced at less than the cost of a large stuffed animal. it's maybe 3 ft long and 2 ft high, gray with red trim. soft on the outside, sturdily constructed on the inside. not something a less-than-one-year-old baby can enjoy. by the time this child reaches the age where he can play with toys like this, my sister will probably have no place to put all the toys people have given him. i would like to believe my childhood wasn't like that. maybe his shouldn't be either.

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

some thoughts

dear oil companies:

you may use as much petroleum as you wish to make rubber soles for shoes. i do not like the leather kind much. i really like shoes.


dear space explorers:

at least two things about your profession are a disappointment to the kid in all of us. firstly, there doesn't seem to be a fantastically speedy way to get to the nearest star. secondly, it's a shame that sending little bundles of electronics way out into space is more useful than sending people out into space. perhaps this is related to the first item.


dear france:

a lot of good cheeses come from your country. as i have been eating vegetarian these past few months, i do appreciate a good cheese. i happen to be craving italian cheeses at the moment. still, i figured i'd drop you a line.

Monday, July 16, 2007

i already knew

this weekend is looking majorly confusing, with some seriously excellent concert options. i think i really need to see aimee mann, and old 97s is an option, but there are so many other things (neko case) that are potential conflicts...plus the only one of these shows i know anyone will be attending is neko case, so there's whatever else people are up to. choice has to be good.

in other news, i need a new belt. the stitching is falling apart on mine. i just don't want a new belt. solution: thrift shopping.

Friday, July 13, 2007

sometimes the crash isn't all that bad

having stayed up until 2am last night, i struggled out of bed about 10 minutes before 7:00am. i knew something was bound to wreck; it turned out that the bag i couldn't find was not actually at the office, and my carry-on thus was a paper bag. i put a plastic one around it for extra durability and headed to the airport. somehow it took 50% longer than it should have. by the time i reached the counter, i couldn't check my bags that close to departure and it was time to just cut my losses and retreat. have to say, i felt like i was the usual flake - how many key memories involve stories i heard about a trip i didn't attend - but in this case, it was a little bit out of my control. have to say, it was something of a relief to just head back to work. i was tired, i had a package of cookies and some citrus to last me a day and a half, and i really didn't know if i could make my return flights work.

happy birthda, mj. sorry i'm not out there.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

you just can't sleep

i should have gone to bed much earlier. there was the tv show my roommate finished watching. there was a just-purchased cantaloupe that was rather bruised on the trip home. there was another show to watch. there were t-shirts to purchase. there was music to investigate. it's all too hard sometimes. i have to pack still, and hopefully get in to work early.

tales of two dogs

i went to a picnic recently. the last one, they ran out of veggie burgers, so i had to head down early. in my haste, apparently i neglected to invite a couple of my closer friends. i made the situation worse by calling from the hall phone and hanging up before i finished talking in order to dash into the elevator, which had just opened. the veggie burger was ok, but the double hot dog i picked up to take back upstairs for the friend who never came down looked awfully good. i realize meat tastes good and all, but i really don't see the point in eating it again until i feel like it.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

almost everything

i bought a white dress shirt today. i didn't buy a solid-colored tie. several times i did strange things. i got excited and acted angry when teased, even though i wasn't. i took the wrong book on a subway ride. i watched a movie with friends and missed the ending. i botchhed a joke about how i don't like happy endings.

Friday, July 06, 2007

not the way forward again

i happen to work at a company that encourages a fun work environment. in something of that spirit, three of us went to cvs yesterday and spent a large sum on candy, chips, etc. upon returning, the two who sit across from each other began building an ostentatious wall between their cubes out of fruit snacks, milky ways, and other treats. a third co-worker began throwing a fit over this display, insisting that it reflected poorly on the department. i managed to erect my own wall and took it down, then soaked ropes of licorice in warm water and used them to write messages on my cabinet. neither the fit-thrower nor any authority figures had a problem with this.

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

fourth

i really feel like having a muffin for breakfast. a bran muffin, i think. does that mean i will eat a bran muffin today? probably not. is that important? probably not. however, there will probably be at least five other things i do that i really only do because i feel like it, and that aren't that important. for example, i might find myself, a few minutes before retiring for the evening, in desperate want of a bowl of cereal. in all probability, i will consume a bowl of cereal. that doesn't mean it's right.

Monday, July 02, 2007

revelations

one of my friends who has known me for maybe a year was surprised to find out that i'm interested in the outdoors. maybe this is why i don't get invited on camping trips by the people up here. i wouldn't have thought my interest in wandering outdoors was unknown to people who actually were fairly acquainted with me.

i probably surprised a few coworkers with my behavior last friday. we had a field day, with people divided into 7 teams. it was a decathlon. the events were mostly pretty weird, but there were some that weren't completely crazy. the water balloon toss, however, turned really odd when they found that the balloons weren't breaking. they then allowed us to stomp on others' balloons if they dropped them. i got a few scrapes by tackling someone in a vain attempt to protect the balloon i'd just dropped. at least one of my friends was surprised to hear the stories; i like the fact that people didn't realize i could be so competitive. i often feel embarrassed when that side of me comes out.

no, actually

me - "so basically, i'm giving you an incredibly long answer that means no"

d - (laughing hysterically) "are you running for political office or something?"