Word Around the Water Cooler

For once the word is around my own office, not Dunder Mifflin's. I know I've said I won't be stupid and blog about work, but this is just too good not to share (and it's not harmful or mean to anyone). Really, it's just funny and amusing.

About a month ago, all the department heads were called to a meeting by our Chief of Staff. After the meeting was over, there was that buzz that happens when one group gets some new information and must spread it to anyone they come into contact with, right. now. Sometimes that energy can be positive, like "yay Christmas bonus!" and sometimes the energy feels more like "no Christmas for you!" Around here, that day was like Christmas had been canceled (you knew I couldn't go the whole post without referencing it at least once).

However, since the Chief of Staff doesn't have the authority to cancel Christmas, the news (I later heard from my boss) was that they are bringing in "staffing consultants" to assess the office and see who is necessary and who is not. Or as my boss put it "They are bringing in the Bobs".

Ummmmm, yeaaaaa. I think I better get working on all those backed up TPS reports I have to put covers on.

Or maybe, I'll just do this:

Look What My Boss is Getting for Christmas!

Click on the picture to buy your boss one.

I did warn you about my Office obsession, yes?

My boss loves the show too and I'm sure he'll display this proudly on his desk.

At Least I'm Not Crying in the Bathroom this Time

New Job Post #1:

I've decided that starting a new job is a little like starting a new high school - with less teen angst and better clothing choices. There is meeting your new peers and your superiors, learning where everything is located, what your schedule is like and what your options are for lunch.

Today, my second day of work, I ventured down to the cafeteria at lunch time. It made me think about twelve(!) years ago when I started the 7th grade in a new school district with no friends. Back then, I dreaded lunch time because it always meant severe anxiety. Who was I going to sit with?! What if my lunch isn't cool?! Why doesn't anyone want to be my friend?! Honestly, this terror led me to spend more than a couple lunch hours hiding in the bathroom being miserable with life and wanting the security of my old school and friends back.

Even in college, most of us spent all of freshman year in large groups flocking to the dining hall at meal times. No one wanted to get left behind. If you somehow missed the big group trip, you would frantically IM everyone else on your buddy list to find out if they had already gone too. Then if they had - the horror! The only choice then was to go get something to go and bring it back to your room and your friends (those traitorous group meal thwarters).

It is on days like today when I look back at those memories and really see how (blessedly) far I have come. I still have a tendency to be shy and somewhat awkward around strangers, but I now have the ability to walk confidently into the cafeteria where I know absolutely no one, find myself a seat and eat my lunch with no anxiety whatsoever. Did I really ever care so much? It's hard to believe.

I still don't have any friends though.

I guess my next life lesson should be "Strangers and You: How to Approach Someone Else in the Cafeteria Without Friends and Make them Yours."

i know i should just get over it, but...

i am going to ask one request of everyone i know who reads this blog (most of who are just friends and family): if you call me up or see me somewhere, please refrain from asking me if i have a job yet. i don't and i am tired of discussing my lack of job. it's no one's fault that it is a hot topic of conversation, it's such a central point of life. believe me, i know.

also believe me when i say that when i get a job, EVERYONE will know. i will probably get a megaphone and drive through boston yelling it to the world. maybe i'll even call up delilah and dedicate some cheesy song to myself in congratulations.

so keep sending the job fairy vibes my way or whatever, and listen out for the song, the megaphone, a phone call, etc. i absolutely appreciate your interest in my life and of course your well wishes, but understand why i just don't want to talk about it.

thank you.

tempus fugit

i cannot believe it has been almost a month since my last post. the passing of time just escapes me lately as i spend most of my days in my apartment, on my computer. and though i am being paid to sit in my bed and do work on said computer (so i should not complain), working from home does little for good human contact and gives me nothing interesting to write about. at this rate, i just need a couple kids and a husband and i'd be a desperate housewife.

think i'd prefer a boyfriend and a puppy.

i just thank god for a gym membership, roommates who alternate being home, and weekend visits that keep me sane. and someday soon, when i am getting up at 6am to put on business attire and take the T into the office, i will look back on this time and be envious of my sweatpant wardrobe and working-from-bed days. truly, i can't say that it's altogether a bad deal.

nothing important happened today...

except that we got today and thursday off from communication theory class! heck yes! so therefore, it is the best week ever. plus i taught dance and made some sweet mula with uncle rico (ok, he wasn't there) and my staffing agency might have a job that i can go to every wednesday. more mula. fabulous. now i may be able to pay next month's rent, oh, and the parking ticket i got this morning (oops).

other than that, i have nothing of great interest to talk about.

it's been raining here since friday night and probably will be until next tuesday. that's pretty exciting. um, nope.


i could talk about how i saw jason mraz in concert on sunday night and it was awesome. kelly and i had great seats and the opening bands were even fabulous. i had heard of carbon leaf before and knew their songs "what about everything?" and "life less ordinary." they did some amazing four part harmony a capella and the lead singer played the penny-whistle or some flute-like instrument that reminded me of ireland. it was cool.

then the second opener was this guy named raul midon. he had an acoustic guitar, a microphone and an astounding voice. in his songs he made it sound like there was a drum accompanyment by hitting parts of the guitar and he used his mouth to sound just like a trumpet. really, check this guy out. download his stuff from iTunes. so talented, and his album also has a song with jason mraz and one with stevie wonder.


then, there was of course, the geek in the pink, mr.a-z himself. what a cutie. his voice in person is exactly like what it is on the albums. he's really talented and really a super geek, which i love. i even wore my "i love geeks" shirt especially for the show. takes one to love one, right? haha.


so, he mostly sang the songs from the newer album which i've only heard once before, but i enjoyed them anyway. i'm going to steal kelly's copy and upload it i think. for older stuff he did "you and i both," "after an afternoon," "unfold" and "curbside prophet" which made me happy, although i was hoping for some "tonight, not again." maybe next time. overall an awesome concert and i would definitely go see him on his next visit to boston.

well, so much for not having anything to talk about. whether it's interesting or not, the jury's still out on that one, but it's a day to look back on and remember that even though it's been raining for 4 days straight, "life is wonderful".