Supertramp's "The Logical Song" (courtesy of purelyrics.com):
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,
joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
clinical, intellectual, cynical.
There are times when all the world's asleep,
the questions run too deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am.
Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,
liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respecable, presentable, a vegtable!
At night, when all the world's asleep,
the questions run so deep
for such a simple man.
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
but please tell me who I am.
This morning has been one of those completely random mornings. Which is bad, because it’s only 9:05. Of course, I have a division meeting at 10:30, which only helps make days surreal. Nothing ever gets done on days when there’s an all-staff or division meeting. It just throws everyone off.
I had to go to the grocery store to pick up flowers for Krishni (per Jeff’s request) and while there I was remembering a dream I had last night that involved both of my grandfathers dying in a 24-hour span. So I was at the grocery store and thought about how weird it was that I dreamed my grandfathers had died. *Pause* Wait. Both of my grandfathers did die. I mean, true, they died 3½ years apart…I guess I just forgot. Or something. I don’t know.
Then I was driving in to work and it hit me that I was driving to work. Commuting. Just as I have for the last year and a half. A year and a half? Geez. It’s been a long time. I guess I’m all grown up and stuff. I guess doing my taxes should have illustrated that point for me (and I still don’t understand how I could pull in almost $30,000 in a year and still not have much money). It was just this very weird moment for me. Anyway, Sars just also did her taxes—read all about it!
Current song in my head:
“Drops of Jupiter” by Train
Last night I was putting out the garbage and I glanced up at the moon. Around the moon was a large ring. But the thing is, it wasn’t really close to the moon. I can’t describe it, but it was cool. You all should’ve seen it.
Oh, and Krishni’s all, “We should hang out this weekend. Have beer and pizza at my apartment.” Yay! I mean, she also invited Suzanne, but I’ll live. I just hope the socialization continues after she leaves.
I wonder if my cut (the one from the glass that I had to get stitches for) will ever heal completely. Just to the point of looking like a normal scar and not being all red and blotchy.
I came in second in the presidential trivia quiz. Actually, we did them in groups, by table, but my table was extremely unhelpful, so I basically did the whole thing. It was still fun, though. Anyway, the table we lost to also had a history major, so I’m not upset. Plus, I still got a prize. And I think the other table members actually helped the other history major.
Current song in my head:
“Blister in the Sun” by the Violent Femmes
Obviously, things at work are a bit crazy lately. Jeff, my department director who will soon be my direct supervisor, has been extra nice to me lately, though. Krishni wrote a really great evaluation of me that Jeff apparently just saw (I actually read it on Wednesday or so). He just stopped by and was like, “That evaluation reflects what I think of you” and said something about “finding the right spot” for me and hopefully getting me a bonus. Do you think that “right spot” thing could mean a promotion? Because that would be sweet.
I’m just happy it’s Friday and the week is almost over. I’m looking forward to seeing Becca and Melodie in three weeks. But I can’t believe Krishni only has seven days left of work!
Weirdness: I was put on hold and while waiting, instead of music or a message, I got these double beeps. I’m convinced it’s call-waiting and I keep wanting to hit *9 to get over to the other line.
And go, figure skating! I feel bad for Michelle Kwan, but Sarah Hughes rocked last night. The Russians need to get over themselves. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone skate again tonight, particularly Sale & Pelletier and Tim Goebel. Even if he is Carrie’s.
Current song in my head:
“I’ll Never Tell” from the Buffy musical
I admit it. I have issues. And most of them are the result of moving. Either moving myself, or other people moving. I guess it’s just the feeling that’s always resulted from it—that I have no control over a lot of aspects of my life. I have more control now; my parents moving doesn’t mean I have to move (thank God), but it still affects me (having to travel across to the country to see my mom and dad isn’t cool). I’ve realized as I’ve grown older that what I want from life is stability. I fear change. And I hate when change is forced upon me.
Krishni is leaving for another job.
As you can imagine, I don’t feel good about this. We have a bunch of projects in the pipeline and God only knows what’s going to happen with them if Krishni isn’t around. She’s said I’m going to be project manager for a few things which I was totally pumped for. I was nervous, too, but it was okay, because Krishni was going to help me through. But she’s not going to be here. I’m scared that of the people who are going to have to deal with the books program, I’ve been here the longest. I mean, with a magazine or a newspaper, there’s a routine. You know what needs to get done and it shouldn’t change too terribly much from issue to issue. But each book project is unique. There are different people to work with, different audiences and goals. Different priorities. And who’s going to manage that? Jeff? He’s been here for less than a year and has a whole department to run (in addition to only being part time). Suzanne? God, don’t even get me started. Me? What do I know? This is my first real job. Gack.
In addition to all the worries about the actual job, I’m going to miss Krishni. She’s the best boss ever. She’s fun and cool and smart and encouraging. I can stop by her office and chat about anything. She’s been my biggest champion, going to bat for me, putting in good words for me all the time. Well, maybe now we can do social things together. Her new job is just up the road. So, we can do lunch and stuff. And maybe now Meghan will hang out with me.
So I got that news yesterday afternoon. The day started with a hellish 2 hour all-staff meeting where it was all blah blah strategic action priorities blah. Then a doctor’s appointment where I found out that my asthma is really bad and the doctor put me on steroids. Then this news from Krishni. Plus a pounding headache. I felt totally justified in going home and drinking.
I just want to thank Becca for giving me some happy news. St. Patrick’s Day is going to rock.
Current song in my head:
“Say Say Say” by Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney
So I had to sort the mail for the department today because Leslie's out (ah, the joys of being second lowest on the totem pole). One of the letters had a strange pattern on it and said PRESORTED STD. Hee.
There are times when I really, really hate working in a cube. Mostly it’s times like now when there are about three conversations going on around me and I’m trying to concentrate on something. It’s kind of hard to figure out how to delicately word a letter to an author about contracts when you have someone standing four feet away bitching about something stupid. I just want to be able to go somewhere and close the door. I hate making phone calls because I’m convinced everyone is listening to me. I hate that I can hear noise coming from everyone’s office. I hate that I can’t close a door. I want an office. And it really bothers me that we’re rearranging the floor and there’s going to be an open office for two people who come into the building maybe three times a month. Argh.
I am so not in the mood to go to Smithsonian training tonight. We went out for pancakes and I ate too much so I feel overly full. My head hurts. I have a performance review in a half hour. I’m still bitter about the pairs figure skating last night.
And to top it all off…
Current song in my head:
“MacArthur Park” Kill me. Kill me now.
So today during a meeting, Krishni got an email forward from a friend. She doesn't read any of them, and wants to get this friend to stop sending them to her, so we got into this conversation about how to tell the friend to stop with the forwards already. We went through a number of possibilities until Krishni came up with "Eat email and die." Hee. I'm still amused.
Current song in my head:
"Under Your Spell" from the Buffy musical
Two pieces of good news from work that I want to share:
1. I am officially going to conference. It’s in Miami Beach the first weekend in May. I’ll be writing news briefs (very brief, from what I’ve been told), and editing other people’s briefs. Of course, I’ll also be doing all the administrative crap that nobody else wants to do. That’s what I get for being a first-timer.
2. I’m going to be ghostwriting a couple of sections in a chapter in an upcoming AOTA publication. It’s on accrediting agencies (ooh, exciting stuff), and I won’t have my name in the book or anything (other than on the copyright page, where it usually is). But still. It’ll be cool.
Current song in my head:
“One Fine Day” by The Chiffons
I am happy to report that my life is not all for naught. A while back, we were working on this big awareness campaign about backpacks. You know, don’t wear really heavy backpacks and wear them properly, and occupational therapists can help with this! And I got stuck doing a ton of research into this. Finding studies, getting quotes, looking at statistics, etc. Anyway, when the press release was written, I discovered that it included very little of my research. Mainly, the stuff in there was, “Improperly worn and heavy backpacks hurt children! Contact an occupational therapist.” It was all very disheartening. Then today I was looking on our website for something and I found this. Here's my research! I can now die happy, knowing that my life has been productive.
Current song in my head:
“If You Could Read My Mind”
I’m happy that I figured out how to change my default fonts in Word. Yes, I know it’s insanely easy. Shut up. It still makes me happy.
Anyway, things at work are very quiet (except for various personal traumas). Today’s my one year anniversary of registering on Television Without Pity (formerly MBTV), and I’m trying to get to 100 posts by the end of the day. I’m happy that NBC is replaying the Brad Pitt episode of Friends. It’s Thursday, yay. So almost Friday.
Okay, I’ve been very lightheaded all morning (head rushes every time I stand up), so I’m going to go get some sugar. Mm, sugar. And damn the vending machine for having tropical Skittles. But really, at the moment my head just wants to be put down.
Current song in my head:
“Bat Out of Hell” by Meatloaf
Okay, so I just read this entry on TomatoNation. You have to read it. No, now. Go read it. It is hysterical. I wanted to burst into insanely loud laughter, but couldn't, because I'm at work and I really should be, you know, working, not playing on amusing websites. Anyway, it involves chickens and a chicken story, which means I have to share with you my father's chicken story. Though I recommend getting him to tell it himself, because as he goes on, he starts laughing, then gets slightly hysterical and has to work to get it out, and it's very amusing. Okay, so my dad lived in New Jersey, and when he was in high school, he lived in a neighborhood with his friends John and Dick (Dick later married my father's sister, then they got divorced; he's now my ex-uncle, but that isn't important). Down the street from them lived these two girls, sisters, that they went to school with. Apparently these girls were real snobs, and my dad and his friends didn't like them at all. So my dad, John, and Dick one day see a bunch of chickens around (I'm not sure whether they were just on the street, or what). They gather up the chickens and lock them into the girls' car. The chickens remain in the car overnight. The next day, the two girls go out to the car and find the car filled with chickens...and everything that go with chickens in a confined space. So they totally flip, and their boyfriends are with them, and the girls completely chew out their boyfriends. And there's my dad, John, and Dick, up the street, watching and laughing themselves silly. It's better when my dad tells it. And whenever he does, I always get this mental image of my dad and his two friends hiding in bushes, watching the girls. It makes for a fun visual. Anyway.
One of the small pleasures of life: Driving around at night when it’s warm out, and having the moonroof and/or windows open. I don’t know why, but it just makes me very happy. I love driving around at night during the summer.
Not that that really applies at the moment, seeing how highs today are around 30 and the windchill makes it feel like it’s in the single digits. Argh. I mean, I guess it is February and I should expect these things. But still. I guess I’m also frustrated by the fact that the zipper on my leather jacket broke and I don’t feel like paying to get it fixed.
And dammit, Paul McCartney needs to annouce which cities he's going to be touring.
Current song in my head:
“Breathing” by Lifehouse
Today we got these “emergency notification” forms that we have to fill out so the company knows who to call “in case of my sudden illness, injury, death, or other personal emergency.” I hate these. I never know whom to put. My grandmother? She lives in Baltimore and is my closest relative. My parents? They live in Oregon, and one of the three slots is specifically for someone out of state. My roommates? Isn’t that weird? Shouldn’t it be a relative? My aunt? She lives a bit away, but she’d probably be able to get here faster than my grandmother would. These people need to take into account us single folks with no relatives nearby. Gah. I’ll figure it out. It’s on my to-do list for the weekend, right up there with performance evaluations. I have to do a self-assessment, one for Krishni, one for Jeff, and one for Karen (head of my division). I plan on getting around to those at some point during the Super Bowl. Preferably after a few drinks. That should make them far more interesting.
Current song in my head:
“Standing Still” by Jewel