Work's been kind of challenging lately. And by "challenging," I mean HARD. But nobody better f with me tomorrow, because I will be dressed as Peter Pan, per the request of my colleagues who are planning an epic team-wide Disney Halloween costume. And Peter Pan likes all insurance plans to cover at 100% with no need for prior authorizations. Dig?
4.26.2010
Right now all I want to do is look at inspirational posters. Yes, I am that person. But seriously, there are some really good ones out there right now! No shame. I found these ones on Etsy from dazeychic. Which one is better?
4.20.2010
Things are good! It's basically like living in the above house right now.
So, uh, I work here now. It's pretty amazing so far and I'm very excited about the next six months.
I find myself doing a lot of work that I don't necessarily like for companies I don't necessarily care that much about, but already I'm feeling different about this job. I like having some tiny part in making sick people feel better, and I also love learning about medical stuff.
Also, there are free sodas. In the immortal words of Annie, "I think I'm gonna like it here."
1.05.2010
Without sharing too many sordid details, I think the following video sums up the insane bureaucracy of my most recent temporary gig at a large corporation.
I had to make ten thousand phone calls just to find out if it was actually my last day at work today, because no one in the office seemed authorized to give me a solid answer. This kind of stuff drives me loco, man. But enough venting! Onward and upward, as usual.
I've been off having adventures, sleeping, and acclimating to my new job, which is located in San Francisco's most prominent open-air shopping center and office park. It's a weird environment; everywhere I go, there's something to buy! Shoes, coffee, lotion, chocolates, clothes, spatulas...it's all there, and it's all in my face. I'm considering not bringing any money to work so I don't have to deal with the temptation any more. I realized, though, that I'll never need to buy hand lotion again if I rotate using samples at the five beauty stores within a one-block radius. Sweet Jesus!
The best thing about working in a mall is the music piped in from the sky. Usually it's some pleasant piano, but this week they started playing "spooky music" for Halloween. It's a pretty creative mix; instead of just "Monster Mash" over and over again, they're really stretching it. On my break, I heard ELO's "Evil Woman," and as I left work, I heard one of my super-favorite jams, "Season of the Witch" by Donovan. It's a weirdly sexy song that's been rightly covered by tons of bands, and I present it to you now accompanied by a witchy scene from George Romero's film of the same name.
I'm kind of obsessed with The Ghost and Mrs. Muir right now. It is the perfect mid-October movie! I'm a firm believer that certain movies should be watched during certain months.
Seasonal viewing--it's like seasonal eating; natural and good for you. Withnail and I is a January for sure, Amelie in March, and of course, I pack December with the zillions of holiday-themed movies that just feel weird any other time of the year.
I also like wearing seasonal clothes and colors, but you knew that already. Here's an incredible autumny haircomb from Etsy seller The Honeycomb--I love all these new hair fashions that totally work on short-haired peoples.
Apparently my new office is directly across from the Easy Spirit flagship store, which looks just like all the other Easy Spirit stores. Easy Spirits have a bad rep for being hideous comfort shoes (remember that commercial with all the businesswomen playing basketball in their high heels?), but they seem to be improving.
I've been coveting a pair of fall oxfords for a while, and after searching high and low for the perfect ones, I discovered they were right in front of me the whole time at Easy Spirit. I think these are just the shoes Mrs. Muir might have worn while walking the beach, don't you? More Mrs. Muir fashions coming tomorrow!
I've been blessed with some great free stuff lately. At my temp job yesterday, where a lucky group of world-renowned "continence specialists" (read: pee doctors!) enjoyed a grand party at the Carnelian Room, there were tons of gorgeous and super-expensive flower arrangements left over. The event team basically forced an arrangement on each temp; they would have gone straight to the trash otherwise.
Mine was beautiful, a mix of purple dahlias and white orchids, but it weighed about 8000 pounds. I could barely lift it. But I had to take it, I just had to! As I tottered down Montgomery Street back to the BART station, it quickly became clear that my weeny little arms would not be able to carry it all the way home,. I looked around for a person to give it to, but the streets were mostly empty. I thought about leaving it on the ground or on top of a trash can, but that seemed depressing. I staggered on, hoping that I'd run into someone who looked like they might accept a huge flower arrangement from a stranger.
Turns out, the second I saw the BART workers in their little ticket booth, I knew they were the meant-to-be recipients of my floral burden. I went up to the window, said my piece, "This sounds weird, but..." and moments later, having handed the vase over to a totally stoked lady, ran down the steps empty-handed. It was awesome.
I also procured a free dining table and chairs recently, which made me excited about home decor again! Here are some pics of my little city cottage.
I'm pretty proud of myself for stepping up and attempting the most difficult Blythe pattern I own. It was pretty tedious, but doable! The sleeves ended up being way too long, so I shoved them up for a more casual look.
Now on to a week of even more tedious work, manning the front desk at another big technology company. Just kidding. I love boring jobs! Work is work and I'm glad to have it. Hopefully there will be ample time for blogging, though.
In honor of my recent redundancy, I'm offering a super deal: Just mention "Firefly Express" and get 20% off any order in my Etsy shops until the end of August! My loss is your gain!
Nerds! Just as I was getting all cozy and comfortable at my job, I get the axe! Such is temp life. Honestly, with all the relentless cutbacks at the company, it was a miracle that they let me stay as long as I did, and I am very grateful for that .The good side: I actually did a lot of real work during my time there, so my resume is vastly improved with new skills. The bad side: People were nice, and I need money!
However, time heals all wounds, and so does a classic screwball comedy! Here's one that fits the day perfectly. My Man Godfrey is the story of Godfrey, a "forgotten man," (read: homeless dude) ruined by the Depression and living in a dump, and how he comes to work for a prominent family as a butler.
There are so many snappy zingers and unforgettable character actors in this movie, I can't even begin to tell you. It's truly, timelessly hilarious. And, it's in the public domain, which means you can watch it online for free or buy a copy for $1 at Walgreens like I did.
Here's the preview, which contains zero zingers, but just a wee taste of the atmosphere (unlike modern previews, which always give away the best jokes!).
Back to Etsy, back to work (more on that later), back to Oakland. Lots of new things are in store! Stay tuned.
6.24.2008
I love watching kids/people learn, and I've gotten to see/do a lot of learning in the last two days. As I mentioned before, I'm working as a mentor with the Mentor Artists Playwrights Project. Under the tutelage of the awesome Thomas Kellogg, creator of the program, ten theater artists and ten teenagers work together to create ten one-act plays in a week.
It's only the end of day two, and already my mind is blown at how excited these surly kids are getting about the power of their own imaginations. They're coming up with some crazy awesome stuff, and I feel really lucky to be there to witness it.
Guess what? Being a teacher is infinitely more fulfilling than data entry. Noted for future reference.
Also, I found this image on a gossip blog today and stole it for your pleasure. I am trying to drink less and generally experience good health, coupled with the fact that I'm too poor to maintain blondeness, so I guess the sentiment is true.
