So much for the cut off jean shorts and van halen t-shirt

I've posted before that I work on the set of "Office Space." Cubicles, TPS reports, weird office interactions...

Below is the verbatim directive on dress for our Boston office's holiday party:
"Festive Attire is usually seen around the holidays, with the mood of the party being Semi-Formal. For her, it means to choose looks with a bit of sparkle or holiday bent (i.e. a beaded sweater with black pants, a red silk blouse with a black skirt, short dress).

Dressy Casual calls for dressed-up versions of casual looks. For him, it could be trousers and a sportcoat, for her a dressy pants look or a short dress. Jeans, shorts, T-shirts and other casual looks are not appropriate for Dressy Casual."

Your cube farm or mine?

Today I received the following email:

Attached is a listing by department of teams in [current office location]. As part of the planning phase for the [new office location] buildout, I would like to ask each person to review this list and be sure that your name is listed with the correct team. If there are any revisions please let me know. After this list has been validated we will sit with each department to map out seating arrangements.

What I learned from this email is the following:

• The official names of each department for those that work in this office (which changes frequently enough)
• Who works in what department (which changes frequently enough)
• My office is moving

I guess that's the official nonofficial word that we're packing up our cubicles and heading to new ones in the near future!

I’ve been lazy with the blogging as of late. However, after a super fun dinner party last night, I’m reinspired to give it another go. Hats off to JordonCornblog for reminding me that they can be about anything, and they are fun to read.

Thing is, whenever I sit down to type an entry, I suddenly lose all the clever thoughts I have been thinking since I awoke. Any moment of the day could be blown out into a full entry… Some examples from this morning:

• On my way to work, I passed by Olympian Joanne Dow out for a workout. She is a speed walker who probably walks faster than most people run. She and I overlap with our standard routes, it seems. Although I am guessing she doesn’t notice me in the same way that I notice her. I’m just another silver Jetta, not an Olympic athlete.
• About three minutes after seeing what it takes to be an Olympian, a man on a Segway rolled on by. It isn’t uncommon to see these machines around here, as they were invented in our fair city. Still, they always strike me as sorta goofy. I kinda want one, but in the same way that I kinda want to walk Ari the Cat on a leash every day – that is, I think they are good ideas, but I’m not sure I want to be seen doing it in either case.
• We have some new security posters in the office. They have goofy sayings like “Loose Clicks Sink Ships” (with, of course, an image of a ship going down). You can see the full repertoire of posters here. A silly reminder that I work on the set of Office Space, complete with TPS reports. Yes, we really have TPS reports.

All this, and it’s only noon.

Wikicrastination

I am in the process of writing up an evaluation proposal at work. To get a reminder of the more technical terms for some qualitative research methods, I headed over to Wikipedia. I've come to use this site as an entry-level shortcut, when true depth of subject matter isn't required.

I searched the term "qualitative research," and one of the page editors had added the concept of coolhunting as a methodology. I was struck by this term, knowing it from William Gibson’s novel “Pattern Recognition,” so followed the link. Embedded in this page was the term “uncoolhunting” which I hadn’t yet heard, along with a suggested external link. I followed. The Uncoolhunter seemed like more of a blog, listing a few stories and stating their manifesto. One of the stories, dated 4/8, was about Leslie Hall, who I had seen on youtube a couple of years ago, showcasing the song “Gem Sweater” and other fantastically unfantastic ditties (one of which was clearly filmed in my former home of Jamaica Plain, MA). Turns out she has a mobile museum of the sweaters, along with a pretty fab photo gallery.

So I started at a genuine research question, and ended up at Gem Sweaters. All in the span of about 5 minutes.

And that is why I love Wikipedia.

T minus 5 days

Hi.

I am technically supposed to be working, but it’s my last week at this job and I don’t have a heck of a lot to do. I am past the point of trying to look busy. Or caring if I don’t. I’m closer to the feeling of, “what are they going to do, fire me?” which gives me plenty of time to do things like write a little blog entry, or take care of administrative items on the home front.

On an semi-related note, I have been here at my desk for hours and spoken with no one. I’ve gotten emails from people who are two desks away, but no spoken words. It’s totally weird how little they talk to each other some days.

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I made a commitment to run this year’s Reach the Beach relay. I took advantage of this non-busy work time to organize and register my team. We’ll soon be paid up (which is the point at which you are really, really registered), and then I can start to turn my focus from logistics to the actual training.

The race isn’t until September, which is long enough away from now that I feel like I have some luxury of time to set out a plan and ramp up to actually following it. While I have been fairly consistent with my running/strengthening, this is just the excuse I need to take it up a notch. First step in that is getting organized. Rather than just, “I think I’ll go for a run,” I need to start thinking about some sort of schedule and more attention paid to what I put into my body. Which roughly translates as how can I still answer my sweet tooth and maintain proper nutrition on the whole.

I also wouldn’t mind taking my mile time down a bit, and I know that’s entirely possible if I put in the effort.

Yesterday I went on a little cross training adventure, heading over to the Boston Rock Gym with a climbing-enthusiast friend of mine. If he could climb his way to the office and repel home, I’m sure he would. My climbing skills are novice to say least, and while I was technically belay certified at a college gym, I liken that to learning to SCUBA dive in a resort pool – it just isn’t the same.

After practicing my figure 8 knots for a while and learning some climb-related lingo at said enthusiast’s house, off we went to the gym. I passed my test with semi-flying colors (perhaps walking colors is more appropriate) and we proceeded to pick our way through some of the various climbs offered all along the walls.

Was it a superfuntastic time? Mostly. Being nervous that I would screw up and let him drop 30 feet to the ground below (or have him land on top of me) made it a little harder to focus on the fun aspect. And man, does it give a workout to the fingers and wrists… Owie.

I am also new enough to the sport that I can’t help but be periodically distracted by the way the harnesses, um, exaggerate certain parts of the anatomy. Not to mention highlighting any extra cellulite on the thigh area. If that’s not a reminder to get thy ass to the gym/hit the roads, I don’t know what is.

Still, today I am proud of the soreness throughout my arms, as it’s a sign of the effort exerted yesterday.

Tonight I’ll focus on the lower half. Given this is my last week of commuting to Cambridge regularly, I’m trying to head out on the Minuteman Path frequently. It is (was?) a nice perk of this office location. Four miles is the minimum I’ll aim for, and, pending weather, it’ll hopefully be more like six.

Later!

Back to the middle and around again

Things I've learned about having a long commute: it isn't very good for finding the time to blog.

It also isn't very good for the environment, but I knew that part already.

After four and a half months of a new job, I'm leaving. This has been a whole new experience for me, and I think it's been a good one. In short, I like the people I work with, but the job itself isn't a good fit. So when the opportunity arose to return to my former employer in a new capacity, I went for it.

Two weeks left at the current post. They are going to both fly and drag on at the same time...

Honestly, I really should avoid talking about "what I do" with anyone. I think it's just confusing to try and follow me; even I'm bored by it at times. I've become rather adept at avoiding the question, responding with witty retorts or diversions. For now, I'll continue with that approach, at least until it feels more settled. And as far as the resume is concerned, this job will have never existed.

Instead, I'm focusing on things like my commitment to head up a team for Reach the Beach this year. I've wanted to do this race for years, and finally committed myself to doing it. It isn't until September, but having that goal really helps me to shift from my normal run-for-sanity routine to something that feels more like training. I.e., pushing myself to be a little faster, go a little farther, dig a little deeper.

I know most of the people on my team, and am very excited. Great group of people, all in it for fun (with a dash of competitive spirit). I tried to cherry pick friends who have the capacity to make the best of any given situation, knowing that we'll all be smelly and tired at some point during the race. And when those situations arise, you can either become cranky, or laugh it off.

I do not want cranky. I do not respond well to cranky. Not this Cranky, because I do like him... the other, more generic kind.

As team captain, I see myself as a bit of a cheerleader, and can't bring myself to say things like, "No whining allowed!" At least, not directly. I'll say it - and have said it - in other ways. I also need to keep thinking of nice ways to encourage the slower runner to pick it up a bit. I doubt we'll run out of time given the full makeup of the team (that would totally suck), but there's always that little part of my brain that can't help but worry.

So, once again, I am in transition. New job, new commute, new training plan. All of this is good news to me!

Good kitty

Our most active cat, Ari, just jumped on my laptop keyboard and created the following meeting in my Outlook calendar: KKKiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllll. Scheduled from 9-9:30 this morning.

Um, should I be afraid of him?

Technically the full text was:
n bbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbbb nnnnnnnnnnnnn?KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiillllllllllll

Perhaps he's only partially mastered the English language, and he's trying to tell me something larger...

Working from home

Today is the first day I'm exercising the option to work from home. Traffic on Fridays is stinky all around, thanks to MA residents heading either to NH or the Cape for the weekend. I can't blame them, as they are nice destinations. Heck, I look forward to being one of them.

I have a pretty sweet setup going on right now. Laptop, coffee, water, a napping cat on either side (I set out some fleece cat traps which are pretty much impossible to resist amongst the feline set), laundry being washed in the basement... And without the drive, it's like having three extra hours in the day. Nice.

Happily, the most active of our three cats, Ari, is one of the current nappers. He has an internal alarm clock that goes off at 4:45 am every day, at which time he starts to play with any noisy plastic bag he can find. And meow. This little bodied cat can meow like none other. P and I have learned to largely ignore it, but it does have the potential to leak into your dreams.

Three cats is a lot of cats. It feels like a tipping point of sorts, where suddenly there are lots of personalities, allegiances, triangulations of kinship, etc. in their world. At the risk of sounding like a crazy cat lady I'll stop there for now, but I may start logging some of their exploits here and there. It's a show, for sure.

Gym foul

Today I checked out the gym at my office building. Two treadmills, two stationary bikes, an elliptical, some weight machines and dumbells squeezed into a corner, and a huge space to stretch/host a pilates class. It's small, but it's something, and it will help me continue to keep up with physical activity even with my newly increased commuting time.

Treadmills aren't my favorite, and I much prefer being outside. Still, it is a nice backup, and when the weather turns super cold here in New England, I'm happy that I can still go for a run to clear my head. I've been running outside since I started the new gig, and last night decided I just didn't want to get up that extra 15 minutes early (read: 4:45am) to hit the road, beat much - but not all,, shockingly - of the traffic, and get on the minuteman to enjoy the morning air.

So this morning I found myself on a treadmill, with a short run as a goal so I would also have time for a little strengthening (something I don't do often enough). The treadmill faces a mirror, forcing me to either watch myself run or stare at the ceiling. I studied my gait for a little bit, and decided I liked my new-ish running shorts from REI. And I stared at the ceiling a lot.

As I was finishing up, I realized I forgot to grab my towel in the car and bring it with me. Not wanting to head out into the cold parking lot when I was all sweaty, I committed a total gym foul - I used someone else's towel. I know P is probably cringing at this... Heck, I needed a towel, this one had been there for a few days, it was clean, there was no one else in the locker room... It was all too easy. I tried to leave it pretty dry in case the owner came around, and luckily I escaped with no one the wiser. Except, well, you.

Adjusting the days

The past few weeks have been a blissful time without any official type of employment to speak of. I spent some time in NYC, then to Chicago, and then had friends up for the weekend. Completely lovely.


Last week I started my new gig, meaning all of the schedule-as-you-go attitude has to shift if I want to continue to do the things I like to do. For the time being, my commute is long (~40 miles each way, which in traffic is 1.5 hours) and is undertaken each weekday. This will be shifting, but not for a few weeks, if not months. The job shift is worth it, but it involves some sacrifice for sure.


First thing is getting to bed. This is hard when your baseball team is heading to the World Series and the games end late. Even when they are breaking my heart, I know I will find myself unable to tear myself away, in case the game shifts in our favor. That's the beauty of the game.


Then there's waking up earlier. My non-scientific obervation to date is that the morning commute has worsened since my last Boston-area job stint. The thought of waking up before 6am hurts me, but for the commuter the choice is to leave at 6 and have a one hour-ish commute, or leave at 6:30 and have a 1.5-2 hour commute. Leave at 7 and it could be worse... So I have been finding my way onto my feet at 5:15 to get ready to start the day. I'll get used to it.


Perhaps more importantly, I want to build running/general exercise into the days. One of the good things about my job's location is the proximity to bike/run/walking paths. In particular, I am basically on top of the Minuteman Trail, which is long and devoid of cars (although there's always the bicycles to dodge). I did a test run last week, and I think it is going to work out well.

At the moment I am in Ann Arbor, the home base for my division at work. I was in a training session today, and will head back tomorrow. Good stuff, even if it makes my head spin. We manged to get out early, giving me some extra time to find my way downtown (have I mentioned lately how much I love my GPS?) and then back to my brother- and sister-in law, with whom I'm staying.

I plotted out a small run (around 4 miles) to check out the local neighborhood. It's hilly and chilly, but it made for a really nice way to unwind from the day. Not to mention move around, after sitting and poking my way through unfamiliar software all day.

Tomorrow I will try to find time to run a new route. It's the best way to see the area!

The cord is officially cut

I turned in my laptop and badge for my previous job. I am now officially a non-employee. It's both strange and exhilarating.

When I went to drop off the computer, I saw a few people I have worked with closely, and one of them quickly started talking work. Detailed ongoings of work. And there I was, in my jeans and t-shirt, clearly not focused on any sort of work talk, feeling elated on the inside that all of this was no longer my responsibility or concern. Still care about the overall mission of said company, but you can keep the day to day mishigas.

That said, I am now in pure vacation mode. My bag is packed, and in about 15 minutes I'm heading down to Boston to see a Red Sox game with a friend. I'll stay chez him overnight, and then hit the road for NYC in the morning. Very excited to get to the city, see P (who is there for the month), give up the car for a few, run in the park, and simply enjoy just being able to do whatever, whenever.

I'll come back for a couple of days, and then head to Chicago for 5 days. That's the longest contiguous time I''ll have ever spent there, and I do love that town. The only plan I have thus far is to meet up with a friend (and her mom) who is running the marathon and check out the expo. Looking forward to being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people and product.

Given the amount of vacation time I never used while working at the previous job, I have ample vacation time to cover all of this. With some to spare.

I can't believe how well this is all falling in to place. I should switch jobs more often.

Around the world

That's the song that's stuck in my head. Daft Punk. It has exactly one line, repeated 144 times. Easy to learn the lyrics; hard to get them out of my head.

Here's a little insight into my brain: I quickly did the math and figured out that there are 144 lines. In my head, that instinctively translates to 12 squared. Which translates to 4 x 3. Four is my favorite number, and 3 is P's. Thus it is a good song.

Sometimes, I scare myself.

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, which means there are lots of stories lost. Lots of runs that won't be recorded here.

I'm in the middle of a job transition, which is part of the radio silence. At the stage where I am physically still in the job I've held for a few years, but mentally starting to fade. There are a few things I want to neatly tie together to ensure I leave on a good note, and it's been tough to even motivate for those small things... Ah, well. It's been a good ride, I'm leaving on very good terms, and I'm excited for the next chapter.

In between chapters, I'm taking a few weeks off. That I am also very much looking forward to. In that time, I'll be heading to Chicago for a few just to hang out. The day I depart is the day of the Chicago Marathon, which I didn't realize when I initially booked the ticket. I'm excited to mooch off of the vibe, and see some friends who will be running. Maybe sneak into the Expo... A girl can always use another pair of good running socks.

Aside from Chicago, I have no firm plans. Which is lovely. Maybe visit my mom, maybe go running at any time of day, maybe melt my brain in front of the television, finish a few books... Who cares. It will be fall, it will be beautiful, and I will have no homework for three blessed weeks. I've earned it. :)

On the running front, it's been a good end of summer. I reached out of my comfort zone recently and responded to an ad on craigslist for a running partner. I found the guy as I was getting ready to post something myself. It gets a little lonely running on your own all the time, and having someone there to keep you running when you want to stop is really useful. Plus some chatting makes the miles go by. I do like running on my own, but periodically seeing another runner in Manchester would be nice.

So I met up with the guy, who I'll call WestSide, on Monday at 6:30am. First meeting, particularly when I don't know someone from Adam and the main purpose is to run, had lots of awkward potential. Not to mention me being a little nervous as I still have it stuck in my head that most people run faster than me, even though I know I have never finished dead last in a race.

Off we went, on a route he led. We were on his side of town, which I've driven through but never walked through. It was quite pretty, I have to say. And much flatter than my part of town. What a pleasure to not have the lsat 1.5 miles be pure uphill. In the end, we went for around 5 miles at a chat pace, talking some and not talking some. He wasn't a serial killer. Just a normal guy who also wanted someone to run with. I think we'll be heading out again.

The only downside was that I forgot my Nike+ thingy, meaning the run didn't "count" for my online tracking. I'm past my initial addition to the thing, but really would have liked to have known how far the route WestSide selected took us. Damn.

This weekend is the annual Reach The Beach Relay here in NH. I considered pulling together a team of quirky runners to have at it, but had to stop when I realized the race started on the second day of Rosh Hashanah. That counted me out, sadly. Luckily, the Jewish calendar follows the moon, so it should not be a conflict next year. I've already started listing out potential team players in my head...

For this year, I'll simply volunteer on Saturday. No idea what I'll be doing, but it involves showing up in Exeter at 7:45 am and staying there all day. At the moment I hear they are forecasting rain. Should be soggy fun!

Why have fun at work?

I was asked to be on an internal health and wellness committee at work. The goal being to put some effort into encouraing health efforts, seeing as how we are a health company and all. I think I was asked partially because I've talked to a bunch of people about organizing a group for the Manchester marathon/half marathon in November.

I ran the idea by my boss, and he essentially said no, citing that I already have a lot going on (true) and there are some big things coming down the pike (also true). I indicated that the time committment is small, and that I would make the time to participate because it would be (imagine this:) fun and team building, and he still is hesitating.

I find irony in this.

IM brings out the weirdness

A coworker opened an IM conversation with me as follows:

"Speak severely to your boy and beat him when he sneezes. He only does it to annoy because he knows it teases. - I speak severely to my boy, and beat him when he sneezes. For he can thoroughly enjoy the pepper when he pleases. Wow wow wow - Lewis Carroll"

I wasn't at my desk at the time, and it was thus waiting for me upon my return. Nothing more than that.

What is the appropriate response to this?

Chi-town

I'm in Chicago today for work. It's cold and rainy, which is not what I was hoping for... I didn't really pack well for cold, wind, and rain. It looks like my run along the lake may turn into a treadmill run. Or just a shorter outdoor run... Damn.

As long as I was coming to Chicago during baseball season, I got tickets to see the Cubs game last night. What a difference from seeing a game at Fenway. Let's compare two recent game experiences - Red Sox v. Yankees on Sunday night, and Cubs v. Brewers on Tuesday night:
1. Ballpark: Fenway and Wrigley are both storied fields, and maintain their historic nature. I'd never been to Wrigley which was part of the reason I wanted to catch a game. Love the extra bleachers on neighboring houses. Fenway still stands out as a great old park, though, with the odd shaped outfield, Green Monster, and prime city location. Fenway has also been updated a bit more, making access to food and drinks a bit easier. Cubs fans seem to love cotton candy in bags, as that was the most frequently sighted vendor.

2. Tickets: I could not believe how easy it was to get Cubs tickets. $20 for decent seats, and plenty of tickets left on game day. The most expensive tickets have a face value of less than $50 (compare that to just over $300 a pop at Fenway, for seats behind home plate). We ended up moving down to the field around the fourth inning, as there were plenty of empties.

Getting a ticket for a Red Sox game is a test of wills and negotiating power, for the most part. While I have been known to stand outside the park and offer $20 to a scalper until they come down to meet my offer (takes until the third or fourth inning), in general the only way I've been able to get any tickets is by either a) corporate connections, or b) a friend of a friend that can't make it to the game for one reason or another. Good luck finding two seats together through the online MLB system.

Reminds me of when the Democratic National Convention was in town a few years ago, and there was a Sox/Yankees matchup. As a volunteer assigned to taking care of the Oregon delegation, I fielded (no pun intended) a number of questions regarding tickets for the game. When I told them how much they should expect to pay if they went to the park, they thought I was crazy. When they came back later in the evening, they expressed their shock at the ticket price, and overall madness of trying to get a ticket. My experience in getting Cubs tickets helps me to better understand their position. I am skewed by Boston...

3. The game: Admittedly, this one is really subjective. I happened to be at a pretty incredible Red Sox game, where the Sox hit four homers back to back on the third (lots of yelling, waving of arms, and slapping strangers' hands) and still had to fight to the last inning to win by one run. No way we were leaving until the end. No one did.

Cubs game, on the other hand, was less exciting. The Brewers are in first at this point, the Cubs in last. It showed in their playing. We watched a routine pop up missed by the catcher, poor decision making in base running, outfielders trying to be heroes by throwing the ball home and thus allowing extra bases by the visiting team... Half the crowd was gone by the 6th, and with each subsequent half inning more flooded out.

It's hard to be a Cubs fan.

Given the chill and rain, we left after the 8th to finish the game out at a local bar. This turned out to be a lot more fun. Very friendly people, lots of conversation with folks I'll never see again. It would have been great to stay a while post game, but I knew getting up this morning would suck. And it did... The heavenly bed at the Westin was certainly sleep inducing, and it was tough to get up an hour early for eastern time meetings.

Soon I have to put on a suit to attend some sessions and work a table for my company. In other words, gotta go put my game face on.

I love this town, and wish I could stay longer.

Another 500km

I have been lax in my posting of late - not to say that there hasn't been anything to write about, but sometimes the creative energy just isn't there. Meaning I need to remeber that there is life outside of work, even on the busy days.

P and I had a nice litle evening last night. Post work I ventured out in to the snowstorm to get some food shopping done (dangerously low on bananas, for one thing) and I came home to the smell of a fire in the fireplace. Dinner by the fire, then watched the season finale of Friday Night Lights. Oh please let this show be renewed! I get at least one decent cry per episode; it's good for keeping my tear ducts cleared of debris.

P ended the fire by burning the remaining documents we have from one of our friends who is a lawyer for a number of Guantanamo Bay detainees. She left a pile of unneeded documents with us about two years ago, so she wouldn't have to carry them back to San Francisco, and they have become kindling ever since. There's a strange sort of irony to burning these at this moment, given the email debacle that Karl Rove wishes would just go away. Here's hoping he doesn't devise another way to divert attention - be on the lookout for bombs falling on Iran in the coming days...

On the running front, we've been impacted in good ways by the recent snow. Knowing the storm was coming got me out of bed yesterday morning, knowing I would only want to go home after work. Paula Radcliffe was in my ears again post run, telling me she hoped I was feeling great, because I was certainly doing great - another 500km! Which actually translates to about 4 miles. I am trying to think of some correlation to the Canadian dollar here...

Wednesday morning there was a power outage for a large swath of Manchester. I arrived at the gym hoping to lift a weight or two, and found that it was eerily quiet (which I liked) and cold (didn't like so much). The poor guy on duty summed it up thusly: "Power went out at 6, and it just keeps getting colder."

Fortuitously, I ran into a friend and enticed her to hit the streets with me instead. So we went back to her house, picked up her dog, and logged some outdoor miles. I ditched the iPod seeing as how I was with someone else, and it was really lovely to not think about how fast or far we were going. I am guessing three miles, but whatev. It was a beautiful morning and we were out in it. Running for running's sake.

Good luck to those who'll be running in Boston on Monday!

Back to the beltway...

I can't tell if this week flew by, or was agonizingly long. I made a point of taking Monday off to rest from the previous weekend's fun. Unfortunately I've made up the hours this week due to a new project and long hours associated with it.

In the middle of it all we got just under a foot of snow. One of the prettiest snowfalls of the season, actually. The snow was bright and heavy, and covered every branch of the naked trees. It was like living in a black and white photograph. On my way into work, I saw several people out with their cameras, so I know I wasn't alone in my thoughts.

Tonight P and I fly back to DC, this time for a wedding shower. With Sunday being Easter, our friends largely have plans involving family or painted eggs. I think we'll just take the chance to walk around the city.

Not much else to report. I'm knee deep in the review of a technical document (this is my brief respite), so every other thought running through my head has to do with VXML, DNIS, APIs, and other acronyms that are important, but uninteresting to the general public.

This is the week leading up to a week of vacation. That means that I am trying, on a daily basis, to remain focused on work and not mentally fly away.... Tough.

We are heading to Florida for the week. I never really envisioned myself a Florida kind of girl, but with access to an apartment and car, it makes it a very appealing spot. Plus, we've been there a few times now, so it is familiar enough without being too familiar. I have to admit, I like Fort Lauderdale.

Mostly we'll be in Laudy, with a trip down to Miami for Calle Ocho and then a few days in Key West. I am not sure if I will love or hate Key West - seems like the kind of place that can feel like Mardis Gras on a daily basis. I am sure there's a quiet side to it, and that's the side I'm going to seek.

Upon sharing the travel plans with a coworker this morning, they suggested we have a meal at CHeeseburger in Paradise. The Jimmy Buffet chain restaurant. That, to me, is as appealing as eating at Chili's or Applebee's.

Anyways, I'm looking forward to going for runs in warm weather, and with no big constraints on my time. This week I've literally had to sit with my calendar and plan on when I would be able to fit in time for running... I was able to run outside this past weekend which was great, but the rest of this week is looking too cold and windy for that. Yesterday morning I was on the treadmill, and that's likely where I'll be tomorrow... I much prefer being outside (for running or otherwise), but with winter comes compromise. Thus I am very excited to run outside anytime next week. Along a beach, even!!

This week at work has been somewhat trying, largle due to a coworker who is particularly negative. On one level I am sad for her, as the way she treats people is clearly indicative of an unhappy person. On another level I am done with her treating me and others like they are beneath her.

Her latest was to indicate that my appraoch to work was "unfortunate" because I am willing to allow for flexibility in any given process. You know, allow for a human element. Generally I let her little digs roll off of me, but sometimes it gets to me. This was one of those times.

Not cool, you know?

So, to bring it all full circle, I am very much looking forward to the week in Florida.

What a way to make a living

I have worked at the same company for just shy of two years. About 8 months ago, I switched departments. Since that time, I don't think I've worked on a single project for more than two to three months in a row. Constant change is the the only constant, it seems.

Whenever I am asked what it is I do for work, I tend to describe the company mission overall. That usually provides enough disctraction to avoid having to try and explain what I do. The astute ones know to ask further, and then I give a general "well, marketing and outreach, mostly" response. Which is mostly true, but doesn't actually describe how that fits into the general scheme of this weird company I currently call home.

Thus, when I received a meeting invite from my boss with the following goal, I couldn't help but laugh. And feel weirdly vindicated...

"The goal of the meeting is to develop a framework for what we do"

So much, so early

I think there is a story a minute for everyone, if you take the time to notice. This morning was packed with little stories.

I went to a local diner before work to meet up with a friend. As it is Thursday, I picked up the free local paper (which comes out every Thursday) to see what was going on in town. Every time I read through it, I have hope for Manchester.

As I sat and read, and sat and read, and sat and read, it became clear that my friend wasn't going to show up. Normally this might make me a little sad. But I had my paper, I was in a great local spot, the people watching was fantastic, and I was happy to just be there. So much so that I pondered making this a Thursday ritual. I ordered some peanut butter pancakes and had a lovely solo meal.

About 10 seconds after getting back to my car and pulling away from the curb, a woman flagged me down. Upon rolling down my window, she asked if I could give her a ride, saying she'd twisted her knee and was having trouble walking. The fleeting thought of "what if she's an axe murderer or thief" passed through my head (I am so well trained), but it's really cold out, and she wasn't carrying anything like an axe. She didn't even have a winter coat on. So I told her sure, I'd give her a ride (I guess I'm only so well trained).

She got in the car, favoring her left knee and gave me directions on where she needed to go. It was just up the street, and I pretty much knew off the bat that she simply didn't want to walk in the cold. Can't blame her. She smelled of stale smoke, and hopped from one topic to another, trying to both make small talk and justify the need for a ride. I small talked back. It wasn't altogether unpleasant, minus the stale smoke smell, which clings to everything.

Getting out the car, she favored her right knee, and commened that she'd lost 20 pounds. I guess that is one way to say goodbye... And off I went, back on my way to work. The whole exchange took maybe seven minutes. I have a feeling I am not the first to act as her taxi.

And now I am at work. Trying to get enthused, with a modicum of success. A colleague actually thanked me today for one of the projects I've been working on (which, to my wife's chagrin, has been the subject of many dinnertime conversations). Thank you is used all too sparingly around here. It's more about trying to avoid blame, which seems like a fairly toxic way to interact.

So that is my morning thus far. This evening I'm heading to the gym to run, as it is too windy outside to hit the streets. I got new sneakers recently, which are sort of a bright pink/orange (hey, they were on sale, and they were exactly the style I wanted). So I'll neon my way through a few miles. I have a 10 mile race coming up in about 1.5 months, and my entire goal is to beat a 10 minute mile. In the short term, I'm trying for a few sub-10 minute mile runs in the next month. They won't be 10 miles long, but it'll be good practice. I'm defninitely a bit of a turtle. A happy turtle, but a turtle nonetheless.