Asteroid

I’ve been working with my door closed for about a week so I can focus on Henry’s proposal. Today I started to feel like a shut-in. I left it part way open while I ate my lunch. Eve noticed and came in. She saw me staring at the computer. “Are you working?” “No.” I turned my chair so I was facing her. “Reading an article about space law and asteroid mining.” She looked at the screen to see if I was...

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Monday!

In the car I’ve been listening to audiobooks that I download from the library. I’m still on a romance kick and that limits the selection. I download some I typically wouldn’t read. That’s how I ended up listening to one where a woman goes to the airport knowing she wants to go somewhere but can’t make up her mind where. She meets a man at the airport bar who, after he soaks her blouse and determines...

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Innocent observation

Blaine and I went to the historical part of downtown to a new bar that is trying to establish itself a venue for local and regional bands. A Facebook friend had posted about it, and when I checked the website I noticed the band tonight was billed as Chicago blues, jazz and swing. When Blaine came to the bar on my birthday he mentioned liking blues and so I thought it might appeal. The band had a...

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A little interaction

Yesterday Henry sent the eight-page outline for the next section of the proposal and just as I was trying to sort out how to write it I found out that several of our people received national awards, so I switched gears and spent a good part of the day writing news releases, getting photos and updating websites and social media. I stayed late to get a start on the new section. Today was equally exciting....

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At present

Henry wasn’t blunt about it but he said something to me yesterday that makes me think he knows my position will be cut in this next round. In a roundabout way he also said that if this project proposal is accepted, he’ll have some latitude to keep me around to work on it. It would be temporary, part-time and I doubt benefits would be offered, but it would provide some income while I look, and I’m...

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Work from home

The weather was bad all day. Freezing rain this morning; sleet, snow and wind all afternoon. I really hate being on the streets when it's slick. More than that, I hate the possibility that I won't be able to make it into my driveway. The last time I couldn't make it up the slope, I had to park on the street and got stuck against the curb. I tried to dig myself out but ended up having to wait for...

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Pictorial

I've been trying to work on Henry's proposal today, and I am not far enough along with it. My fault. I can't get motivated. Since failing to get much work done is all I have to say about today, I'm sharing pictures a few pictures. Might as well begin with George (pardon the glare, reflection and lack of contrast). I took this photo for the 7 days of black and white photos meme that was...

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Breaking protocol

I’ve gotten into the bad habit of staying in bed on Saturday mornings and reading until most of the morning is gone. That’s why I was still under the covers after 10:00 when the phone rang. I assumed it was Mica. I picked up without checking caller ID and answered it with our customary, “Allo.” There was a pause followed by a chuckle. “Uh, allo.” Blaine. Blaine! Blaine? I explained I thought it was...

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I need to know

It’s an extreme understatement to say I have a thing for men in nice quality, well cut suits. Keep your tight t-shirts or bare whatever—I don’t even recognize what’s considered sexy by most women. For me it’s a tailored suit, crisp shirt and sharply knotted tie. When all the pieces come together, I can be shameless. I’ll stop dead in my tracks. I’ll run my eyes up and down their bodies. I’ll turn...

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Warm cookies

This morning the CEO met with staff. He brought warm cookies and hot chocolate, making it the best meeting ever, never mind the main topic of conversation was upcoming budget cuts. Final decisions haven’t been made but the estimate is that 30 positions will be eliminated. The announcement is likely to occur at the end of March. Three years ago I was laid off from a job. It was a horrible place to...

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Dress

I’ve been digging around in my closet looking for all the pieces to an outfit I last wore four years ago. To explain why, I have to go back to last night... “What are your thoughts on the symphony?” Blaine called to talk about what we might do this weekend. “I’ve been offered tickets. If you’re interested I’ll accept.” When I’m extremely stressed about something I’ll find the Symphony channel on XM...

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Donation

Someone who is with the dog rescue I used to volunteer with reached out to ask if I was interested in purchasing tickets to a fundraiser that’s being held in a few weeks. It’s a Valentine’s Day dinner with a fancy-dessert auction, general silent auction—the usual. I went ahead and purchased three tickets, the other two for Mica and Sophie if they want them. If not, it's a donation to a good cause. Susannah...

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Sunday morning at the vet

Little White Dog had to go to the vet this morning. He woke Mica several times throughout the night needing to go outside, then he began throwing up. She called me so I could meet them at the veterinarian. He’s 100 percent her dog but he and I bonded early on. A condition of his adoption was that he not be left home alone all day. At the time Mica still worked in an office and couldn’t make it home...

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Safe and Sound

I thoroughly enjoyed “Darkest Hour,” in part because it has a substantive plot and characters that don’t require CGI, and in greater part because it was nice to experience sound, courageous leadership for a couple of hours. When the idea of going to a movie came up, Blaine warned that he never went to one without getting popcorn. If Eve had told me that tidbit about him, I would have agreed to meet...

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Good news, bad news

Good News The significant “winter weather event” fizzled. No snow shoveling needed. Now my friends can delete the Go Fund Me page to support a spine transplant. Although the streets were slick on the way to work, none of the invincible all-wheel-drive motorists slammed into me while trying to stop, although one nearly fishtailed into my lane. Henry’s meeting was well attended. My house didn’t burn...

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Stapler massacre

Eve stopped by my office… How many of my posts begin this way, or at least contain the sentence, I wonder. Quite a lot, I’m sure. It’s usually where fun in the workday begins. So, Eve stopped by my office to ask for help. There is someone who comes to her when he needs assistance with anything--usually unrelated to her job. Today he wanted to know how to perform the equivalent of aerial acrobatics...

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Early bird does nothing

I poked my head into Eve’s office on my way down the hall this morning. “This is me coming in early to get a bunch of stuff done before 8:00.” She gave me a funny look and checked the time on her computer. It was 10 minutes until 8:00. “I believe in you!” She gave me a thumbs up. We talked until 8:10, so…. I used to make it in by 7:00 easily. Now, even when I get up before my alarm, I cannot make...

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Conclusions

Blaine called a little while ago. After the preliminary niceties (is this a good time, how did Monday treat you, etc.), he said, “In the interest of full disclosure...” Definitely an attorney.  “I consulted Eve on how many days I should wait before contacting you.” Although engineer works, too. “You may hear about that at work tomorrow.” I wouldn’t be surprised if my smile was audible. “Yeah?” “She...

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Old love

Never has a day at home doing laundry been more welcome. Or welcome at all, really. I was ready for a normal day.Late in the afternoon I went out to fill the car with gas. Next to laundry and grocery shopping it’s my least favorite chore but I’m a lot more disciplined about it than the other two.A car pulled up to the pump opposite the one I was using. A woman in her eighties was driving. She opened...

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The wine

One of the couples we were seated with for the tasting told us New Year’s resolutions are passé, according to their daughter. Now the thing is to create a bucket list for the year. Twelve things, all new experiences, that you want to have. Their daughter started them off with a gift certificate to the winery. Since we were the near the end of the tasting, I asked, “Are you enjoying the experience?” The...

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The D word

My workload became crazy today. My favorite person to do work for—Henry—was in my office most of the day talking to me about a new project he wants to launch. He needs help putting together the proposal that is needed by the end of the month. It’s large, complicated and will require the input and cooperation of about eight people, some from outside our organization. I’ll have to work weekends if I’m...

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Amenable

One thing I found out tonight is what happened to the screen contraption that Paul and Blaine built to prevent Izzy from leaping out of the loft, down to the living room below. Eve made them take it apart the same night they built it. Paul, then, enlisted their daughter’s help to pick out and order an attractive room divider and gave it to Eve for Christmas. “It’s perfect,” Eve said. She gave Paul...

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New Motto

Before I left work last night, I started downloading a couple of video files that are huge and drag down the performance of my computer. This morning I went in early with the hope of editing them before interruptions began at 8:00. One video downloaded OK but I had to restart the other. While I waited, I wandered into Eve’s office to find out what she wanted to talk about yesterday. As I suspected,...

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Back to work

Going back to work today wasn't as difficult as I expected, not after I stopped on the way in for a giant Diet Coke. I know the stuff is terrible for me but under the right conditions it's also ambrosia. Eve stopped by my office in the morning. I was in the middle of adding a bunch of information to a website and couldn't talk long. She seemed disappointed but said it wasn't anything that couldn't...

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Enraged sputtering stage

No spoilers ahead... Before I watched the latest Star Wars movie yesterday, all I’d heard about it is that people either loved it or hated it. I expected to fall in the middle. I was wrong. I hated it, am disgusted that the franchise was put into the hands of people who have no understanding or appreciation for what was the heart and soul of the original, and am angry that whoever wrote the script...

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