Monday afternoon, before leaving home to attend a New Year’s party, I checked my mailbox. There was nothing of importance. Nothing, that is, but a letter from my apartment managers. The news that my rent was going up wasn’t a complete surprise — it’s gone up all but one year since I’ve lived here —Continue reading “An Unwelcome Notice”
Category Archives: Work
Half a Snow Day
I was not expecting the office to close at 2 o’clock today. That’s just not the sort of thing that’s done. And when I pulled out of the parking lot at roughly 2:15 and hit the highway, I thought to myself, ‘This doesn’t seem so bad.” The drive to Mason-Dixon Line was… well, it wasContinue reading “Half a Snow Day”
Writing Until I Drop
A few months ago, Andrew Sullivan began writing a weekly column for New York. As someone who read The Dish, Sullivan’s daily blog, for years and years and years, I welcomed his weekly column. I haven’t always enjoyed it, but I still read it. In Sullivan’s column last week, he closed with a story onContinue reading “Writing Until I Drop”
Reflections on Ten Years
Wednesday marked my tenth anniversary at Diamond Comic Distributors. Part of Diamond’s culture revolves around the daily “Service Anniversaries” e-mail. HR sends out an e-mail to the entire company acknowledging those employees who are celebrating an anniversary, and then people throughout the company, some you’ll know, some you won’t, will send you congratulations. Suffice itContinue reading “Reflections on Ten Years”
An Angel Tree Package for the Office
As the company has done for a number of years, a Christmas tree was put up in the lobby and, a few days after Thanksgiving, Angel Tree stockings were hung. I had decided long ago to participate in the Angel Tree program this year and, when I was passing by the lobby area on otherContinue reading “An Angel Tree Package for the Office”
Rebel Rebel
Today was Purple Friday at the office. As will many more Fridays over the coming months. It baffles me at times that, at the office, whenever the Baltimore Ravens play a home game we can were Ravens gear, but Orioles gear happens only once a year, on Opening Day. What’s especially baffling is that ourContinue reading “Rebel Rebel”
An Eeyore Day at the Office
Yesterday work passed in a haze of malaise and gloom. I can chalk that up, in part, to the catalog section I was working on. Sixty-four pages of catalog copy. Around page 10 it felt endless. At page 30 it felt impossible. At page 45 it felt interminable. The word “orrery,” used precisely, is inContinue reading “An Eeyore Day at the Office”
This Year’s Angel Tree Package
Last week was… not the best. I should clarify. It wasn’t bad. It was simply stressful. And hectic. And tense. And all of the things that a week that where the catalog and orders go to press usually is. Thankfully, the week ended with the Nerd Prom — the Employee Appreciation Party (or the ChristmasContinue reading “This Year’s Angel Tree Package”
On the Annual Bowling Outing
I went bowling today. At the office we have a Christmas tradition. The department goes bowling in December. But then we stopped having the annual Christmas bowling outing. Two years ago we went for a laser tag outing with the Sales department. And last year we didn’t do any team-building activities at Christmas. Today, then,Continue reading “On the Annual Bowling Outing”
On My Angel Tree Plans
Every Christmas at work, the company puts up an Angel Tree. This year, I took a tag off the tree. It was the first time I had done so, as therein hangs a tale. This is the first year that the company put an Angel Tree in ths sixth floor lobby. In years previous, theContinue reading “On My Angel Tree Plans”