The beat goes on… The beat goes on

And it’s time for me to roll on out of here. Wow. I’ve been with this company for years now – in fact, that was one of the reasons I accepted the job here, there were so many employees who were “long term” and I was looking for a career, not just a job.

Meanwhile, life moves on and change is inevitable. So I find myself suddenly back in the job market (a place I never honestly expected to be again) and getting ready to move to a new city, a new state.

I’ve done my job so well, so completely prepared for the transition that I actually have nothing to do today. I’ve done my part in training the replacement, all the odd little projects that normally fill my “tickler file” have long been completed and there is absolutely nothing resting in my “in basket” – that in itself is a miracle.

Here I sit, for the first time in years, with absolutely nothing to do. I have no work to catch up on, no “back burner projects” waiting for a slow day, and I’ve transferred everything else to the replacement (and I wish her the best of luck in keeping up with these guys.) My office has been cleared out for the old assistant to move into it, and the replacement has already been moved into her spot at the outer desks. I’m doing what little work I have from the swing station we reserve for visiting writers.

All of which is great – it means I’ve done my job. But, it’s also terrible because it means I’m left with nothing to do but sit and wait. Time drags, and there’s a constant flow of people passing me, all of them making their comments:

Tick-tock, tick-tock.

So, are you excited?

Only a few hours left.

Got a new job yet?

It’s your last day? Really?

And all I can think is all of this, the lack of anything to do, the temporary “office” space, the flow of casual comments, they all make this harder, longer, more painful.

It would be easier if I were busier, if there was the clutter and press of projects to be done, papers to file, stories to write – something, anything, to make time move along more quickly and to take away from the constant knowledge, the ever-present reminders that I’m leaving.

The beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da

Counting down… The Work and Move Files

As of today - it is precisely 5 weeks before my last day of work with this company.

I’ve been here for almost 8 years. It’s going to seem strange to leave.

As of today - it is precisely 6 weeks before we pack the moving truck.

I’ve been in Southern California nearly all of my life (except for a short jaunt in Northern Cal for school and a very brief period as a toddler in Iowa, which I mercifully don’t remember). It’s going to seem strange to leave.

The Work Files … What do you get when…

You take the mailroom clerk’s four-year-old son, add in the “grappling dummy” we have here for evaluation and pictures, the former cop/marine and martial arts editor guy, and add in the woman who knows that boys like to play rough?

Well… ummm… The pics are blurry because it’s awfully hard to get clear pictures of a flying child (especially when the photographer is laughing so hard)!

Ready? Let the wrestling begin!

Ha! I’ve got you now!

Oh, wait… maybe I don’t!

Take that!

I win! Ha!

Yeah, this is how we spent the half hour before lunch… The mailroom clerk’s wife brought the munchkin in, he was rambunctious and evil little me dragged out the virtually indestructible, designed to be manhandled dummy… It really got fun when one of our editor’s decided to get in on the action and help (he teaches kid’s martial arts classes as well…)

There were the parents all worried I had wound the moster up…

Then came reality - he ate lunch and went out cold for a nap!

The Work Files - Where is my desk?

Once again, I am left to wonder…

Witness - the usual state of my desk. There are the usual items of a cluttered in basket, notepad, sticky note reminders and other evidence of work in progress.

Witness my desk on a recent workday when a pile of stuff to get shipped out got dumped upon me.

I love my job!
‘Nuff said.

The Work Files - Strange Things On My Desk

I’m used to it by now, or at least, I should be. Strange things often wind up on my desk with no explanation, rhyme nor reason.

This week was no exception. I’ve been busy getting everything together for the Christmas luncheon (oddly enough, going reasonably smoothly, thank you very much) and I’ve been decorating the office for Christmas. I came in to work today to find these strange things on my desk…

(for a full shot of this first beauty - scroll down…)

In case you’re wondering, those are Christmas ornaments. Apparently, the Art Department usually has a “retro” tree - this hideous thing in neon green aluminum, and it usually sports an assortment of these “retro” style ornaments. Apparently, they all thought I should dig out their tree and put it up for them.

Hey guys! Dig it out yourself!

Personally, I was thinking the one looked rather like an enlarged pattern from old linoleum (circa 1960) and the second was supposed to be a space-traveling anemone. I don’t know. Maybe I’m not “cool” - big deal.

Charming item number three - an unusually low number of strange things to find on my desk, actually - is fairly obvious.

Yeah. It’s a lens wipe, with a cute little clip thingy to hold it to your bag. And it’s own little stuff-sack to stuff it back into after use. Awww…. Thanks guys! I really love it when you give me swag like this! Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Oh yeah - and that one ornament?