Today is 8/8/8. I love when dates are interesting – like 6/7/8, which just passed, or 10/9/8, which is still ahead. But not only is 8/8/8 so great, but the Olympics opened today, which made it even more exciting! As you may have noticed, I don’t put the zero in my year, and rarely do – either when writing it or typing it, because it doesn’t make sense to me. If you don’t do it for the month and day, why do it for the year? If you do it for one, do it for all. 08/08/08 wouldn’t bother me a bit, but 8/8/08 just seems silly.
I woke up this morning and was SO glad it was Friday, even though the week did fly by. My morning work routine is to eat my breakfast at my desk with a cup of decaf coffee. The firm serves coffee in two small kitchens on each floor, along with the cafeteria on the 4th floor, and a small setup on the 7th floor, right by the reception desk. When I first started, I wandered around looking for decaf coffee and the only place they served it was on the 7th floor, by reception.
So, every morning I take my mug and go up to the 7th floor for my cup of decaf. It’s definitely my morning routine, unless I treat myself to something from the coffee cart outside the building.
So, this morning I went up to reception and the receptionist (who is a temp and has only been there for a week) said, “Oh! Peppy! I was going to call you!” I looked at her and said, “Why?” She said, “Look!” and pointed behind me. I turned around and what do I see – nothing! The coffee service is gone. She said they decided not to have the coffee service in the reception area anymore.
Now, I would’nt care at all, except for the fact that there’s no decaf anywhere else in the building! She had no idea why they stopped it. I ended up going down to the coffee cart and paying $1.95 for a coffee! When I complained to my coworkers, they told me I could make coffee in one of the kitchens on the 6th floor. The coffee in those rooms is made by the employees. Whoever wants coffee and gets in first makes the coffee. I told them that I never make coffee – I don’t even own a coffee maker anymore, because I always buy my coffee at STARBUCKS!
I said I wouldn’t mind making the coffee, but then the others would get mad, because they don’t want decaf. Plus, I get in much later (8:00am) than most of the people in my group and in my area. The girls I spoke to said I could make my own pot of decaf, but I very rarely drink more than my one mug in the morning, so that would be wasteful. Then, they suggested I make a pot and keep it in the fridge, heating it up every morning in the microwave. I guess that would work, but it seems like too much trouble, so what I’m going to do is see if I can find some International Foods instant decaf flavored coffee that you just mix with water. It’s not ideal, but it’ll have to do!
Once I had my decaf (and my breakfast bar) I got right to work. I got a lot done and was really busy. I had brought the decoupaged vase to work and put it on my desk and was trying to find the time to give it to my friend, when the girl who is training me noticed it. She LOVED it! She said I had to show it to the boss, and I did and she got so excited that she started asking me all about it and I told her I’d be happy to teach them and that I used to teach decoupage and love teaching it.
She went to my website and I was showing her a lot of my decoupage projects, and then she started looking at my jewelry mosaics and when I left her office to go back to work she said she wasn’t going to get any work done now, because she was going to be too busy looking at my website!
I finally got a chance to bring it to Laura and she really loved it. Everyone was very complimentary and said they want to learn how to do it. I don’t know where and I don’t know how, but I’m going to have to arrange a class!
At lunchtime I went down to HR. It has been absolutely FREEZING in there the whole week. I remember my ride telling me how cold it was in HR, but it hasn’t been for the last month – until now. It is so cold that I have to wear a sweater or cardigan and my hands and feet are SO cold. Everyone who walks through the door comments on how cold it is. I think part of the reason is that it is completely enclosed (for reasons of privacy and security) and so the cold air doesn’t circulate as much as it does on the open parts of the building. I guess it’s better than sitting and schvitzing, but I really don’t like it.
When I got home I changed clothes and then Eric and I took a ride to La Jolla to visit Gili at her shop. I had given her some beautiful vintage jet beads that had once been a necklace, but had broken. She made me a 3-strand bracelet with a rhinestone clasp. It’s gorgeous! She also had money for me, because she sold 2 pieces! So, I got the bracelet made free, plus I got some cash, too!
Gili is such a doll, because she kept trying to make suggestions about ways that Eric could find work. In the past, she has given Eric the names and numbers of people she knew who worked in construction, but nothing ever panned out. You could see that she was worried about us, and that she wanted to help in some way. I told her that we are working on a solution and that Eric is thinking about going back to New York again.
He felt overwhelmed with the RV, because he said he had no place to park it and no where to put his stuff. He said he wants to go back and stay with one of his sisters and try to find work and then, if he does, he will get an apartment. If things work out, I will go back to New York to be with him for a few years, and then we will move to North Carolina. It’s certainly not the ideal situation, but we’re trying to figure out something that we can both live with. Eric doesn’t want to go, I know he doesn’t, but he’s so dreadfully unhappy here and he just can’t see any way to make it better.
When we got home I made us a big salad. I was yawning all afternoon, and almost fell asleep in the car ride home from La Jolla (which is just 15 minutes), so it is no wonder that I fell asleep right after dinner. I just couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore. I woke up again at 9:00pm. I know that’s going to mess up my sleep tonight, but at least I don’t have to get up at 6:00am tomorrow!
We watched a lot of the Olympics opening ceremonies, including that amazing giant globe with the dancers wired and running all around it. That was spectacular! I enjoyed seeing the outfits that each country was wearing. They had a challenge this week on PROJECT RUNWAY where the contestants had to design an Olympic Opening Ceremony look for the American teams and Apollo Ono was one of the judges. He’s SO adorable! Some of the looks were fabulous and appropriate, and some of them were totally bizarre.
Then, we watched MONK – my favorite show. I just love the whole cast, the stories, and most of all – Monk! That show just makes me happy! No wonder I watch all the reruns, too!
Tomorrow morning Eric and I are going to Bob’s house, so Eric can check on work Bob had done, and we can take measurements of the rooms and pick out colors of paint. I had asked Eric if he wanted to do some work for Bob, because I know the quality of Eric’s painting and handy-man skills. He can fix anything, build anything, and he’s the best painter in the world. Unfortunately, he didn’t want to do it, and Bob had someone that his realtor recommended, who is doing great work, so at least he’s got someone good.
I love picking out paint colors, so I’m excited about that part of the project. I like to find out what colors people like, and then steer them in the right direction from there. It’s amazing how wrong a color can be, if it’s too light or too dark. You have to find the right shade for the right room, depending on the size, the natural and artificial light, and the purpose of the room. I’m looking forward to having Eric see the house, because I think it’s adorable!
Eric and Bob really hit it off and I know Eric will have a lot of great ideas for Bob. After that, we’ll probably go out to lunch! Then, we’re going to come back to the apartment and I’m going to clean and organize. Cousin Ilene is coming next Friday, and I want the place to look perfect!