A: Just thought it was cute.  Came up in my google ‘I live for weekends’…

S: Ah!  The cutest!

Also, do you realize that Sunday will be six-month-iversary?  And therefore time for “Also”?

S: I think this project is destined to never be finished.
A: Which project is this?

I feel like several projects will never be finishes.

S: Hah!  Freudian slip.  I think you have finishes on the brain :) (of course the fact that s and d are next to each other on the keyboard have nothing to do with it.)

The shoebox room.  I am totally uninspired.  Unless you count my total distraction to be excited that D gets home in TWO days!!!!!!!  And he was just the cutest ever on the phone yesterday…….. let’s just say my mind is not on work ;)

A: Lol!  Finishes must be subconsciously on my brain after this week.  Shoebox rooms are like soggy plain oatmeal so I don’t blame you for being uninspired.

Wow 2 days.  I’m sure you just don’t know what to do with yourself until he arrives!  I can’t wait to hear how everything develops.  You know you’ll have to dish on the progression! :)

Also, the parking lot still has puddles in it.  You’ll have to come to my side to see it.  Glad some of the pavement remained wet.  Wouldn’t want it to dry out completely.
S: I love how my first reaction after reading that email was to look over and examine the dysfunctional sprinklers.  Who knew they could provide so much entertainment!
Trust me.  If things happen the way I want them to, you won’t be able to get me to stop dishing.  You’ll be full on sick of it.  But I won’t be :)

S: What the map?

I think Google is confused.

A: LOL.  THAT IS HILARIOUS.

S: I think my favorite part is how well the road superimposes over the Dominican Republic.

A: THAT’S FANTASTIC!  I DIDN’T NOTICE THAT PART.

A: So I love how 20-20 worksheet’s “save” button looks like an old floppy disk.  Because we use them so much these days.
S: Oh my heck!  I just did an informal survey, and all the major programs (ms office, cad, cet etc) all  use the floppy disk.  I guess it’s one of those things we’ll never loose.  And in 10 years our kids are going to see the symbol and know it means save, but have no idea why :)

S: So every five minutes or so I try and refocus on work, and then almost immediately my brain literally goes out the window.  (Yes, literally.)

A: Understandable!  It’s so close you can taste it!

I worked on these typical for 5 hours straight.  I have 4 left.  I was going to try and finish them before I got lunch but I got this irritating feeling that I couldn’t stand it anymore and that I needed food.

S: Way to go!  You’re so close!!!!  Good call on food by the way.

Also.

Is B back or are you still alone at home? :(

A: I like how also had it’s own line.

Yes, B got back on Sunday!  Only for him to go to Fairbanks the first week in August.  I just can’t win!

S: I feel like also deserves its own everything.

Good!  I’m glad he’s at least here for a little bit!  But its super lame he has to leave again :(

A:
S: Also.
A: How many of those blank emails have you gotten from me? I go to click the reply button and accidently double click it and since it’s taking increasingly longer to open I keep messing it up.
S: I get one every so often.  Not all the time. Nbd.  That’s pretty funny though.

S: This may be heretical (feel free to strike me down if so) but I think if I weren’t so devoted to the % email, we should have one where the subject line is :

Also

A: Hah well I could agree with that.  Also. Is a great word.  I feel that if we have to abandon the % email for the length of time it takes to open we should start the also email.  (When I first noticed the % email taking a while to open I could count to 4.  I’m up to 9 now).

Also.

Do you wonder how many pages it would take to print out the % email?  I feel like we should publish it at some point. 

S: Hah!  Could we publish it anonymously so we don’t get fired?

Maybe at six month-iversary?

A: Yes, that is probably a good idea to keep it anonymous.  I think one day when I’m bored I’ll go through it and take out all of the logos and signatures to condense the email’s length making it easier to read and/or print.

S: I think that would reduce it by more than half.  Considering most of our emails are 1-2 lines.

Also, I just looked back at the start date.  Six month-iversary will be on September 11!  Weird eh?  Also 10^th anniversary since that happened.

Also, I totally forgot that % started because we liked to estimate how much of the work day was left.  25% to go!

A: All true statements.  This email is really a development of several things; office work environment, our friendship, things we like to do at work etc.

S: It’s true.  Nothing like social commentary to keep us entertained for hours on end :)  I will definitely want a copy of this email (and any sequels) in hard copy one day.

A: That would be fantastic. 

Also…

I just did a print preview out of curiosity.  188 pages.

S: Are you freakhog kidding me?  We’re practically to novel length!

A: So I went through and deleted the logo from the start until May 6^th.  It’s tedious but it’s a start.
S: Hah!  What an excellent use of your afternoon!  (Almost as productive as mine :) )

S: I watched ‘The Box’ last night by myself.  Holy yikes it seriously freaked me out.
A: I can’t do scary movies. Period.  What is that one about?

I feel like I’m hearing about a scary movie with that girl missing my friend was friends with on Saturday and the body found by her apartment.  It could possibly be a stalker.  It’s just horrific and I feel terrible for my friend and the girl’s family.  It’s got to be seriously the worst thing that can happen.

S: :( I can’t even imagine how much pain they are going through.

A: Please pray for her family.  The news articles about her seem to get worse… they can’t find all the body parts.  Sorry to be a Debbie downer!  I’m going to move on to more positive things now!

Such as you were in my dream again last night.  It’s always really random and you wanted to fill a tub full of random things.  Also we talked about flying into big cities…

S: You Debbie, you.

I will.  It’s a horrific fate.  But hardest on her friends and family right now.

I have a seriously itchy mosquito bite on my calf right where I cross my legs.  Seriously not cool.

A: Not cool at all.  Mosquitoes are evil.

A: I wonder what kind of pizza!

S: Whew!  That was close!

I am stoked for the pizza!

(also a three day weekend)

S: Yeah.  We can talk about company inefficiency…
A: Seriously.  I just feel like I’m shooting in the dark…
S: Gah!  What is wrong with me?!
A: Haha, I don’t know.  Monday morning crazies.
S: I mean really, I’m already in the middle of a MNB and I decided it was a good idea to take on another massive insta-deadline project?  I think something must be seriously wrong with me.  It’s the only explanation.

We might have to do some lunches depending on how awful this turns out.

A: I think I could handle some lunches.  Maybe this won’t be as crazy as you think???

S: I sincerely hope so.  In the mean time I’m writing an email to my committee about this conference and I feel like I want to off myself…. Well okay not really.  But at least lock myself in a padded room somewhere :)

A: So what notes did you write down from the meeting about standards you/we weren’t aware of?

S: The whole putting in design hours every time we do a sif?  Personally I think that is no bueno.  It all changes.  But I like the idea of padding the time.  Also hand-writing the locks on the last page.  I’ve done it once or twice, but frankly sometimes I forget.

A: Okay yeah I agree with you, I always tend to forget to automatically put in my hours but I do it if I know it’s the final SIF or if they ask.  As for the locks, I’ve only done 1 lock plan.  I don’t typically get asked to do it by sales or coordinators and since it was never brought up until recently I don’t have it ingrained in my process yet.  It’s a little unsettling.

S: I know right?  Sometimes it feels super lame.

A: Blah, motivation/focus is falling short today. :(

S: Seriously.  The worst.

Do you know, can you use universal worksurfaces with kick panels?

A: You most certainly can.  Universal storage and worksurfaces go with just about all systems.  Hence the name universal. ;)  Or at least I know it goes on kick answer and montage…

S: Gah.  I swear I’m going to implode.

S: Thanks by the way.

A: Our backyard of fertilized chickweed…

S: Hah!  That's hilarious!

A: I love it when I go half the day with one of two buttons undone and my zipper open…

S: Hah!  No way!  That is the perfect way to end a day.

S: I think my desk is a metaphor for my life right now.

A: A mess??

PS this email is starting to take a few moments to open. :)
S: A mess.  Disorganized.  Up to its metaphoric eyeballs in work.  Take your pick.

I’ve noticed that… but it’s worth it.

Four monthiversary is coming up.

A: Now that I look around my desk is quite similar…

Do you know which way is up anymore?

S: What is this “up” of which you speak?  Right now I feel like if you put me on a one-way street I’d get lost.

A: It’s a Disney movie.

S: Nice.

A: Oh you missed it this morning.  J came over to talk about some project and R asked if her jacket was supposed to be wrinkly and she’s like “yeah it’s supposed to be that way!"  Then he was like “well do you want to get rid of that tag?”  She’s like “where?” and he’s like “it’s under your arm.”  G cracked up in an almost embarrassing way.  It was a good entertaining moment in the morning.  She had a client coming in too.

S: Oh man!  I hate it when I miss the good ones!  That’s pretty funny though.

A: I don’t know about you but I could really go for some garlic cilantro fries today…

S: What a positively brilliant notion!  It’s like you read my mind!
A: Excellent. Done and done.

I’ve taken it upon myself to do the most pointless activity possible while I’m slow; fill in the text that is all pixilated in a list of organic fruits and veggies you should and shouldn’t eat.  I don’t know why but I won’t be satisfied until it’s completed.

S: I know exactly what you mean… but that’s hilarious!

Also, last night I went on a run with a miniature poodle………………. Quite possible one of the more bizarre things I’ve done in a while.

A: Very interesting, how was it?  Did people point and laugh at the mini poodle you were with?

S: Well.  Not to my face; but I’m pretty sure they were after my back was turned :)

A: So how is it compared to running with labs?

S: Well, I had a much easier time keeping up :)  My running pace was a similar match to his, where my labs run was way faster than mine—but they didn't tire as quickly… or spend as much time making me nervous they were attacking my feet.

A: Haha I love it.  Just the description of labs make me smile.  What wonderful goofy dogs they are. :)  At least my lab was a big goof.

S: Mine too :)

A: Would you opposed to a 12:15 lunch? That way we can get out before G and I can get back in a comfortable time-frame for my 2:00 meeting.

S: Sounds like a plan to me! :)

A: Here it is.  Not completely cleaned up but much better from the original.

S: Wow—nicely done.  That was some time well spent!

A: Don’t you think so?

S: You ready?

A: When will it be 5:00?

Not soon enough, that’s when.

S: We still have like 15%.  Yikes!

A: My eye started twitching at the meeting.  I hope it wasn’t noticeable.  I tried to rub it away…

P.S. It’d be pretty awesome if you got to go to Seattle :)

S: Hah!  That has totally happened to me before.  I love how an eye twitch is socially unacceptable so it has to be hidden :) what kind of society do we live in anyway?

P.S.  Yes it would—I’m trying to not get too excited in case I don’t go.  Plus, it’s not like I’ll be able to go home or anything.

A: Yeah well the thought is there any way!

Hey it’s 4:00.  We are getting closer to the beloved time of day.

S: 12.5% left!

A: Blah.  How’s pain in the butt project going?  I’m bored, finished up my one desk project for Rebecca.

S: Well, the aptly named project is being a pan in the butt.  I both called and emailed the guy, just waiting to hear back so I can actually do something.  I am sooooooo bored!

A: Ohhh the waiting game.  I’m playing that one as well.  Have you checked out catalog living lately?  There’s one with an orange I enjoyed.

S: Hah!  Yes, I actually did that one this morning.  I also liked the orange one—I really liked the picture also… all of that bright poppy contrast!

A: Yes it was quite visually appealing.  I’m surprised G hasn’t spilled the beans about his weekend.  He usually has something to say about it.

S: Even if it’s just that he isn’t doing anything for it.  He always seems to find that terribly important.  I don’t even know how many weekends he hasn’t left the house.

A: Maybe he did too much in Soldotna to even talk about.  I hope he was able to listen to his radio station at least.

S: Wouldn’t it be the worst if after all those phone calls he couldn’t even listen.  That would be trashy.

A: It would be tragic.

So my Dad decided to do the train ride to Seward on Saturday instead of a fish charter since the Kings are quite running yet.  We’re in Seward for 7 hours.  Do you have suggestions on things to do?  We’re going to the SeaLife Center since neither of us have been to it but that won’t take 7 hours.  Also thinking about hiking around exit glacier if it’s within walking distance of the rail road.

S: First, eat delicious food.  There are a bunch of waterfalls and the beach.  I’m not sure if they are a walkable distance—I always have a car there, but they are pretty close to town.  Walk around the harbor. 

A: Which restaurants are your favorites there?
S: Honestly they’re all pretty good.  Rays and Chinooks are good restaurants, and I really like Marina for just fish and chips.  If you leave the main boardwalk and go into the actual town of Seward there are a bunch of little shops and stuff that could be fun.  I’ve never really looked.

S: I feel really intelligent…. Slash not.  Totally realized why my pdfs were printing wrong:

Whoops.

A: So I had a similar issue myself.  Sometime in my beginning days the check box right about yours was checked.  Print PDF to file.  Every time I tried to print nothing happened.  I finally got Courtney over and she just unchecked the box.  Boy did I feel dumb.

S: It took me 1:52 to scroll through this entire email.  That’s pretty cool.

Also, what the gossip?!  Was it G who gasped loudly and looked around for someone to talk to about it?  Did you know she was leaving?

A: I heard the scrolling of the mouse and was curious as to what was going on over there on your side of the cubicle.

I did hear G gasp loudly and look furiously to A for some sort of information.  I too am curious.  I knew she was always interested in finding a different job that did more design work since that’s what she was originally hired on for.  I hope that’s the case that she found another job as opposed to the alternative.

S: Seriously.  Also, that silly little wall makes me miss out on all the best gossip.  Super lame.

A: So did you hear what just went on during the whisper hush conversation?  What I got from it is that they had to let her go because there wasn’t enough healthcare projects coming in.  A said it was a good thing for k since she wasn’t too happy with the sales position.

S: No, I could barely tell that anyone was whispering, let alone what they were saying.

Yikes!!  I really hope she finds something even better then.

A: Yeah I really had to strain my ears to hear.  I didn’t want to seem overly eager or too intrusive.  I hope she finds something better as well.

S: Yes, he really can’t help it, can he.

A: No he can’t.

Holy mis-specs.  I don’t know what happened to me this year!  I don’t like it.

S: Well I was reading through, it looks like mostly one big project for you and C that just died.

A: Yeah I see that.  It was from 2009 when I first started.  I’m not sure who’s error it is.  But I had no idea that project had any problems.  I love how no one tells me anything.  How can I learn from mistakes if no one talks to me about them?

S: They are seriously totally terrible.  We should bring that up on Monday, just for them to let us know when things go wrong so we can learn from it.

A: Well I emailed C about it.  He said it was his fault – he selected the finishes and some of the unit assemblies came in the wrong finishes.  He said it was year-end and didn’t follow the proper procedures. 
S: Yikes.  At least he is good about owning up to things.  But if that isn’t proof that we need to stamp things off, I don’t know what is.

A: I wish it was Friday and my projects weren’t all wrapped up.

S: I think wishing that every day was Friday is a sign of being ready for a vacation.

A: Yes.  Good thing Memorial Day is coming up because I just had my “vacation”.  You’ve got something to look forward to!

S: I just want vacation all the time!  Yikes.  I think I’m going crazy.

A: Me too!  Maybe I’ll start looking into that teaching degree so I can get more vacations…  I also wish we could work more flexible hours or work from home.
S: I would love so much to work from home.  It’s almost sad how much I would love that.

S: Do you love that he gets on the phone with people and just chats?

A: Hah, yes, always entertaining.  Occasionally distracting.

S: Occasionally… sometimes I feel like he’s the teacher in peanuts, all I really hear is “wha wha wha”.  It’s like white noise.

A: Yes, I’ve learned to tune it out most of the time, that’s what earphones are for.  When I remember to have music playing anyway.

S: I know right?  I swear I spend the majority of the day with headphones in and nothing playing.

A: I’m guilty of doing it right now…

S: Also, I love how we’re decorating his house right now.

A: It’s all conceptual.  Seems to never take action.