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January 24, 2007
The Spectrum's A to Z
After my self-satisfying, embittered dust shaking, I decided I needed to post some lighter fare. After observing winter fashion while out and about, I 
considered addressing the topic of questionable winter footwear. I've always been mystified by the women who traipse about in their high heels, paying no heed to ice and snow. I can barely navigate the cobblestones on a regular day when I wear heels (getting stuck in between them can be pretty embarrassing). Then there are the teenagers and 20 somethings who keep on wearing their little ballet flats sans socks despite the cold. You know they're miserable! And last, we have the opposite end of the spectrum: the fur lined boots. They're everywhere. Not those bulky Uggs, thankfully (although, they're still way too present), but you know what I'm talking about. I want to hate them, I really do. But I think sometimes they look totally cute - even when they have skinny jeans tucked into them - so I can't criticize.
These boots really appeal to me when I see them over colored tights, and this brings me to my real point. I love what's happening with color in clothing these days (you know, leggings aside). Sure, at times the bright pinks and blues smack of the 80's, but as long as we don't go neon, I don't mind it too much.
I'm a bit of a color chicken myself, always opting for bland earth tones or black, but I am dazzled by the glorious array of vibrant hues available in all things wearable. I wish I had the guts to go for the super saturated stuff. It's been great this winter with tights being so popular again in all kinds of colors and textures, but here again, I can't do it. I bought a pair of baby blue knit tights and ended up wearing them one time under black pants. I had a good three inches visible on each foot. Way to go, me!
In light of my conspicuous color cowardice, I'm resolved to buy only colorful and/or patterned clothing this year. The Fashion Industry has practically instituted a free-for-all for at least the winter season. Anything goes (seriously, there are frumpy jumpers all over the place), like Clash Day during Spirit Week. I must force myself to take part in this color frenzy.
Posted by heidi at 8:12 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
January 22, 2007
Shaking the Dust off My Feet
I’m putting in my 2 weeks notice this week. I can’t wait to quit my job. Over the last few months, I’ve turned into the fussy stick-in-the-mud co-worker to the new girls, while the other old girl teaches short cuts, talks shit about the bosses before they’ve had a chance to form their own opinions, and generally makes them think she’s the most awesome ever. She never points out their mistakes. She never even sees the mistakes. She trains them poorly and then I have to be the one who keeps harping on them about the same things. I took vacation for a week and came back to utter mayhem. It took me a week to figure out all the balancing and processing errors. Including hers. She didn’t care. You know, I don’t care if the firm doesn’t make its budget, and I don’t care if clients aren’t paying on time. It won’t effect me in the slightest. But I do care greatly about being precise, efficient, organized and diligent.
In a small way, it was satisfying to see them fall apart while I was gone. However, when I first started this job back in June of 2002, I really had fun. There were three of us, and we had a pretty good time together. Everything was very orderly and systematic. It just fell apart when our firm merged with a big DC firm. Everything changed. I wish I was leaving behind the well-oiled machine days of yore. But even that feeling is fading as my attempts at order are consistently thwarted by my long time co-worker’s indifference. It makes me the bad guy. It looks like I’m making the new people do things that don’t really matter, when in fact they do.
I’m so sick of her. I’m so tired of this job and this office. I don’t like that last Friday I found a paperwork mistake and didn’t bother to say anything to the new girl. It didn’t really effect anything, it was just a matter of precision. Nobody else seemed to care anymore, so why the hell should I? I’m on my way out. I don’t like thinking that, but I feel like I do more and more. My bosses love me and have tried repeatedly to get me to stay. My co-workers…I don’t know. I think they like me okay, but she has certainly started to resent me, and despite my attempts at camaraderie, I feel as though I do too much bossing to be really liked by the new girls.
I’m far from the most exemplary employee. For instance, I’m typing this on firm time. I MySpace, and I online shop, and I put things off (if they’re not urgent) that I don’t like doing – like filing. But you know…I think I did well here, and when my crummy co-worker takes on everything I do, I hope she and new girls do fine. But I can’t help…a little bit…thinking it wouldn’t be so horrible if she collapsed under the load and her crappy training bit her in the ass.
Posted by heidi at 12:19 PM | TrackBack
January 6, 2007
so this is the new year...
hello and happy 2007 one and all - as this new year begins i trust we are all agonizing over denying ourselves and abstaining from life's more trivial vices - such as cigarettes, coffee, and john mayer music using our leftover cash to start up a gym membership because this year we definitely have an action plan for dropping all of that unwanted weight....we have made our resolutions and we are whole heartedly resolved to make it happen.
well some of us made these same petty resolutions that we seem to make every year. but not me. this year i'm aiming for the fences - for i have resolved that this will be the year that i marry. will it be a challenge? yes. yes it certainly will. especially when one considers that i am not currently involved in a dating relationship - nor do i have a viable interest in anyone at the moment. these are the facts that make up a challenge that i must face. but i'm feeling pretty good about my chances. last year i resolved to buy a house. which i did...almost six months ahead of schedule. of course if i put as much time and/or effort into working on my upcoming marriage i'll be divorced within 6-8 weeks. but that is neither here nor there.
the important thing to focus on here is that a: i accomplished my goal and b: i own a home large enough to rear a hearty family. so there's that. oh, and if anyone out there knows anyone who is willing to get married on fairly short notice i would be more than happy to send out a glossy 3x5 of myself with a handly list of likes - dislikes and expectations. i've been toying with the idea of having all of this information printed on a festive refrigerator magnet, but i fear that may be a bit cost prohibitive - i know this makes me sound cheap but if i splurge on refrigerator magnets i may not be able to fulfill my lifelong dream of getting married in fiji....and i don't mind saying that some dreams are non-negotiable. i've waited a long time for this moment to come and i don't mind being difficult in an effort to make all things perfect...
also since we're talking about financial matters and debating just how cheap i might be i should also put this out there: i'm planning a trip to japan in the spring. it's sort of a missionary trip so feel free to sign your tithe moneys over to me and support me in this journey. in return i promise a thoughtful postcard whilst i am overseas and a hand drawn map plotting the course of my ministry that you can put in the back of your bible with all the rest of the maps. if the map doesn't pique your interest i could come to your home bible study and do a dramatic reading of that footprints poem you see hanging all over creation. that might sound lame but you haven't heard the whole story because not only do i quote the poem in a dramatic impassioned voice that would make c.a.r.m.a.n. swoon - i do so barefoot. and if there is a willing volunteer i can even recite the poem whilst someone carries me around which adds dramatic effect for those who might be visual learners....
and if i could speak for a moment to any visual learners out there who also happen to be single and female - it might do you well to learn of me. because i've been known to be unecessarily attractive. sort of like brad pitt's unecessary jamaican accent in meet joe black. my physical appeal is sort of like that only not nearly as offensive. okay maybe that was a bad example....and i don't think i'm spelling the word necessary correctly. regardless, i'm confident that there is a woman out there who can make my wildest dreams come true. i was one hell of a catch in my twenties...or so i was told. often. and now? now i'm like chocolate candy on february 15th. still oh so sweet and tempting at bargain prices. but be forewarned. because i am now officially on clearance, the store has a unflinchingly rigid no return policy.
oh and hoppy, if you're out there anywhere i just wanted to say thank you for fighting so hard to keep your little establishment open. everybody loves a quitter.
Posted by young_christopher at 10:20 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack