Blog on the Job

Once again I find being a substitute receptionist pretty much equals wait for someone to call so that you can tell them you have absolutely no power to help them. And surf the net.
So today I've been left alone in an empty office with about 10 minutes worth of copying to do. This week (and next...for a few days) I am working in a "green" apartment buiding on the upper West Side. It is very much like a hotel but run the front desk at the virtually unknown manager's office on the 5th floor. I've been reading Wuthering Heights which I got for 50 cents at Goodwill. I feel certain it will break my heart. Or at least that's what the blurb on the back promises.
Today while I was walking the 6 AVENUES (much longer than street blocks)from the subway that it takes me to get to work/the river I came across a hoard of girls in Mexican ponchos with not very well attached brown wigs and think glasses. They were passing out resumes? And make up? It took me several avenues to realize it was advertisement for the new tv show "Ugly Betty" that I am now tempted to watch. Only I'm already devoted to Grey's Anatomy. Liz and I basically plan our week around it. Yesterday we tryed out yoga at the gym. It is run by a fanatic little Asian man who has longish hair and is virtually incomprehensible. It's awesome. He told us to come to the 6 o'clock class. "Its for beginners" I have no idea what gave us away. But I'm sore.
I talked to Lisette over my lunch break. She leaves for Kenya TODAY. Her blog is intoafrica.blog-city.com and its sure to be much more exciting than mine.

Swinging

I am getting into the swing of things. Not too much to report. Last week I worked in a cubicle on the 31st floor (with no veiw) on Lexington Avenue. It was a Health Care company I worked with PR. They were getting ready for an annual conference on ADHD (and their NEW medicated patch!) at which Ty Pennington (of Extreme Makover: Home Edition fame) was the key speaker. I put together his notebooks.... that's right. Despite not being too familiar with the show I still felt tempted to write him a fan note on one of the more boring pages. In a way I liked this job better than my last. I had something to DO at all times. Yes, most of it was tedious. Highlighting, Copying, Punching Holes. But I felt like I was actually useful. And I didn't have to answer any phones. Plus because of the conference there was food there for breakfast and lunch everyday. The job was only supposed to be Monday but they ended up extending the assignment until Wednesday. The last day ended up being data input ... which was TOO tedious. Ick. Even so I was a little sad to leave... ok, mostly because I had a crush on the doorman.
I got my first paycheck! And was unemployed the next two days which was worrying. Hopefully they will have some work for me tomorrow. Otherwise I am considering applying to cater... to the tune of $19/hr ... like my friend Lisa.
Liz and I got mani-pedis yesterday. I'm trying to quit biting my nails... again. I also finished putting up Europe pictures in my room and got a full length mirror. Liz rented the whole 2nd Season of Grey's Anatomy so we have been devoting ourselves to that in preperation for the current season. It's pretty addicting.
The bartender now knows my name downstairs and I've made some friends. I also got my library card which is sweet. I got several books including "Cheap and Easy: Girl Meets Spatula". My goal is one new by-the-recipe meal a week.
That's all folks.

A little place I like to call home.

Musings on Company Time

For an explanation on this picture go to my friend Liz's blog: lizlearnslife.blogspot.com.
The weather has been very good lately but today it is cold and rainy. I worked reception Monday on the upper east side for a properties firm. I spent my day in a small room with no windows and 5 other people transferring calls and doing busy work. So I was VERY happy to trade that in for an Architectural firm on Wall Street. I am on the 29th floor at the front desk which is a large semi-enclosed uber modern space. Sitting at my modern flat screened IMac looking out the gigantic ceiling to floor sized window that overlooks the Hudson and the Brooklyn Bridge. MUCH more glamorous. I work with two other people, Tracy, who is British and in charge, and Cesar who is laid back but always getting himself into trouble. So far its relatively low stress or will be once I master the art of "Good morning. Please hold.". I also book conference rooms and email people when they get packages. Yep.
Yesterday Liz and I went swimming... at 9 o'clock at night. Having your gym close at 11:45 pm really gives you no excuse. I joined and bought my swim cap and all. I forgot how aerobic swimming actually is. We closed that pool... err well the jacuzzi down. On Monday night I went to see my friend Ben Neill from Shorter in a show! Well it was a reading in a 100 seat black box theatre inside of a school but STILL. He was the star of the show. It was an operatic piece about Lord Byron and very strange but Ben was fantastic. It was a one night affair and Ben left to go back to Atlanta really early the next morning. We all (Jeremiah, Brandon, Ben and me) threw darts at the pub underneath my apartment until time for Ben's flight. Shorter theatre kids UNITE. During the door incident I ran into Helena on the Subway who is also living in Queens.
Sarah is a genius and managed to fix our internet problem(s). So my wireless now works at the house! Of course now the sink is refusing to do that silly draining thing. We had a spaghetti/Sex and the City/ chocolate cake/ why not go out for pizza now night a couple nights ago. She broke up with the guy she was seeing and so now we are both very fun and very single. Hoorah. Tonight Liz and I are going to the first screening of Monica's movie. It's a horror film called Windcroft. I'm really excited. We're going to meet up to eat in the City beforehand and I am using my excessive downtime to find a good dinner option. I mean the excess that I'm not using to write this blog... Cheers.

Sid

Room Roundabout

The Eagle Has Landed.

I dub the move a success. Last night I got into a rainy New York City around 6:30. On the plane I sat with two other girls around my age. One was embarking on the first leg of a nine month trip to Canada and Africa. The other has her Masters degree and is doing research with DNA basically trying to cure cancer. Once we landed I waited for an hour in the obscenely long cab line but by 8 Sarah was helping me lug my bags up the stairs. It wasn't near the big ordeal I imagined. I spent last night arranging my room (no easy task with a raised bed in a corner). Then Ryan, the guy Sarah is seeing, came over and we all hung out for a while.
Today I woke up and did some wandering. I went to the Salvation Army and the fruit stand. Bought a $4 lunch that could feed a family of four at New Ho Wah (the Chinese restaurant across the street). Liz called and I spent the rest of the day with her and Aaron at the Long Island Target and then the grocery. Aaron fixed us a spaghetti dinner and we watched Scrubs. It was nice. They have a very smart cocker spaniel named Maduro who I am going to take care of when they go to a wedding later this month. Tomorrow morning I have to go see Miriam at the temp agency. Hopefully she will have a job for me.