On The Mend

Am currently reading Anne Lamott's All New People. I borrowed it from Sarahbina last night; I was desperately in need of an engaging novel for my lengthy train commute to and from work for the next few days. The first sentence told me it would be genius. The sentences that I relate to the most so far:

"I turned into a hypervigilant little child, trying to make sure that everybody stayed in love with everybody else, a little bat of a child, a one-child war room. I tried to make sure that Peg didn't eat too much, and that Ed didn't drink too much, and when they did, that everyone would forgive them, and I tried to draw out Lynnie in conversation because she was the shyest person I had ever seen and I was afraid that her rather rabbity shyness would cause Peg to eat too much and Ed to drink too much. Sometimes I was so obvious in my attempts to manage everyone's emotions for them that I must have seemed like a tiny stewardess on the verge of a nervous breakdown..."

The death grip this cold seemed to have on me snapped loose sometime just before dinner last night. I woke up yesterday morning feeling considerably better than I had on any morning since last Monday, but I still had vestiges of the nastiness living inside me, I could tell. I had been out with the Sarah-one on an errand that didn't yield a very satisfying result, but we did make a pit stop at my supplier's house so I could indulge in my drug of choice. We sat in a spell in some pseudo comfy chairs and sipped our winter-themed beverages.

Let me dispel a potential misconception. I am not one of those people who thinks Starbucks is the only coffeehouse of any merit. Like everyone else I am a slave to convenience, and this franchise is ubiquitous, especially in the suburbs, where we were running our somewhat fruitless errand. Let it be known that Kate Krupnik supports the mom and pop, only-one-of-its-kind cafe... you know, the kind of place with character, charm, and actual atmosphere...

I am at work now, dreading the beginning of the week kinks I will have to work out. I can feel, even now, somewhat sticky conversations with my boss while I wait for her to approve a sample budget for products I'm already working on, that are probably already over budget. At least this is her back-to-back meeting day. The time I'll need to spend justifying myself will be minimal. This is a good opportunity to tell you that I have a very understanding, capable boss. She is a lovely, elegant, efficient woman who really understands how to manage others. But there is this one pocket of tension between her and me. We approach the unpleasant elements of this work from very different angles, though we both want the same result. And in an effort to stay abreast of what everyone's working on (necessary, of course), she asks a lot of questions. Unfortunately, questions annoy me. I like to work and keep people apprised of my progress as I see fit. I make it my business to keep everyone in the loop about everything, so I guess I figure If I haven't said anything, It's because there is nothing to report. So back off. This is why I should be self-employed.

I am looking forward to my Salon Bible Study's meeting tonight. I haven't completed the reading, but I am excited to interact with others as a well person again. And then tomorrow I work downtown where it is always less stressful than in my home office.