I have many topics, the fresh topics of our day, to discuss with you, and all of them are dull. Read on!
Just so I won’t forget them, because you know how I am, they are:
- Work
- My eyesight
- My winter jackets
- Turning into my grandmother, Vol. XIV
Did I not TELL you they were all dull? Let’s begin.
Work.
I read a book once, by Stephen King. Or is it Steven King? That guy who scares you. Anyway, he wrote a good book on writing, and he said one thing people love to read about is other people’s work. To which I said, hunh.
Is that true? Did you see that was one of my topics and thrill to the idea, or were you all, I’ll take Winter Jackets for $200, Alex, and by “Alex” I mean all the Alexes at June’s work?
So. Work. I’ve been at my current job for seven years, six months and 15 days. So, I guess you could surmise I must like it, and I often do. But some days? Ridic.
For the first five years, I worked on one account. Then they switched me over, and it’s like that account never existed. Once I was off of it, I was off of it. A clean break. Like the one I had with Ned.
So you can imagine my surprise at 4:59 last night when–bloop!–my computer did what it used to do two and a half years ago, which is pop up with a little assignment from this account.
“You have a task due from [fancy client you’ve heard of]!”
I do?
So I opened it. Yep. There it was, looking just as fine as it did in Two Aught 15. I realize that’s not really how you say 2015. Calm down.
Without having any idea why I was getting this, I just started, you know, copy editing it. It was like riding a bike, except I can’t ride a bike.
Then–bloop!! An email.
“Hey, Juan, here’s the task. Let me know if you have any questions.”
…..
Let me know if I have any questions? Okay. How about, is it 2015? Did I just return from some kind of “I’m in the future” amnesia, where I thought I lived for almost three years working on other stuff? If so, did I really move? Who are my pets? I’ve no idea who Ima go home to.
When is this due?
Am I copy editing it, or are we in that six-month period where I edited instead?
Do I have any questions.
Then–BLOOP!–I get another email from another person. “Thanks for working on this!”
Who ARE you? Do you work on this account? Do we know each other? Do you even work in my company?
Then GRIFF shows up. Griff never left that account. “I hear you’re working on our stuff all day tomorrow.”
I am?
“Yeah. I won’t be here, though. Just use your common sense.”
My common–oh dear god we’re all doomed.
Finally, FINALLY, I get an email from a ninety-seventh person who asks, “Dear June, Would you have time to work on [insert account you’ve so heard of]? The regular copy editor isn’t available. It’s all due tomorrow.”
Sigh. So I guess I’m having a Flashback Friday today, working on my old account, and if Ima do this, can I go all the way and sit at my old desk, on my old floor, kibbitz with my old ridiculous boss who’d get me on tangents about Ode to Billy Jo? Cause that would be magnificent.
If you could flash back to, say, November 2015, what would you be doing?
Eyesight
I’m glad I did that list, above, because I’d already forgotten what else I was gonna talk about.
Yesterday was my annual eye exam, and man, was I excited to go. First of all, I can tell my eyes are most def worse, and so is my vocab. Plus also, the last time I bought glasses was in 2015, and 2015 is a big year with me today. But in that time, my prescription has DEFINITELY changed, and don’t you hate people who write “defiantly” instead of definitely? Plus also too, in those three years, since the apparently magical year of two aught 15, those glasses have been skidded across the floor by cats, ridden at the bottom of my disgusting purse, been stepped on, etc.
I take terrible care of my things.
So they’re uncomfy and twisted and scratched, and I was so excited to order new ones. I never wear my old glasses, even though they’re black cateyes with diamonds and technically I love the IDEA of them, but it feels like I have a bobcat on my face when I wear them.
You know how THAT feels.
My eye doctor is a jovial sort, and very large. I mean he’s tall and has an enormous frame. He’s just a lot of man. But I like it there because they have equipment that makes it so they don’t have to dilate my eyes, which is crueler than April, the cruelest month. April totally texts about you after you’ve gone.
“Well. You are one nearsighted young lady,” said my eye doctor, and it’s now at the point where when people say, “young lady,” they’re being ironic, like Willard Scott and his 105 years young thing.
“But your eyes are great. They’re strong, they’re clear, you’re doing great. No change.”
No…NO CHANGE? But I was CERTAIN they’ve changed. Not even close up? I can’t read the shampoo bottle close up anymore.
Nope. Same.
Goddammit.
But you know what I did? I used my insurance money to get new glasses anyway. I tried on approximately four billion pair, till the glasses guy started tying a noose, and I decided on these sort of rosy tortoiseshells that I will show you when they get in.
I can’t wait to take terrible care of my glasses.
Coats, Soothes and Relieves
Which brings me to my winter coats. [Everyone scoots chair up, as we’re finally getting to the good part.]
Cold weather is upon us here in North Carolina, and for the first time this season, I reached for a winter jacket recently.
Almost every winter frock I own has something fucking wrong with it. Why don’t I take care of my things? So now I have a plan to fix all of the things I can fix. For example…
My leopard coat, which I believe one of you sent me, has a missing snap. Oh, snap. I am horrific today. Why?
Also, every time I got a coat out to photograph for you, ridiculous Milhous came over and posed with it. Yes, his eye IS red. He got in a fight. With a cat. He deserved it.
The fabulous orangey-red coat I got at Kit’s store is missing a little sew-y piece of thread of the cuff of one arm, so instead of turning up saucily, it droops and flops over.
Blue raincoat: Steely Dan chew mark. Also, fur.
Pink raincoat? Coffee AND lipstick stain. I don’t even know if the pink raincoat can be saved.
I should just wear black garbage bags in winter. It’d be cheaper.
Grammy
Now I’m late of course but my last topic is this. You know how I’ve turned into my grandmother? When she was living alone, she had a fabulous book holder, so she could sit at her kitchen table and read and eat all at the same time, but not have to hold up her book. Yesterday at lunch I was tryina eat something healthy [Burrito Supreme] and read my book and you know what I craved? A book holder. I know the right answer should have been kale, but there it is.
But I’m having the kind of schedule lately where I’m running from one thing to another and haven’t had time to look, although of course I had time to photograph my coats. Anyway, if you find such an item, please alert me in comments so I can go get one.
Oh my god, I have to be at work in literally two minutes.
Efficiently,
June