Photo Update

 At this point, I think it's common knowledge that I suck at updating the photo of the day.  I have almost four months of photos to post!  I know, I know, epic failure.  Below, please find the month of January Photos of the Day!

1/1-- first pic of the new year: cinnamon rolls (my favorite breakfast!!) Though, to be fair, these are orange cinnamon rolls, which are gross.

 

1/2: The first day I forgot to take a photo: FOR SHAME!!

1/3-- Shadow patterns on Andrew's mom's kitchen ceiling

1/4-- Fire!! (Insert maniacal laugh)

1/5-- The Harrisburg mall is basically all about Bass Pro Shops.  There was an entire wildlife scene going on...including a pond with live fish!

1/6: Sunset over Frederick's commercial district

1/7-- Piano innards

1/8-- Miyako's for Mom's birthday.  Mike is all "Babe!  Stop ruining the pictures!"

1/9-- Billiards

1/10--Playing with focus: My keyboard

1/11-- Driving home from work in the snow is scary!!

1/12-- Post-snow sky

1/13-- My new National Geographic volumes!

1/14-- (Faux) Sunflowers

1/15-- The inside of a didgeridoo

1/16-- Capturing the colors of this shell (from Pink Beach in New Zealand) was actually a lot harder than you'd think.

1/17-- Not at all photoshopped!  This is a real light effect off a CD

1/18--Night before Vegas: I hope that's not a snow halo!

1/19-- Thanks, doll.

1/20-- There's no way out of Vegas!

1/21-- It's pretty lonely in Death Valley National Park.

1/22-- Group photo!  Don't know why Aj is standing up so straight...he's already the tallest one there!

1/23-- Back to Maryland : ( A stopover in Salt Lake.

1/24-- More experiments with focus: an awesome passage from one of my favorite books.  First person to name the book gets a prize!

1/25-- Local church

1/26-- "Glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife."  My best artistic interpretation/ approximation of the lyric.

1/27-- Why so sad, pine trees?

1/28-- I admit, this is a crappy, throw-away shot.  But I was tired after a long day of work!

1/29-- Street lights in D.C.

1/30--In examining my past photos, I realize I take a lot of pictures of the sky, and a lot of them look the same.  Something to work on...

1/31-- The first piece I learned to play on the piano.

Penguins are Funny!

Thank you, Andrew, for posting this on my Facebook wall!

Hehe!

Continued...

It is now 2 pm. The third editor has left, gone home early because he is sick and can't focus. He left me only two things to do for the rest of the day. One was done before he even got to the elevator, and the second is held up, because I have to wait for an author to email me back. I don't expect this to happen today.

So, I find myself alone: there is one other assistant in our department, and she is here, but all our editors are gone. There is also the publisher, but he's closed up in his office. Sometimes I will hear someone down the hall, but for the most part, its a ghost town here today.

So here's the question: am I allowed to leave? M didn't release me when he left, even though he knows I haven't had anything to do all day. If I had an assistant with nothing to do, and I was leaving, I would've set them free. But he did not. I'm afraid if I do go, one of them will call or email me and I won't get it. But I'm afraid if I don't go, I will lose my mind. I've already searched for apartments and freelance gigs today. I'm working on the freelance editing that I do have. I have made my grocery list for things to pick up tonight. I have made my weekend plans. I literally have NOTHING to do in my office. How will I make it through??

Work Week Blues

I am composing this post at work. Today is extra-slow, because two of my three editors are out of the office, and the final one is busy preparing for the sales meeting. Of course, I completed already all the tasks I set for myself for today, and now I find myself with nothing left to do. It is 11:30. I have 5 ½ hours left to fill. I have been promised that, after next week, things will pick up again. I can only hope so.

It wouldn’t be so bad if I wasn’t afraid of getting caught not working. I could search for apartments, or shop online or plan make-believe trips. But I reside in a cubicle that is central to pretty much everything: right by the bathrooms, water fountain and door leading to the elevators. There are no other cubicles next to me to buffer. I am alone, with nothing but busy hallways all around my cubicle. If I knew more people, this would be nice, because I could say to them as they walk past. But I don’t know a lot of people, so this just means I live in fear that someone will walk by and see Gmail up on my screen and they will know I’m not working. Plus, my back is to the door, so my bosses can pop in and stand there for minutes if they feel like it, and I will never know. This is dangerous for Craigslist searching or Oldnavy.com surfing. Even writing this post is risky. I generally don’t mind a little risk, but not at work. Especially when I have only been at work for 2 weeks.

I am holding on to hope that the remaining editor, M, will let me leave early. I seriously doubt this will occur, but it would be such a nice break from the tedium of the past 3 days.

Week Two

Tomorrow is the final day in my second week as an editorial assistant.  Last week finished out strong, and since my last post I've learned a lot more about the publishing process, my editorial duties and what I can expect from my job.  I've even understood most of it!  I'd say I'm making good progress towards becoming a pretty respectable editorial assistant.

Unfortunately, this week has been a little slow.  The editors are gearing up for the seasonal sales/marketing meeting, so they have a lot of work to do making presentations and all that.  This means they don't have a lot of time for much, and there really isn't a lot for me to do.  Of course I worked on the tasks I do have, but when you have to wait for other people to email you or provide information, some processes can get a little slow.  The sales meeting is Tuesday, so after that, things should pick back up.

In the mean time, I've started working at Uno's Columbus Ave.  I know my days at Uno's should be over, but you know, New York is an expensive city and a little extra money in the bank will be useful.  Last night was my first serving shift, and it really wore me out.  I came on at 6, which was pretty much right in the middle of the rush, and I ran my butt off for the next four hours.  I made good money, but it was rough.  I think a large part of why it was so difficult is the space: it's a really tiny restaurant, and everything is really cramped.  So you have to wait for people to move before you can do anything.  And customers have to walk through the main server station to get to the restaurant, so you've always got little kids around when you're taking food out of the window or carrying heavy trays.  It will definitely take some getting used to.

I'm also still in the apartment/roommate hunt.  A couple people at work tried to hook me up with roommate candidates (which I super appreciate) and I thought I had a live one.  We were going to meet up after work on Friday, but over email she seemed super nice.  But, she ended up taking a sublet for the summer, so for me, it's back to square one.  We're still meeting on Monday though, because you can never have too many friends, and Andrew is in Disney World, so its not like I really have anything else to do anyway.

Moral of that story is I need a roommate so one of y'all better move up here before May 31. : )

So, that's pretty much it.  I've totally gotten used to waking up at 6 am, which is great for my job, but its also like: wow, I'll probably wake up at 6 every day for the next 40 years.  So, that'll be fun.

Oh, the only other thing: I am seriously in need of a good shop.  I've been to work 9 days and I'm already pretty much out of outfits.  I worked at Uno's for so long, I sort of forgot how to dress myself, and now I need to put together outfits for an office environment with a very limited wardrobe!  Every day's a new challenge.  I'm visiting Ann in CT this weekend (super pumped, I haven't seen her since December!), maybe she could be convinced to do a little shopping.  It's not entirely unusual that we end up at the mall...

Day #2

Yesterday was my first day of work at my first real-person job after college.  Today was my second day( funny how that works, isn't it?).  So far, I'm feeling good.

Yesterday I woke up at 6 am (!) in order to give myself plenty of time to get ready without stressing out.  it was kind of yucky out (it always seems to rain on my first day at a job) so I wore my hair half down, with a black pencil skirt, pink button down and black pumps.  I got on an 8:12am Metro North train, arrived in Grand Central at 8:35, and walked 8-ish blocks to "the office."  As I walked, I was surrounded buy hundreds of other commuters, 9-5ers, office drones and corporate suits.  As I waited to cross the street with five or so of these others, I thought to myself, "This is the New York City morning scene.  I am part of this now.  These people's lives are my life now."  That was both a good and bad thought.  On the one hand, I've been waiting for this day for years, and longing for it for 10 whole months.  And now it is finally here!  On the other hand, this was the first commute of thousands more, every day for almost the rest of my life.

The first day of work was not quite what I expected.  Of course, none of my technology worked, so I could do nothing on the computer all day yesterday.  Also, my "peer mentor" was rather busy, so she didn't have a lot of time to go through things with me.  So, my boss (whom I'll call J) walked me around the floor and introduced me to almost everyone who was there (which actually wasn't a lot of people, compared to the number of name plates there were.  Mondays must be slow).  Then I spent a couple hours "settling in," organizing my desk (I actually have my very own cubicle, which is actually rather spacious), looking through files, reading back contracts and familiarizing myself with document templates, etc.

At lunch time, two of my bosses, M and J took me out for a nice lunch at a Chinese restaurant.  After lunch I did meet with my peer mentor for a little while and she showed me some things in our publishing database.  Then J started showing me how to prepare a manuscript for production.  I completed that, then took off for the day.  On the whole, the first day was a little slow; there wasn't a lot I could do without my computer and I need to wait for someone to have time to explain things to me so I can do them.  But everyone was really nice, and I'm looking forward to (hopefully) getting to know people on a more personal level.

Today, I again woke up at 6, but took a train to arrive in GC by 8:12 so that I could be to work by 8:30 (this might become a daily occurrence).  Day 2 was a little busier.  I got my computer up and running, but of course every other technology-related thing went wrong.  I have a computer with two monitors, and the second didn't work.  I didn't have access to the shared network drive.  I don't have access to the database.  The help desk, located in India, could not hear me from my phone, in New York, because of a bad connection, three times.  My computer is not linked to the printer.  Basically, Murphy's Law.  But I'm used to that sort of thing by now.

Today I learned a lot more, and understood a lot less than yesterday.  Right now, I'm learning things tiny piece by tiny piece.  What would really help me is an over view of the editorial process.  That way, I can understand why I'm doing things and what will come next.  But all that will come later, I suppose.

I was able to complete a couple editorial assistant tasks on my own, in addition to getting my employee ID, filling out some HR paperwork and promising to comply with the Code of Business Ethics.  In all it was a productive day, I was definitely not bored, and I'm excited for the day when everything clicks.

On my way from work to the train, I again joined the hoards of commuters crossing Fifth Ave.  This time I smiled (even though it was raining) because I realized, this was it.  The thing I'd been waiting for for so long was actually happening.  I was doing the thing.  I'm living in New York, almost on my own, close to standing on my own legs, living adult life.  Granted, its only my second day of real life, but the second day felt good.  So I opened my umbrella and smiled in the rain.

Last Days and New Beginnings

The title of this post sounds really deep.  I assure you, its not.  Today I am simply celebrating my last day of servitude (literally) at Uno's Frederick.  Holla!

Technically, yesterday was my last day.  I worked a double and it totally sucked.  In one respect, it was a terrible shift, but in another it was great, because it left no doubt in my mind that I am nothing but happy to get gone.  There are a few people there who I'll miss (no doubt a lot more who will miss me, HA!) but on the whole, I am so happy to be moving on and starting my real life.  I was never an Uno's lifer, and yesterday reinforced that fact ten-fold.

However, today I still had to go back one more time.  And its all because of my stupid, horrible memory.  I left all my marketing materials at home yesterday, so I had to go back and drop them off.  And in honor of my last day, I baked cupcakes and took them in yesterday, but forgot to take home my cupcake carrier.  So I needed to go back and retrieve it.  But I went, doled out a few last hugs and some (probably empty) promises to "See you around" and left for the last time.  Well, I'll probably go back for dinner or something one time when I'm home, but for now, I imagine that I have permanently shaken the dust and pizza grease from my feet.

But back to the most important part of this post: cupcakes.  (Cupcakes are always the most important part of any post that includes cupcakes.)  Emily came home Wednesday night and we backed AMAZING cupcakes.  Chocolate cake with caramel and sea salt frosting.  I absolutely love salted caramel.  Though my dad says it defies the Laws of Nature, I think sweet and salty make a great pairing.  Ever heard of chocolate covered pretzels?  But the seas salt sprinkled on top of the frosting was just enough to bring out the sweetness, but not enough to overpower the caramel.  I think these may have been our best cupcakes yet.  And that's saying something because we have made Bailey's cupcakes, mint cupcakes AND Kahlua cupcakes.  So I don't say that lightly.

Though my dad wasn't digging them, everyone at work did, and Richard probably ate about 15 (don't worry, they were mini-sized cupcakes because Emily bought me adorable little cupcake pans as a going away present).  So I am definitely saving that recipe for when we open our shop...be on the lookout for it!

Reasons Why I Can't Sleep

It is 12:30 on Sunday night/Monday morning, and I can't sleep.  This is bad, because I have to work the next four days, and whenever I can't sleep, I get all worried about not getting enough sleep, and then it just takes me longer to fall asleep.  It is a bad cycle.

So here's why I can't sleep.  I think most of you know by now that I received my first job offer.  While I was in Nashville, I received a call from McGraw Hill, a company I had two interviews with at the beginning of March.  They made me an offer, and I accepted.

I start next Monday.  Which is super soon!  So now I can't sleep because tonight I started packing all of my stuff to move to New York, and I'm all excited and sad and scared and nervous.  I've been wanting this to happen for almost a year, and now that its happening, I don't feel ready.  Of course I am ready, I want to start my career and all, but its a scary thing.  Also, I have to move out of my parents' house, where I have really enjoyed living the past 10 months.  I mean, unless I screw up royally, I probably will never live here again.  That is a very sad thought for me.  I love my Mom and Dad, and I'm going to miss seeing them every day.

Then, of course, I'm thinking about all of the things I have to do before I leave.  Pack, wrap up my work at Uno's, build a work wardrobe out of nothing, do my taxes (I know, I know, I'm always late doing my taxes)...it is quite a long list.  Not to mention thinking about getting an apartment as soon as possible.

So there is a lot going on in the ol' noggin.  I truly am excited for my job.  I really liked my future bosses when I interviewed with them, and I think this position will be a great way to launch my career.  But come 9 am on Monday April 11, I am officially a REAL ADULT and can't really be a kid anymore.  Of course, I will always be someone's kid, but I will have responsibilities and a life.  For someone who still has to remind herself she is no longer 18 (seriously, I still think of myself as a teenager), this is a scary thing.

On a side note, if anyone knows of anybody who might need a roommate in the New York area, please let me know.  I'm super fun to live with!

So Many Reasons Why I am Awesome

Now that I have (very recently) returned from my "Mystery Activity" with Emily, I can safely tell y'all what we did without the worry of ruining the surprise.  I gave you a clue as to what we did in that last sentence.  No, we didn't go to a murder mystery dinner theatre.  We drove to Nashville, y'all!

Yup, that's right.  Being the totally fabulous sibling that I am, I planned a road trip to Nashville for three days and three nights for my sister and I.  We left early Monday morning, drove 11 hours (but the driving is part of the road trip of course!) and got to Music City around 3:30.  We did some research, planned a few things, freshened up, then hit Honky Tonk Row (I don't actually know if that's what its called, but that's what I have dubbed it).  We heard some great music at the Whiskey Bent Saloon, had a delicious (although somewhat commercial) salad at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, then went back to the WBS to listen to Taria Green.  If you like country music, check her out.

We had a rather early night, seeing as I slept about three hours the night before, so we rested up for the next day.  We woke up, headed downtown for coffee and the Country Music Hall of Fame.  If you like old time country, check it out, otherwise, you could probably skip it.  We spent the afternoon walking around downtown Nashville, which was surprisingly small.  I only saw one Starbucks in the whole district, no grocery stores, hardly any restaurants and almost no people.  It was weird.  The city was very clean, but almost in a sterile way.  Like, are all of these buildings empty or something?!?  It was a cool place, but very small.  The suburbs were a little more commercial, or at least a little more populated.

Tuesday night I got tickets to see the Grand Ole Opry.  Look it up.  Its a music venue that broadcasts live three nights a week.  Sometimes big names come, like Carrie Underwood this weekend, but there's also smaller acts too.  We saw Easton Corbin (who's got some stuff on the radio now) as well as a few other small acts.  Then we saw Jean Sheppard and Whistlin' Bill Anderson, who are Hall of Fame-ers.  So it was cool to see them, and experience the Opry as it was when it first started.  That night we went out downtown to the Stage (kind of famous honky tonk) and had dinner at an Irish pub.

On Wednesday we had a great breakfast out by Vanderbuilt University at a cool place called the Frothy Monkey coffee house.  Then we visited the Parthenon--the only scale replica of the Greek temple in the world.  Mostly we went there to answer the question "Why Nashville?" (because Nashville is the "Athens of the South") and to see the largest indoor statue in the western world (a huge 42' sculpture of the Goddess Athena--it was quite a sight).

Wednesday afternoon we drove about 90 minutes outside Nashville to tour the George Dickel Whisky Distillery.  I had no idea how whiskey was made, so it was pretty informative.  Unfortunately, it was also pretty dry.  As in, no tasting.  But, I did buy a special commemorative bottle, and bought a shot on the rocks at dinner that night.  Trust me, I am not a whiskey girl, but it was actually pretty smooth.  I finished the whole drink, though I'm not sure if that's because it was very smooth or because the more I drank the more smooth it seemed. 

We rounded off the trip by saloon hopping down Broadway, hitting the Stage, Cadillac Ranch and Legends Corner.

In all, I think it was a great trip.  We got to visit a place neither of us had ever been to, which we both always like to do, I got to spend some quality time with my sister, and I got to smell fermenting whiskey.  I definitely recommend a trip to Nashville, but keep in mind it's size--I think three days was the perfect amount.  Also keep in mind your travel partner--make sure they like country music, wandering around an empty city and sipping whiskey.  And rhinestones--I swear I saw more rhinestoned souvenirs than I did in Las Vegas.  Definitely didn't see that one coming.