Library letdown

To shake up the routine a bit, I did my work from a car service department for the entire morning and was planning on working from a public library for the second half.  Before I get into the library, the car dealership = perfect work environment.  They had work cubicles, free wifi, coffee, soda, water and snacks and a television for waiting patrons.  I took my car in to get annual maintenance but now I might just go there more often to get my car "serviced" and use it as my other office.  Just kidding.  But maybe not.

I went to the public library around my neighborhood around 2 pm, which is apparently when kids get out of school.  Did you know that?  The library was overrun with pre-teen and teenage kids but also grownups.  In the middle of the afternoon.  I couldn't find a free table and I couldn't believe it!

I was also expecting the library to look like this:

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Or this

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Or even this

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But no, it looked more like this:

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It was really quite sad.  There were barely any books or people among the stacks.  Even the children's area, where you're used to seeing bean bags and cute little bookshelves, was empty.  But the computer lab was bursting full and there were people lounging at the tables with laptops.  I left shortly afterward.  I had it in my head that I was going to get a library card and wander around for a few hours.  Are people just not into reading anymore?  Have we really become so inundated with technology that no one sits down and just picks up a book?  I really do pity those people.  Books have always been an escape for me, a trip to adventureland and an easy way to exercise my imagination.  Next week I might check out another library and I cross my fingers that it will be jammed pack with books and people reading them.

How do people who work from home not end up enormous whales and other thoughts

Today was my second day of working from home and my first day of working with the Internet from home.  Tada - I am now no longer a meditating monk living in a silent cave!  I feel connected to the world and I have really missed my Internet window shopping.  

As this is my first foray into working from home, there are a lot of new things I'm experiencing.  Like the sound of birds chirping in the morning.  And in the afternoon.  And every time they fly by my window because they're taunting the neighbor cat that's lounging on the balcony.  And I start to wonder about things like how people who work from home don't end up enormous whales from the continual access to food.  In the office, every scrap, crumb, shred and sliver of food got devoured and immediately but here at home, there's food in the fridge and in the pantry at all times.  I find myself wandering over every 30 minutes, just to take a peek and make sure it's all there or something like that.  How do you not overeat yourself to death?  And has someone invented a refrigerator lock that only unlocks at certain points during the day?  Because I am almost done with a family sized box of Honey Bunches of Oats and I NEED HELP.  I also wonder when I'm going to start talking to myself.  Maybe that's a week two occurrence.  Also, people are NICE in the grocery store on the weekdays.  No, you go first, no you.  Please, after you.  I'm so sorry I bumped your cart.  That never happens on the weekend.  That blue-haired old lady will gut you if you take the last almond milk carton.

I also received this (well, two of them) in a ginormous cardboard box this afternoon.  Yay dining room chair!  They came out exactly how I thought they were going to look and they're actually very comfy to sit on.  Now for the table and bench to arrive... any minute now... time's a ticking.

Tomorrow I might just make myself a fort out of all the extra moving boxes we have laying around.  Because, who knows, my best thinking may be done in a cardboard fort.

Unplugged

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We are finally moved.  The last box has been opened (notice, I didn't say unpacked) and our furniture is all generally in the right place.  It is actually quite odd seeing our furniture together and we definitely fill up both of the closets we have.  But even with the amount of stuff we collectively have, we still have plenty of room for activities in the living room and kitchen - like ballroom dancing or P90X.  Our dining room table arrives God knows when but two of the dining chairs I ordered get here tomorrow.  One thing that I never really paid attention to is the amount of books that I have.  We spent part of the weekend looking for a decent sized, decent priced bookcase but couldn't find anything that fit our style.  Do any of you have any recommendations of where to find non-particle board bookcases?

The cable guy comes tomorrow and we'll finally have TV and internet.  It has been deathly silent in the apartment without either, and Frenchie and I ate dinner last night, just talking to each other, without  background noise or distraction.  It was kind of odd and the silence was deafening.  It is a serious testament to how bombarded we are with information, sounds and colours these days and it was a nice break from it all for around 12 hours.  But I want all that stuff back now!  I am currently sitting in the "library" in our apartment complex checking my email and blogging.  Which is to say, I'll have to come back later this afternoon to finish all the blog checking as I have missed out on all the early Monday morning action and hearing about what y'all did over the weekend.  So pardon my unplugged post for now and I'll check in with you a little later.

Meanwhile, happy Monday!

Free at last!

This post is coming to you in the middle of the afternoon because <drum roll> I am done!  Last day at the job and now I'm home.  It was really lovely and bittersweet hearing all of the heartfelt goodbyes and hearing the appreciation in their voices.  I received several sweet cards as well and I teared up reading just one of them so I'm saving the rest for later.  I am going to miss all of the connections that I made but I am not going to miss how much of my life it took.  No blackberry for the first time in six years - I keep forgetting and searching for it around the house.  Deep breath, relax.  Now, the day (and year) is full of potential... I wonder what comes next.

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Sleek and slick

This is my new machine that I'm operating with - the bad boy itself below.



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The Asus Zenbook.  I have a serious need to run the Microsoft Office Suite seamlessly so I knew the Mac wasn't going to work.  But this ultrabook gives it a run for the money.  It is super light and really travel friendly.  When I take it on the road next week, I will let you guys know how it does.

My devices all have French names so this one has been christened Etienne.

Technology... so amazing.  Now I just have to deck it out in accessories...

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Modern museum

A modern setting for vintage furnishings and art is always such a fun contrast to see in action.  I don't know where I would begin in pulling together a cohesive design but the owners of this home have done it quite effectively.  Personally, I wouldn't be able to live in a home that has as many pieces of art in it as this one does.  Things would be bound to break and get cluttered and dusty under my care but I really appreciate the neat and organized display in this house.  Particularly the kitchen - the kitchenware looks like ancient artifacts.  Also, the polished concrete (?) floors on the first floor are just gorgeous.  This home is in the South and is likely to get hot in a hurry so the cool floors are a relief I'm sure.  It's the practical things in a home for me, obviously.

It's Pomsky Tuesday

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Pomsky wishes you all happy Tuesday!  I can't believe I didn't know about this dog until yesterday.  Hybrid mix between a Pomeranian and Husky - why the heck not?  Try not to squeal at its cuteness.  I dare you.

Blinded by the light

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As if a testament to how little I venture outside, I spontaneously went for a jog around the neighborhood and spent the entire time squinting into the sun.  No, there will not ever be a need for me to wear reflectors when running as my chalky-white skin will surely reflect any light that bounces its way.  It's a different type of light in the morning and maybe, starting next week, I'll start to make longer morning runs part of my daily routine.  It feels strange saying that and it'll feel even stranger when it comes to that point. 

Today was a bank holiday and I didn't go into the office.  But even though I had a call this morning, ran errands, stopped off to see baby Jai, I still feel like I was holed up in the silent cavern of the empty apartment all day.  I am hoping that once we move and I get a desk set up, I'll be able to feel more productive even though I'll be at home.  I am hoping that there is a difference, actually physically removing yourself from the couch and going into a dedicated work space.  Maybe part of it is background noise.  It's eerily silent in the apartment when I'm by myself.  Maybe some muzak in the background.  Do you guys work to music?  If so, what kind and do you have any suggestions for me?

Announcing the move

We're spending this weekend throwing just about everything into boxes as well as furniture shopping for some stuff for our new place.  Wish me luck - we're trying to find a stylish and affordable dining set and sectional. 

I'll practically jump at just about any opportunity to order stationery, and since I missed Valentine's Day, I thought I might make up for it with some of these moving announcements below.  Which ones are your favourite?

inhauspress

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the coolest DIY moving announcement on Oh So Beautiful Paper

Scout's Honor

Keep moving forward

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As if the job news isn't enough, one thing that I've hinted at before is the fact that Frenchie and I are moving in together.  Next week.  The day after I quit my job.  I guess when it rains, it pours. 

We're not married, heck, we're not even engaged but it is really the right move for us to make.  We are getting a bigger place, where I will be able to set up that dream home office, and will also have room to entertain.  We'll also be able to have guests stay over comfortably and I'm really looking forward to being a hostess.  You can imagine, when I told my ultra-conservative Asian parents about this, they weren't exactly jumping for joy.  But Frenchie and I are both closer to 30 than we are to 20 and it makes sense to me and him to take our relationship to this next level. 

However, it didn't really hit me until I was picking up mail from my current apartment that I'm leaving the place that I spent my first working years.  That I'm leaving the place that I lived in with only a mattress on the floor and a desk for the first six months, the place where I crawled into bed in the wee hours of the morning time and time again after a long night at work, the place where I held my first real dinner parties and where I was glad to go back to after a holiday at my parents' home even.  I was lucky to have it and an awesome, drama-free roommate that put up with my nutty work schedule.

We both have a lot of work to do before we get to next Saturday and a heck of a lot of packing to do.  I'm excited though - more excited than I have been in a long time.  I think I've craved this change for awhile and it's a relief, in a way, to finally be getting it.

Why I heart the BBC

When we were in France, after our afternoon naps we would watch BBC 1 through 4 on television before we would go out for dinner.  And I must say, I am utterly addicted.  Why can't we have this type of quality programming in the US?

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Sherlock is one of my favourite mini series by the BBC.  It tracks a 21st century, gritty Sherlock and Watson through present day London and spins some of the Holmes' classics into modern interpretations.  It's smarty done, well paced and packed with enough action and suspense to keep you coming back for more.  Unfortunately in the US, we catch this show a season behind and there are only three episodes to one series.  Needless to say, if you love all things Holmes, you must catch this one on DVD.

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The Brits, it seems, take to their game shows as much or more than the Americans.  What I must say though is that their shows are much smarter than the American game shows that I've seen.  Much like the US game shows, they ask for the contestants to possess a very arcane set of knowledge, however there were some game shows that asked their contestants to do maths very quickly and accurately, had teams made up of "quizzing teams" and pitted them against each other and so on and so forth.  My favourite of all of these is the game show "Pointless."  It pits a pair of contestants against a surveyed group and asks them questions.  The most obscure and least mentioned answer to the question receives the fewest points whereas the most popular and obvious answer receives the most.  As the name suggests, the goal is to remain as close to pointless as possible.  The hosts of this one really make the show.  They have a rather unique way of being demeaning, charming and hilarious all at the same time.  I kind of wish we had this show in the US just so I could watch how they go about just doing that.

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Top Gear was another show that I just utterly enjoyed.  I know there's an American version and I don't know if it's quite as good as the UK edition.  But the guys on the show are just hilarious and the cars they drive are just out of this world.  And the locations!  The locations they get to drive these cars are just amazing.  World renowned race tracks in Germany, the streets of Milan, it's just a feast for the eyes as far as scenery, even if you're not really into cars.

I just noticed that all of these really excellent shows feature men.  There are plenty I watched on British television that featured women - like Country House Rescue - but I think this says to me that deep down inside, I am really more of a tomboy.

My home office

I am so pumped to have a flexible working schedule AND environment.  Frenchie and I are moving in two weeks (hopefully) and I'll be using a spare bedroom as an office as well.  I haven't really had time to think about a home office and what type of design I'm looking for but I want it to be clean, bright, organized and INSPIRATIONAL!  Not too girlie but not too sterile or masculine either.  I live in an apartment as well so I'd like to not have to build or install shelving or cabinets.  I've been looking online for some samples and have found some snaps below that I like.  A common theme that runs through these rooms is that there is a lot of white space.  I wonder if I'm drawn to that because it represents a sort of blank slate for me to start with.  Lighting is also so very key - particularly natural lighting.

Do y'all have any tips as far as a home office?  Do you feel that more "things" in your office space present more distraction or inspiration?
 

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Short timer

So this post is a little difficult to write and I've been thinking about how to address it for a few days now.  How better than to do it than through my new title at work: short timer.  According to Urban Dictionary, a short timer is:

That bastard co-worker who found a better job and no longer gives a shit about shit.

Yep, I am leaving my current job!  This has been my first job out of college and I've been here almost a full six years.  However, I've known for awhile that my first job would not be the end goal of my career and it has steadily and consistently sucked the living daylight out of me.  I have consistently churned out 70-80 hour work weeks for the last six years and it's time to move on.  However, instead of focusing on what I'm not going to miss, let's focus on the countless things that I'm going to miss about it - the limitless access to resources, things I've learned, and mostly, the people that I've met.  Well, most of the people I've met...

So, crystal ball, what does my future hold?  I will actually be joining a start up nonprofit in the beginning of March!  A complete 180 from where I have been.  And I will be working from home initially so I am most desirous of advice from those of you bloggers who do and how you stay focused and motivated.  Mostly, I am really excited about the flexibility I will have in my work schedule and the new direction that I'll be able to take my career.

I've received so much support from Frenchie, my family and my friends - it's really reassuring to know that people have faith in me and my abilities.  I will be updating you all more often and cheers to 2012!

Mail by Roald

The nerd in me really wants to order all of these from the UK.  Via dailymail