January 27, 2011

Live Action

I finally decided the front porch was a wiser exit into work. Sure I'd have to duck under a wire, but I did live in Congo didn't I? I can do it!

My crazy - but very sweet - Dominican neighbor took it upon himself to GRAB the wire with his gloves, and tie it with a piece of tinsel to his porch and away from my yard. I animately and with great concern said "yikes, be careful, that's dangerous!" I don't think he understood me but he appreciated the sentiment (written all over my face).

OK so snow shoveled (in a very lazy way I just shoveled enough of a skinny pathway to get to the street). Time to get to work.

On Snow and the Perils of Getting into Work

January 12, 2011

Shoes on the Metro



Yesterday, I was coming home from visiting a house with a friend who is looking to buy. I was not looking forward to the ride in the metro and the walk home in the snow that would eventually follow… until I saw this.

Thinking of the story behind the shoes kept me entertained all the way home!

January 06, 2011

Some much for Trying to Be Discrete

It’s probably time for me to look for a new job. I’m a bit bored with my current one, given that it’s been 2 years and 1 month since I’ve started. An eternity in my book.

So the other day, I apply online and have to fax some additional documents over to the recruitment office. I use the fax machine from work, which is located along the main conference room’s wall and is surrounded by cubicle offices (which house a mix of lowly employees and senior-level people).

Shortly after scanning the paperwork, the machine loudly dials the number and the scene goes like this:

Rrrring, rrring, rriing, riing… You’ve reached Janessa Brown at the ROCKVILLE RECRUITMENT CENTER. We are currently closed. Please try us again during working hours.

[Fax redials]

Rrrring, rrring, rriing, riing… You’ve reached Janessa Brown at the ROCKVILLE RECRUITMENT CENTER. We are currently closed. Please try us again during working hours.

[Fax redials]

Rrrring, rrring, rriing, riing… You’ve reached Janessa Brown at the ROCKVILLE RECRUITMENT CENTER. We are currently closed. Please try us again during working hours. [Fax redials]

Mortified, I try to cough over the sound of the fax machine at strategically-timed instances. I frantically repeatedly pound on the “cancel” and “delete” buttons, but the fax stubbornly continues to redial, redial and redial again.

I reach to the back of the machine and turn it off. Then I turn it on again so the next person can use it… And it starts redialing and the voicemail starts AGAIN!

Humiliated, I turn it off once again, put my coat on and leave the office for the day (fortunately it was almost time to go home). The next day, I come back to the office, and someone has discreetly placed the two confirmation sheets from the fax under my door.

I am 1) completely embarrassed about the situation, 2) praying that whoever slipped the pages under my door doesn’t go have a “chat” with my boss.

It’s been three days now, and I still don’t know who intercepted my fax.