jaysaint Getting it all down on paper…

And the New York transit strike of 2005 has come to a close.

It’s been interesting to watch. Working up to the strike and during the first day the city seemed sort of divided. By the second day most New Yorkers seemed to be turning against the union. It felt particularly manipulative to shut down the city when it was so freaking cold and this close to Christmas. I know that yesterday after standing outside in the dark for nearly an hour trying to make my way home I was enraged. But now workers will be back at the switch while the negotiations continue. So I’ll get in at least one normal day at work. I couldn’t face it, and worked from home today.

So here’s a vignette from my first week at Redbook…

I got an email that said, basically:

Hey Everybody, it’s that time of year again! We’re throwing open our cosmetics sample closet and everything is $1. All proceeds go to a charity that pairs women writers with teenage girls who need mentors. Bring singles to the conference room at 2:30
— The Beauty Babes

So at 2:30 I wandered into our little conference room and it was PACKED — table, floor, everywhere — with high-end beauty products. Everything from fancy Japanese shampoos to false eyelashes to fancy lotions. It was unbelievable. I bought 18 things. I meant to go to an even 20, but got a little too overwhelmed.

So I said to the Beauty editor, “How often do you do this???” And she said, “Oh, just once a year.” And I said, “My timing is fantastic.” And she said, “Well, we practice an open-closet policy. So if you ever need anything or are just craving some beauty, come on by and take what you want.”

AOL can suck it.