jaysaint Getting it all down on paper…

Okay, so why does everyone have a fancier journal than I do? Do I need to download a client? I’m not totally sure what that means.

Anyway, I’m sort of tickled by this DC lifestyle. I left my apartment at 2 and was home by 9. My Atlanta friends are all just leaving their apartments now. But I like feeling like I’ve got some evening left to me.

The party was very nice. I saw a handful of familiar faces and met some interesting folks. I thought the most interesting was the Marine who is a press escort. He took Bob around Iraq. But then I met the woman who’s the head lawyer for the Ringler Bros. Circus and that really did win hands down. Her husband had to drag her out the door because I was going to ask her questions until dawn. And one of my former co-workers, who I didn’t get to work with much – yelled “Oh my gosh, Jillian! I didn’t recognize you with makeup on.” So that was a proud moment for me.

I posted a comment on a random journal for the first time today. I don’t think that’s outside LJ etiquette, but I guess I can’t swear it. And then I went and added him to my friends list so I could see how his holidays went (he’s so enthusiastic about Christmas that I just wanted to hear). So I might get busted for LJ stalking. Clearly, I’m still not sure exactly how all of this is supposed to work.

I got a little perspective over the past few days. Lesley and Paul invited me to a party today at Bob Franken’s house. And it just seemed so funny to me that when people asked what I’m doing over the weekend, I would say: I’m going to a party at Bob Franken’s house. I expected them to laugh. But every person (only three, really) said: Who’s Bob Franken? I know Bob’s not wildly famous or anything, but I did think people sort of knew who he was. So the humor in my hanging out at the house of a stodgy-seeming (although I actually think he’s quite nice, from my limited experience with him) newsman was lost.

I guess we all think everyone thinks just like we do.

I just finished reading Geek Love. I wanted my book club to read this last year, but it was roundly rejected. I wish I had someone to talk to about it. I enjoyed it a great deal. But it’s fairly complex and I’d love to have someone spin it all out with me now that I’m done. I know Rachel read it. Maybe I’ll hit her up when I see her over Thanksgiving. But it’s been a few years for her, so I can’t expect that much. It’s so funny that I can remember what book I saw in her hand three years ago.

Interesting development at work:
First, let me provide a chart illustrating who works for whom in this story:
CENSORED
And now I’m nervous, like one of them might see this. See, that’s why only Gelnn5 and Tsalino even know I do this.

SO I WENT BACK END EDITED THIS STORY OUT. IT JUST MADE ME TOO NERVOUS. BUT AT LEAST I’M ADMITTING I DID IT.

Damon is coming in 19 days. So I’m kicking up my organizational efforts. I want to have this place tight and cheerful for when he gets here. The honest and good part of me wants to do this because I want him to have a welcoming home. The evil part (the one that will probably really motivate me) wants it to be perfect because he thinks I’m messy and I want him to be sorry he didn’t have faith.

But it’s really satisfying to drag everything out of a closet and get everything back in so tidily. And as a bonus I found the little nativity that I bought in Mexico many years ago.

I wonder if most people write down their current music and mood before or after they write in the journal. I do mine first, since I figure that influences what I write. I don’t do the mood section. Trying to figure out what to put in there always left me starting at my screen and taking my emotional temperature.

I also want to know how people are putting in pictures and all that other fancy stuff. I suspect they have paid memberships. I only have two friends on LJ (that I know of) and Glenn5 is a master of this.

And like my other friend, Tsalino, I am not enjoying my job right now.

Update — I have figured out how to upload my picture!!!! I feel much better.

Wednesday afternoon, when the work week stretches out far behind and far ahead…

Acutally, that sounds a lot more dour than I feel. I’ve gotten caught up again at work and can now forge forward. At least I’m caught up at this moment. The way things whip around here, I could find myself neck-deep by the end of today. This morning while I was brushing my teeth I had the unsettling thought that I wouldn’t be shocked if they laid me off. Not that I think they’re unhappy with me, or anyone has hinted at that. There’s just such an attitude of: We need this!!! NO, WAIT, we don’t!!! And I’m still the new guy. Not to mention that the areas I normally program are sort of… going away. Still, I think I’ll stay flexible and just flow in where I’m most useful. Or I’ll get laid off and live in a cardboard box.

I went to a home-buying seminar today. I’m cautiously optimistic about what I heard. Real estate around DC is crazy expensive, but I could put some cash down so maybe I could get out of the renter pool. I talked to Damon about it briefly and he responded in a really positive way. That made me feel as positive as the seminar itself did.

I just want a little more space. I want a guest room so people can come stay with us. I want something that belongs to us. I like our apartment, but it really is like setting a big pile of money on fire. And that’s harder to take when rents are so much higher here than they were in Atlanta.

I need advice from home owners.