Tower of babble
I had yesterday off from work, which was h-e-a-v-e-n-l-y. But because I am an idiot, I decided to check my work email around lunchtime. And then I discovered 63 email messages.
Cripes, people. Everyone knew about my absence well in advance, I had my “out of office” notification on, and yet, in between two routine emails, I had several frenzied emails with subjects like this:
“OMG!!!!!!!!!!WHERE IS SHAUNA?!?!?!?!? THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE ASAP!!!!!!!!”
I totally plan on printing out these emails and bringing them to my annual review. I mean, seriously; It’s not like I’m the CEO of the company or anything.
***
I spent my day off weeding, which normally is therapeutic to me, except I was confronted with a nasty patch of weeds that did not want to come up without a fight, despite the rain-soaked soil it was desperately clinging to. This moist earth was also home to some Chernobyl-reminiscent nightcrawlers, which gave me the heebies to the point that I twice uttered girly screams: once when a leaf tickled my cheek and once when a giant mutant piece of timothy grass touched my kneecap and out of the corner of my eye, looked like a giant, mutant, kneecap-hungry caterpillar. With hundreds of razor-sharp teeth.
***
I also spent my day digging myself out of the giant pile of gifts we received at a bridal shower this weekend. Jason’s mom organized the whole thing and invited some church women. Neither Jason nor I anticipated the gigantic response.
Because of their generosity, we now have to add more items to our registry, because they totally wiped us out. I’m not kidding. And the wedding is still over a month and half away. Anyway, while unboxing and testing items before tossing the packaging, I caught Sunny stalking the gifts. She touched her nose to one item and then immediately jumped back, her tail bushy in fright. When I went to investigate, I saw that she had been frightened by a frying pan. Which wasn’t moving.
***
Remember that Jimmy John’s I wished into existence near our house? Yeah, well, for FIVE months it’s been taunting us with its huge “Coming Soon!” banner. I’d drive by it every morning and think, “Come on!” And then every night I’d drive by it again and sit at the stoplight, glaring at that stupid banner all slit-eyed and gritted teeth and think, “Coming soon…ha! WHATEVER, liars!”
This morning, however, the coming soon banner was gone, replaced by their lit-up neon signage.
Oh, that place better be open tonight. Or there will be hell to pay.
***
Tomorrow is Jason’s birthday and I had to run downtown during my lunch break to get his gift. He’s been bugging me to try to figure out what it is, and I have to literally not say anything to him, because a few years ago, I had a great idea for a birthday present for him, and after being all stealthy and super sneaky and buying it and triple-bagging it before meeting him back at the car, I totally ruined all my hard work by stupidly chirping, “Whew! The last time I bought a camera, it was hard picking one out.”
I can’t believe you’re getting married so soon! Okay, I only just found your blog, but still… it feels like it’s all happening so fast. Maybe that’s just because my own wedding is over a year away.
Also, Jimmy John’s–oh my god! That was my favorite sandwich place ever in high school, and until right now I thought that it was a tiny local chain that was just in North Carolina. But now I see that it is in lots of different states. I would kill to have one here in DC, now that I know it’s a possibility.
Comment by Jess — August 28, 2007 @ 2:42 pm
Jess,
Your engagement will FLY by. Trust me.
By the way, is there any way you can adjust your blog to accept “Other” comments? I know you don’t want anonymous comments, which I totally understand, but I tried to comment last week and it asked me for a Google account, which I signed up for, and then realized it wouldn’t display my name as Pickles & Dimes, but instead displayed my name as my email address, which I don’t want the whole world to see. Is there a way to adjust your settings at all, because I want to comment (the comment that was removed by the author on your post last week was me.)
See blacksheep’s page for what I mean.
Comment by Shauna — August 28, 2007 @ 2:49 pm
I just looked on my blog settings and saw that it was set to only allow registered users to comment. I changed that setting to “anyone.” Can you see if it works now?
Comment by Jess — August 28, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
It works now, Jess! Thanks!
Comment by Shauna — August 28, 2007 @ 3:09 pm
Oh, god, the work emails. A couple of weeks ago I was out for TWO DAYS and had 80-some emails when I got back. AND I had my out-of-office reply on. Uch, checking from home though, that’ll ruin your day.
Yay for wedding presents! I didn’t even WANT to register, thinking that we would NEVER get all that crap, and yet we recieved every. single. thing.
Comment by Tessie — August 28, 2007 @ 3:31 pm
Why oh why would you check your work email on a day off? It’s the Minnesotan in you isn’t it? Possibly the underlying norweigan? In no way is this comment placed to offend Minnesotans or Norweigans (I am both) I just have this overwhelming discomfort over not working when other people are, and I think I can only blame it on my inner-Norweigan farmer.
Comment by Flibberty — August 28, 2007 @ 3:41 pm
Oh, Flibberty, I am 50% Norwegian, so yeah, that definitely applies to me.
And I had no reason to check, other than for morbid curiosity. I instantly regretted it.
Comment by Shauna — August 28, 2007 @ 4:26 pm
There are approximately 2 million Jimmy John’s by my office and I’ve never been . . . what make Jim and his Johns better than your run of the mill Subway or Quizno’s? Seriously, because I hate Subway.
Comment by Flibberty — August 28, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
Ew – Subway squicks me out. Plus, it always takes them 34 minutes to put my sandwich together and I only get mayo and salt & pepper for my toppings, so it’s not like they have to construct the Sandwich O’Pisa or anything.
JJ’s has the best sandwiches ever because their bread is so soft and fresh. You can even buy day-old loaves to make your own sandwiches, which we like to do.
If you have ever been to an Erbert’s & Gerbert’s, JJ’s bread is a lot like that: pillowy, soft and SO GOOD.
Comment by Shauna — August 28, 2007 @ 4:57 pm
Ah, the Erbs and Gerbs! I am quite familiar. After bar time we would go get a loaf of day old and squeeze mayonnaise on it and just eat it like that. It was the best thing after a night at a bar, but in retrospect, kind of disgusting.
Comment by Flibberty — August 28, 2007 @ 5:01 pm
I miss JJ’s. There was one in my college town. I loved how simple the sandwiches were. Roast beef, lettuce, tomato, mayo. BEST EVER. None of that annoying fanciness. Plus the lightness yet density of them was perfect for filling me up without making me feel gross.
I like when our female cat walks cautiously and oh-so-slowly up to something in a room that’s been there for ages, like the table, and caaarefully leans in to sniff it. Sooooo slowly silently. And then she leaps back into the air, startled, when she gets tiny a whiff as if to say, “WHAT THE HECK?! HOW DID THIS GET HERE? OH MY GOSH.”
Comment by blacksheeped — August 28, 2007 @ 5:10 pm