New locale - continuous fascination

I am at Day 6 of my new job.

It's a bit slow. We are only a team of 3 people. My colleague is in our Chicago office. My boss is now on maternity leave. I have impeccable timing! They were rushing my start date b/c she was due this week, but the day before I started, she went into labor. The next morning, my first day, she had the baby at 8:23am. I walked into the office at 9am. Needless to say, I won't be seeing her until sometime in January when she returns from her maternity leave.

Come to think of it, I really can't remember any job in my career where I didn't sit around slightly bored for at least a few weeks or where my onboarding to the organization didn't have some sort of weird timing associated it with it. Like my last job where 2 months after I started my boss left the company!

I am in a different part of the city now. In the Financial District. It makes my commute to work technically shorter, however, I haven't figured out exactly why in the morning it takes me nearly 30 mins, yet on the way home, it only takes 15 mins?!?? I thought it would be a bit less chaotic here than in Times Square. Boy, was I wrong! It feels like it's just as or more hectic!! Crossing the street in the morning, you wait on the corner in a mass of people that is at least 5 rows of people deep! Times Square had tourists meandering around, looking at the lights, taking pictures. Down here, there is a mix of office worker, finance people and Italian tourists mobbing Century 21 (designer discount department store)!!!

There seem to be more men down here. It's giving me, once again, more insight about male bravado. It really never ceases to amaze me the way men interact with one another. Now, let me be fair, I suppose if you watch and listen to how some women interact with one another, it might be equally fascinating or unbelievable!

Standing in line at Duane Reade this week, 2 guys were behind me. Both in suits. One guy was holding 2 bottles of Aveno lotion. He was exclaiming how great it was it was on sale. They were each about 20 ounces. He then was searching for Chapstick. He was convinced that it would be behind the register, "It has to be there...", he said.  He spied some Burt Bees lip balm on the counter. His friend said, "I don't do Burts Bees.You can't get Burts Bees. Dude, it has to be Chapstick" I had to contain myself from bursting out from laughter! 

I'm also in elevators now with lots of suits.

This is a big shift for me. I'm currently in a wardrobe crisis! I have been in creative and highly casual dress environments since the end of 2003. I don't know what to do with myself everyday! I have to wear heels b/c I'm now dressing up for work! Ugh. That's a whole other frustration. I can't wear jeans to work. Winter is coming, I have a uniform of sweater, jeans and boots! Now what?!??

I digress.

In the elevator with suits.....I'll always find men trying to one up each other with their wit fascinating! Me in elevator with 4 other guys. One guy is saying how he was on the subway and a bunch of teenagers or "kids" were asking how to get to Columbia University. Apparently he said to them, "Study hard." I wanted to roll my eyes. What was funny -- was that HE thought it was so smart and witty! The other guys literally had no reaction. This guy then went on to try to explain it and boost himself up about the context. Ok, ok....so maybe this isn't fascinating, rather it's just this guy is somewhat of a dope.

However.....being in a work area where there are definitely more men around, will hopefully also provide some sort of opportunity!

;0)

 

 

Comments

[Cheryl]

OK, I meant to comment on T-I-M-E...don't know what happened. It's early lol.

[Cheryl]

I happened across your blog, simple yet sweet. I really relate to this post. My birthday is November 13th and I just turned 30 myself. I suffer from anxiety too and some times it tries to rear its ugly head in my life but I know that is not GOD so I get gladiator on it too LOL. Well, I commend you on your journey to self-love and admiration. Go girl! 30 rock!

[Emily]

Hehe. You hit the suits. Yep, I did that for several years until I hit 30, got laid off, had a whole series of losses, and quit Corporate America Rambo style. Wait until you have to listen to all the conversations about status programs and frequent fliers miles. The A-types are a sorry bunch of conformists who care not to question the system they are a puppet in. I often thought about jumping out of all those hotel room windows while traveling M-F. Depression had nothing on me, especially around the suits. I'm now a bartender. Could care less about status. Could care less about money or pretending to be a something and a somebody. I'm a creative in recovery and taking my life back.

[Mimi]

Hi, I've just stumbled across your blog and spent a few hours essentially reading through the whole thing. I generally never comment on blogs but I absolutely love your style of writing! It's raw, refreshing and delightful to read. Your post regarding the meeting you had where everyone listed their years of marriage struck a chord with me. I had a similar experience recently at a board meeting where the only other female there was also single. Cue comments regarding us being married to our jobs. By the way, love your home town! Was only there last month – I’m from Sydney, Australia.

[col]

men interact with each other with such strange distance and competition. women tend to draw each other in first THEN go for the jugular.

[Monica]

Being around guys, definitely the way to go.