Priorities at Work

So it turns out that I work at a place where celebrating Halloween is SUPER important. Definitely more important than getting work done. On Thursday afternoon, people were allowed to stop work at 3:00 PM and decorate for the remainder of the day. This was totally sanctioned by the organization and I believe they provided funds for the decorations and decoration shopping was counted as work time.

The floor I work on chose as our Halloween theme--Pandemic Panic/Halloween Quarantine. (Our floor won, by the way.)

This is my office window.



This is a conference room. I love having such a good excuse not to have to attend meetings.


This is a victim of the pandemic (I guess).


On Friday, a very high percentage of people came to work in fabulous costumes and walked around all day in them. There was a costume contest (with prizes that included $50 gift certificates) and a two-hour Halloween lunch provided by the organization.

I've never worked anywhere where people were so into Halloween, and certainly not where celebrating it had wholehearted approval and funding from the company. At most, the other places I've worked would put out a bowl of Halloween candy and call it good. Maybe one or two people would show up wearing cat ears, but that would be about it. I admit that it was a really fun day, and by afternoon we did actually manage to get some work done, despite the fact that many of us were dealing with major sugar slumps and/or costume-related afflictions (e.g., I had a wig-induced headache).

Almost Pretty

I took these photos during a lunchtime walk last week on a balmy blustery day. I snapped them quickly when there were breaks in the onslaught of traffic. Everything looks so much better when cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs are not present.

Portland on a Saturday Afternoon

Spontaneous dancing to a marching band featuring a baritone sax solo--just one of the reasons I love living in Portland.

How Enchanting!

This photo was taken in the "mine" that is owned and worked by the Seven Dwarfs of Enchanted Forest*: Droopy, Snoozy, Wheezy, Lumpy, Dingy, Grouchy, and Smiley. Copyright infringement and the wrath of Disney's rabid legal staff successfully avoided!

*Enchanted Forest is an enchanting (and also terrifying) amusement park built in a forest near Salem, Oregon. Google it, if you're curious to learn more.

On the Plus Side

Getting used to working in an office again--after being self-employed and working from home for 12 years--is a huge adjustment. I really can't say how well it's going. I just don't have enough perspective to make any judgments yet. One plus, though, was that I was up early enough to see this glorious sunrise on Friday.

I decided to start Project 365* again. It reminds me to be cognizant of my surroundings and helps prevent me from thinking about work all the time. It also is a great way to make sure I get out for a walk every day, so I can get some exercise and appreciate all the weird and wonderful things Portland has to offer. I've even found some weird (though not wonderful) things in the icky suburb where I now work. Who knew?

*Project 365 is a photo-a-day project on Flickr.

Fifty Degrees Cooler

Thank heavens for the Oregon Coast. When temps hit 106 degrees F in Portland midweek last week, I was not here. I fled to Newport on the central Oregon coast, where it was 59 degrees when I arrived and shrouded in thick, wet sea mist/fog. Newport is only 140 miles from Portland, and, yet, what a difference--almost 50 degrees cooler and no skin searing, brain-broiling sun in sight. I felt like I was in a different country--Scotland maybe, but without the haggis.

I arrived at around 1:00 PM and my first stop was the Arctic Circle.* While not exactly "arctic," I did have to put on my fleece jacket to walk from the parking lot into the restaurant.

I then headed to super-duper foggy Yaquina Head lighthouse and wandered around Yaquina Head and the amazingly attractive basalt cobble beach there. There's something about the sound of the ocean combined with the squawks of massive numbers of murres and seagulls that just completely wipes out any cares or worries or new job jitters.

Anyway, I had a wonderful time, and ended up staying a day and a half longer than originally planned. Really, I had no real reason to return to Portland, which was still unbearably hot. I wandered beaches, drank iced lattes, poked around some rather bizarre seaside shops, got called "hon" numerous times by a waitress who was young enough to be my daughter, watched sea lions cavort, and I even made a new friend who agrees with me that Alan Rickman is hot and Brad Pitt is not and who knew the best place to eat in Newport, and where we had a fantastic meal. All in all, a great "last hurrah" before starting the new job. Photo journal here, if you're interested.

*Yeah, I know. Who goes for a fast-food burger when on the Coast? I can't exactly explain it, but I was just in the mood for that type of burger at that particular moment. I did not partake of the gross fry sauce, though. Ick.

A Blog Post That Isn't a Caption to a Photo

One week from today, I will be starting a new job. Yep, after 12 successful years as a freelancer, I will be going back to the 8 to 5 routine.* I wasn't looking for a "real" job, but one of my local clients encouraged me to apply for a full-time job. Given the economy, I figured it didn't hurt to at least check it out. Much angst, dithering, and soul-searching ensued as I went through the process (three interviews and a test!), but I got offered the job, and decided to take it.

The salary is decent and the benefits are outstanding, plus there are some nice perks. I'll get to work from home two days a week after I've worked there three months. Also, they offer free half-hour massages to their employees. Not exactly sure how this works, but I will be finding out and signing up ASAP!!! Benefits aside, I really like the people and the organization's mission is something I can feel good about contributing to. Plus, they're actually doing well despite the economic climate and have a reputation for being a great place to work.

So, I'm feeling good about the decision. Ideally, I would have continued freelancing forever, but that is just not an option I can be comfortable with right now. Like most freelancers in my line of work, I've seen a drastic drop-off in assignments over the past year or so, and many of my formerly steady clients are really struggling to stay afloat.

We'll see what happens!

Since I was offered the job a few weeks ago, I have wrapped up all my freelance work, and I'm attempting to cram as much summer FUN into my life as I possibly can! I think I have been fairly successful, but I'm sorry to report that I cannot let loose quite as much as this guy.





Or this guy. Note the hat fashioned out of a Busch Lite beer carton.




Or this guy.






*Remember when it used to be 9 to 5? What happened to that? People work too hard.

Wasted Tots

I watched Drag Me to Hell while sitting beneath this dome. Tip: Don't think you're going to be able to eat anything while watching that movie. You'll lose your appetite within the first 15 minutes. A whole plate of tater tots went to waste. Tragic.

Rubbish Heap or Art Installation?

You decide.

One Reason Why I Live Here

B and I took a hike on Sunday on a trail lined with fabulous drifts of blue larkspur. I love how this photo turned out.