Feet addicted to the ceiling

There are times that, despite myself, I actually have a good day at work. I sort of feel like I am upside-down and that any frowns present yesterday, are now smiles. Today was one of those rare days. For years my boss has worked with a well-known restaurant in Del Mar. Being friends with the owner, she is consistently called back for one thing or another. A while ago, they approached her with the challenge of updating their street sign. Of course she accepted and she gave me the job of drawing it up in autoCAD.

Now this is where it gets a little tricky.... When drawing things for my boss in CAD, there is a bit of design freedom. She will say that she wants an arch or an angle, and I can then draw up the steepness of the angle or the roundness of the arch. She can veto these and she often does but, if she doesn't, then I can point to a small piece of something and say, "I did that."

And so it went. My boss and I worked on the sign for weeks. Back and forth, fixing the colors and adjusting the lettering. I was just excited to be working on something that might actually be worth my efforts. When the sign was finally finished, I looked at it like a proud parent would.

This was nearly a year ago.

Then just a couple weeks back, the restaurant informed us that they were sending my drawing to the city for approval. Now, I didn't design the sign (technically) but I did work on it, and I feel like my input is there. Lord knows my sweat is. So when I got the news today that the project was actually going to go forward, I was more satisfied with my job than I have been for months.

It helped that both my boss and myself were in good moods. Not that our moods depend on each other, but when she thunders through the office all red in the face, it has a tendency to ruin my state of mind. Today, was nice. Not perfect, but I had work to do.

I didn't think I could be asking for anything more, when my boss (mid conversation with my coworker) slid in a side-note directed at me,

"By the way, the city approved your sign."

I know she would never give me the credit for that sign.But to hear her state it that way, if even only once, made me feel accomplished.

Soon my baby will be standing proudly on the street for all to see.

Easy does it

I hate my job. Doesn't everyone? My job gets me nothing but paid. Oh, and 'experience'... but only in the sense that I can say, "Yes I have experience working in the interior design industry." Only, I'm not designing, I'm not doing anything. At least not the last couple months...

I started working for this place while still in college, it was a paid internship and I loved every minute of learning all the 'new to me' aspects of running this kind of business. When I graduated, I got the full time position. Which means a table in the middle of the office, no phone, no printer and no computer. I bring my ever-failing laptop in. My table is the collect all surface. Papers, fabrics, catalogs, tiles -you name it, they pile it on. It's claustrophobic and it's messy, and it's where I work. But let's not forget that I also have a wicker chair. Oh, it has a cushion, of course, on the bottom but no back support. In fact if I were to sit in that chair like it was meant to be sat in, I would look like I belonged in a silk robe, with a glass of sherry and a pipe. Just lounging around, an old man.

However, I took it eagerly, and for a time it was the best feeling in the world. To be working like a grown-up should be working. But time passed... and as it swept by, it slapped the presence in the face and left it a hideous creature. I am thankful to have a job and I know my boss has a good heart for keeping us employed through these tough times. There are two other girls like me in the office. Like me, but happier. You see, they sit at desks.

And do nothing.

I know that I am easily removed from this place, I was the last one there and if push comes to shove -the first to leave. So I work my ass off... when I actually have some work to do. With no opportunity for moving up, I work hard at the same small things everyday and it wears on me. I make mistakes. I'm human... but apparently my boss is super-human, and mistakes should never be made. Especially not from the girl at the messy table, who is only here out of her generous charity. Charity which she gives to me because my boyfriend is her very close friend's old roommate... I'll give you a minute to process that...

It isn't abnormal for my boyfriend and I to run into my boss when hanging out with his friends... a little side note: My boyfriend is amazing, he is 10 yrs older than me, has a great job and is settled in life... this pushes me to be at that point too. Though he understands my position better than I do sometimes. When I freak out about work or complain about how my boss insulted me (it happens a lot... let's just say it would take a very intense surgery to remove the silver spoon from her mouth) he calms me down. Talks some sense into me.

But I still walk into work everyday thinking that my time there is of no use, and is better spent somewhere else. Which brings us to today -and this blog.

I played hooky today. I didn't lie about being sick though. I was in a car accident last month and have whiplash. Still. It's been hurting a lot and this morning I woke up with a sickening, burning feeling on one side. So I told my boss that I was going to rest. But as the morning strolled along, I started to feel guilty. I could have gone into work today if I took some pain killers and relaxed for a couple hours, but I knew there would be nothing for me to do.

I consulted my Dad. The great Oz of advice giving.

Oz said, "Get something accomplished." Then I thought of my boyfriend and how disappointed he will be when I tell him that I didn't work today. So I went downtown and applied for a business license and a seller's permit, selling interior design and art. I also decided to start this blog, as an outlet and motivation. I will document my journey, wherever it takes me. Starting out nice and easy.