Go Cubs!

So if your friend didn't jump off a bridge, but instead IM-ed you at 11:30 AM on a Friday to beg you to go with her in an hour to the Cubs doubleheader her boss just gave her free tix for, what would you do? Do you - (A) Skip out early on work, after all, you're a good friend and dude, it's gorgeous outside (and did I mention the free Cubs tix?); (B) Stay at work and feel proud of your work ethic and resistance to temptation, especially since you love your job and have an important performance review coming up; or (C) Sneak out of the office as if you were going to "lunch", and go to the games but secretly feel really guilty about it?

Yep, I'm (C) all the way. I don't know what it is, but I can't get used to the idea that people leave work early sometimes. I feel like it's a sin - or something along those lines - to have fun when you're supposed to be working. Thanks, O ye relatives with Lutheran and Calvinist roots. (Not mixed together, don't worry. Or, now that I think about it, they're mixed together in me. Huh, maybe I'm on to something? No wonder I feel guilty about not working... seriously!) I mean, sure there are tons of people who just up and leave in the middle of the day and go play golf, or catch the game, or whatnot. But they're in jobs where it's normal not to be in the office from time to time. Where it's normal to go play golf all afternoon, because the company pays you to and it's how deals get done. (Hi again, Mr. Accuracy!) Me, I sit at my desk and code all day. If I'm not at my desk, it's pretty much a given that I'm not working. I can't really say "sure I was golfing, but I was thinking really hard about that application the whole time!" And considering my job history and how much I love where I am right now, I do NOT want to jeopardize what I've got going. You see the dilemma. (But let's be clear, I did end up going to the game... ;)

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Random story of the day:

I had a coffee mishap this morning. Spilled my oh-so-carefully-prepared Starbucks grande coffee all over myself and my desk - even after reminding myself to be careful because of the defective lid. (You know, the kind that looks like it's innocently fastened on to the mouth of your cup, but that jumps off when you tighten your grip upsetting the delicate balance and structural integrity of the cup-fist-lid system, resulting in Massive Coffee Spill?) So, yeah. At least I missed the keyboard this time. Anyway, cleaned that up, and as penance, I grabbed the loudest, most un-Me mug in the kitchen (the bright red and yellow Harley Davidson mug, fyi) and poured what was left of my coffee into that. (Take that, defective lid. You will not fool me twice...) Life goes on, right? Well, I took a swig and noticed something odd - the taste of the coffee had totally changed on me. I don't know if I'm crazy or what, but it tasted completely different. It tasted like the coffee I make at home, that's "okay" but not quite as good as yummy barista-fresh Starbucks. I don't get it. Was it the mug? Or the extra stirring the coffee got? Leftover detergent? Something "special" in the paper cups that Starbucks hasn't been up front about? I have NO idea. But if you have ever heard of this, please do share.

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Shout-outs:

I'd like to introduce you all to the friend who dragged me to today's games. (She is indeed the one and the same person whose guy friend thinks my name is Joan.) We have talked it over, and she will heretofore be known in this forum as "Howling Vixen". (College thing. Just go with it.) So HV, cheers mate, thanks for the game and thanks for further corrupting me. :) I love ya, babe. Although I reserve the right to call you by the nickname "The Erminator" later on, because that's just cooler than "HV".

Time to run to dinner - I shall try to avoid more food disasters...

- Joan