Reflections on an Odd Life

My desk

Staring at my desk sometimes, filled as it is by lots of papers and projects, I am overwhelmed by how it serves as a graveyard of good intentions.

Work Life

I sometimes marvel at what a strange workplace I have. We do a lot of things here at the magazine that are perfectly appropriate in the context of our jobs that would be totally out of line elsewhere. 

Assorted things from this past week:

a) A colleague expensed her hair cut.

b) I noticed another colleague spend an hour browsing DVF’s website for shoes.

c) A photographer had lying on his desk a book with a super risque photo on the cover.

All of these things, though, were totally within work context and completely defensible. 

Field Study

I still get a kick out of watching people nearby read The Washingtonian unwittingly. Twice this week been able to study them reading the magazine “in the wild.” On Monday night, I was disappointed to see a girl flip right by my Capital Comment section. This morning at a coffee shop, I watched a guy pore carefully through the July Best Of section.

Off to Denver

I wish I could always be as productive as I managed to be in the last 48 hours—I’ve finished a ton of chores/work. I’ve had the luxury of being home for the last 3.5 weeks, my longest time at home since last fall. It’s been a real luxury; I’ve loved doing things like grocery shopping and cooking at home, sitting outside reading on weekends, and actually seeing friends. Now I’m off for nine days, Denver and then Nashville, and I’m not sure that I’ll be home for more than two weeks straight the rest of the year. Goodbye kitchen and Marriott garden/patio! It’s been nice knowing you.