Friday, May 30, 2008

Sex & The City Mania Hits An Office Near You

This morning, a co-worker and I were discussing our plans for tonight. While he is planning on hitting up a few dive bars with his buddies, I have decided to class it up a bit. Tonight is the premiere of the Sex and the City Movie and my girlfriends and I are going out for a nice dinner (with lots of wine, champagne and cosmos) and then going to see the movie at 10:45 p.m. (just in case you care what time I'm going to see the movie).

Before I could utter the word 'cosmo' to my co-worker, I heard squeals coming from the kitchen and then out burst our Vice President of our Publishing Group jumping and screaming, "Sex and the City! Sex and the City! Woohoo!" into our reception area where my co-worker and I were discussing our Friday night plans.

My jaw dropped. It's not like our VP is an unaturally quiet woman or anything, but her squeals attracted the entire office to come see what was wrong. 'No, no problem,' she admitted. 'I'm just so excited for the SATC premiere tonight. I have tickets to the 11 p.m. showing.' Most of our male co-workers went back about their business, but the rest of us just spent a good 15 minutes discussing our plans for tonight's premiere.


Sex & The City mania has officially hit my office.

For example, Small Fry took the day off so she could go to the 10 a.m. viewing and watch the movie without the crowds. One of my co-workers made her husband take the day off so she could stay in the city after work to see the movie and get martinis afterwards with her "bff's".

And my 45-year-old, gay and Cuban best friend at work has decided to leave at 4:00 to go see the 4:15 viewing at the theater down the street. And his ticket to getting out of work early? He's taking his boss to the movie with him (and he even bought her a bottle of pink champagne).

SATC is the talk of my company today. When they're going to see the show, what they're wearing, what they're eating before, what they're drinking after.

And I just can't help chiming in that I'm going to be drinking pink champagne, eating dinner at Borough Food and Drink, and seeing the Sex and the City Movie with my best girlfriends at 10:45 p.m.!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

One Year Together

Happy Anniversary to me and my working life! We've been together for a year now and we couldn't be more in love.

Ok, so we aren't in love but we're in like. Like, in that I like having a place to go everyday; I like getting a paycheck; I like the (most of) the people I work with; I like some of the projects that I manage.

We'd be in love if I loved more of what I was doing; if I didn't feel like I was doing (almost) everything wrong; if I got paid just a little bit more; if I wasn't still an assistant.

I started working as a sales assistant a week after college graduation. The last thing I wanted to do was move back home and putz around northern New Jersey, so I jumped right into work world. Last year, I didn't have a summer and I didn't mind. It was exciting to have a new job, move into a new apartment and be an adult in the real world. A year later, all I want is summer and a better idea of what I'm doing with my life. I'm in a newer job, but the excitement of being employed has worn off. My cool and (at one point) new apartment isn't as cool or new as I thought it was and I'm counting the days until our lease is up. And the whole being an adult thing is overrated.

In the past year, I've learned a lot about what I want from my career. Or, what I don't want from my career. I don't want to sit in an office all day, everyday. I don't want to be an assistant forever. I don't want to work excruciatingly long hours. I don't want to be at the mercy of bosses and clients. And yes, there are a few wants. I want to work for myself one day. I want to make a decent amount of money. I want to be passionate about what I'm doing. I want to be creative. I want to help other Working Girl's find their passions, once I find my own.

This year has felt like it's been the longest year of my life but at the same time, it feels like the shortest. I've gone from crying in the bathroom to enjoying the new department I'm in with a business trip to South Africa. I do enjoy my job but this one-year milestone has made me start thinking about the years ahead, what they will bring and how my career desires will affect them.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Working Girl Reads Tabloid Love

Summer has begun and I couldn't be more excited to be lazy on the beach and read chick lit while tanning (or in my case, adding more freckles to my already freckle-infested skin). My recommendation for a must-have, perfect-for-the-beach summer read is Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison. This memoir combines all my favorite Working Girl things: office romance, gossip, and journalists. Have I mentioned I want to be a journalist? Well, surprise, I do!

Harrison writes about being a thirty-something woman in London who is fervently chasing her dream to be a great journalist. As all her friends are starting to settle down and get married, Harrison and her boyfriend slight and she decides to apply for a four-month exchange program, which allows her to leave her job at the London Times and work for the New York Post. Harrison ends up loving her job (and her cute boss) so much that she stayed at the job for five years and even landed her own column on dating in the city.

The rest of the story is about her trials and tribulations of dating in New York (and the Hamptons). Harrison's true tales of trying to find "The One" in the jungle of the dating world are zippy and funny - she races for murder scenese to interviews with matchmakers in a typical day - making the read not only entertaining, but funny. I found myself chuckling out loud at points (which is embarassing when you are laying on a sandy dune next to a incredibly hot lifeguard dubbed Mr. "Save Me, Save Me" by your friends). Overall, you find yourself rooting for Bridget the entire way through - especially when she falls hard for her editor and she has to write about their relationship in her dating column.

Bridget is a real-life Carrie Bradshaw without all the over-the-top glam outfits (she gets hand-me-downs from her best friend who works for Page Six) and backdrops that cost a pretty penny (Harrison loves dive bars).
Bridget Harrison is a real Working Girl with all the bumps in the road that come along with that title. I not only love her cheeky writing, but also admire her for putting it all on the table - speed dating and all.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Working Girl Idol: Det. Olivia Benson

Sundays in the Working Girl apartment usually consist of sitting on the couch, Chinese take-out, and Law & Order: SVU marathons. At one point, our DVR had over 40 unwatched episodes saved and we watch about 5 shows in one sitting. We're big fans. The story-lines are captivating, the plot twists are surprising, Det. Elliot Stabler is a hot and Det. Olivia Benson is one of my Working Girl Idols. 

Det. Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, is the only female detective in Manhattan's Special Victims Unit. She's surrounded by other strong Working Girls like crime lab Doctor Melinda Warner and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak. But Olivia is my idol. She's tough, she's smart and she's pretty damn good at her job. 

What I enjoy most about the show and about Olivia, is how they bring her rough past into her work as an SVU Detective. Olivia is a child of rape and she never knew her father. So, her job hits close to home. Very close. She has such a passion for her work that she gives up her social life and relationships to help victims and catch the perps. I envy the passion that she has for her job, it's a passion that I could never muster for what I'm doing now. But if I did have that much passion for managing promotional listings in a magazine, something would be seriously wrong with me. My job is definitely not worth giving up my social life and relationships.

In addition to being great at her job, Olivia gets to work with Det. Elliot Stabler all day, every (work)day. Reason #1 why I want to be Det. Olivia Benson. Watching Law & Order: SVU makes me want to be a detective. Too bad I hate blood and am scared of the dark. 

According to WG2, Olivia is "just a kick ass mother fucker." I have to agree. 

Monday, May 26, 2008

Happy Memorial Day!

It's the first vacation day of the summer. Go outside and enjoy it! We are. Ok, that's a lie, we're cleaning our apartment and staying out of the sun. WG2 and I both have awkward tan lines (and by tan lines, I mean sunburns) from the weekend and our pale Irish skin has had enough sun. 

Friday, May 23, 2008

Working Girl Wardrobe: Summer Fridays

It's finally Memorial Day Weekend! WG2 left last night for the Jersey Shore and I leave tomorrow morning. And no, it is not like True Life: I'm a Jersey Shore Girl, at least not all the time.

Summer Fridays were announced yesterday which means I get four Friday's off between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This morning I found out we get to leave at three o'clock today. While I was hoping for one o'clock, I'll take three, it's better than five. Much better than five.

The summer season is much more casual in the office. I can hang up my go-to black pants until fall and pull out my summer skirts and dresses. Here in New York it's not quite warm enough to leave the apartment without a light jacket, but we're getting there. Here is my perfect (early) summer Friday outfit.


Wednesday, May 21, 2008

"And This is My Competent Assistant..."

Yesterday, I met Frederic Fekkai.

Ok, ok, I didn't actually meet Frederic Fekkai. I was working at a big conference that my company puts on every year and I just merely stood next to him. As in, I could have been touching his arm if I wanted (or his beautiful locks). Inside, my body was screaming, 'Tell him you love his 'glossing' line of shampoos!'. Instead, I stood there with my hair frizzing everywhere because of the sudden downpour that Al Roker hadn't warned me about wishing I hadn't skimped at the grocery store this month and bought Suave.

As I was thinking about my poofy hair and how Frederic was probably horrified with my grooming methods, I heard him talking to his PA (a.k.a. personal assistant) about his next meeting. Then I heard him introduce his personal assistant to one of my colleagues. "This is my personal assistant, Erica."

And it got me thinking...was the "personal assistant" in front of her name really that necessary? Granted, in this case it might have been. I mean, it is what she does so it probably doesn't bother her all that much. Obviously, I don't have all the details.But I do know that it really, really, really bugs me when The Boss introduces me as her assistant.

Before I give you the background for why I really, really hate The Boss's introductions, let me give a quick up-to-speed info session. My work friend Small Fry and I used to work in the same department. In fact, she used to be the Marketing Manager. During that time period, The Boss constantly compared the two of us to her two daughters. And I always got compared to her younger daughter, the one who was more laid-back, forgetful, and somewhat lazy. Small Fry was always compared to her older daughter who was responsible and all around awesome. Sucky, right?

Ok, back to the story. Last year, I worked an event for my company and The Boss introduced me and Small Fry to some of her family members who had attended the event. She introduced Small Fry as being wonderful, capable, and used the word beloved more than once. Then, The Boss turned to me and said, "And this is my competent assistant WG2." Yep, that's all I got. Needless to say, I was livid...and quite frankly hurt. Yes, I'll admit I shed a tear.

Since then things have obviously gotten better. Small Fry was transferred to another department because The Boss found out she wasn't really all that great at her job, and I became the wonderful, capable and all around awesome Marketing Coordinator.

I had dropped the assistant out of my title. I was a new woman. Until, that is, I went to this conference (where I got to breathe the same air as Frederic Fekkai) and it's like I stepped into a time warp. The Boss introduced me over and over and over again as her assistant. This conference was filled with big whigs, so I'm sure The Boss just wanted to look cool and be like, 'Look this is a person who will fetch me coffee if I ask...and I don't even need to tell her that I like three sugars'. Meaning, I'm big time and thereby have my own assistant.

Here's the catch though - I'm technically not her assistant anymore, which is why this really irked me. I guess this just made me realize that to The Boss I am always going to be an assistant no matter what title changes or salary increases I get.

That 'ass' in my title ain't going nowhere. On a positive note, my ass did get to stand next to Frederic Fekkai.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Beauty is Pain

Friday evening I received this e-mail:

Subject: Beauty Sale

Beauty Sale Tuesday May 20th in the conference room

12:30 - 1:30 for Magazine staff only
2:00 - 3:00 for
company employees

Please remember to bring cash and a bag (and a blunt weapon).

Today was Beauty Sale day.

I had my cash.
My bag.

And my blunt weapon. Just kidding.

Most of the women's magazine's at my company hold beauty sales semi-annually, once in May and once in December. A conference room table is covered with boxes and bins of hair care products, body lotions and skin care products. The conference room chairs are moved against the wall, on them are bags filled with mascara, eye-shadows, lipstick, foundation, cover-up, fake eyelashes, eyeliner, blush, and every other kind of make-up product in existence. Needless to say, there are tons and tons of quality beauty products, literally tons and tons. There are brands such a Nars, MAC and Bobbi Brown. Expensive right? In the real world, yes. In beauty sale world, $1. Everything is $1. ONE DOLLAR! Now you understand the need for a blunt weapon.
My first beauty sale landed me in a lot of trouble with Chicken Noodle Soup boss. I was a recent college grad on a tight budget, I was ecstatic for my first beauty sale. I didn't tell Chicken Noodle Soup boss where I was going and I spent an hour at the beauty sale. During that hour, Chicken Noodle Soup boss needed me to work on a "project" for her. The project: send issues to a client. Not exactly what I would call urgent. When I returned, Chicken Noodle Soup boss yelled at me about the importance of good communication between and employee and her boss. She was basically saying "don't go anywhere without telling me because you are my personal slave." It was awful, I wanted to cry. But the make-up was so worth it.


Today's beauty sale was conveniently scheduled during lunch. My co-workers and I and lined up outside the conference room doors at 12:15 PM. The line was already 10 people deep. At 12:30 the door opened. Women (and a few men) made their way into the conference room. There is some pushing and shoving. An evil eye to two. The room is small, people begin to sweat, the room begins to smell. But if you're really in it, you have your game face on and you ignore everyone else. And that's what I did. My strategy: grab as much as I can, edit down my bag later. I spent a hour and a half at the beauty sale and I spent $45. I left the beauty sale and felt like I had just run a marathon. My hair was a mess, my face was pale, I was dehydrated, I was starving, but I was so happy. Beauty sale day, as stressful as the time at the actual beauty sale is, is a really great day.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Quaaa. Quarr. Quab. Quall. Qwer. Quobbity! Quobbity Assurance!

Oscar: Well this is what happened. Uh, Ryan's big project was the website. Which wasn't doing so well. So Ryan, to give the impression of sales, recorded them twice. Once as offices and once in the website sales, which is what we refer to in the business as misleading the shareholders. Another good term is fraud. The real crime, I think, was the beard.



Last night was The Office season finale and while I, like most people, was disappointed by the Jim and Pam anti-climatic ending, I do have to admit that the writing was back to its old milk-coming-out-of-my-nose funny. WG1 and I were literally laughing out loud the entire time, which I think cancels out the fact that Jim didn't end up proposing to Pam last night.

It was Toby's last day in the office and of course Michael was estatic. I guess I never really understood why Michael hated Toby so much, but I do know that it's hilarious. For Toby's going away party, Angela has only budgeted for a butter cream cake and a slideshow "with just two pictures of Toby."

Michael suggests that instead of this lame party they throw Toby a bash that resembles a New Orleans funeral with his "shoe money". Michael apparently gets a check for about $50 for his birthday from his grandmother every year, but since she is now quite old she sends him about eight-nine checks a year. Michael has been keeping this money for a rainy day...in his shoe. So, he busts out this money to celebrate Toby moving to Costa Rica.

The showering of money leads to what I think was the best subplot: Phyllis vs. Angela in the battle for the best party planner of the office. Angela refuses to plan this elaborate party that Michael wants thrown (anti-gravity machine anyone?) and Phyllis steps in to plan it instead.

This episode also welcome Toby's replacement Holly, the new human resources representative, who Michael and Dwight decide to induct into Dunder Mifflin with some old fashioned hazing, which Dwight defines as "a way to show a new employee that she is not welcome or wanted." Dwight is the only person to go along with this joke however, telling Holly that Kevin is "slow...like, in the mind". So she is super nice to him and now he thinks she has a crush on him. Poor Kevin! Guy never gets a break.

I think Holly might be just what this show needed, someone for Michael to love! I don't know why - but I just want Michael to find someone to love. Is that weird? Anyway, Holly and Michael are a match made in heaven. So what does Michael do to declare his love at first sight (or hear as he says)? Make each other awesome mix CD's and exchange yoda talk, of course.

On to the more pressing issues of the episode. Ryan got arrested! Yes! I so knew this was coming, but I have to admit I really thoguht it would be for his cocaine addiction. And it's just a hunch, but I think Jim is the one who figured out that Ryan was entering the sales twice since they had that phone call early on in the show about how he needed to enter the sale on the website too. If Jim turned him in and told corporate, I think he might just get Ryan's job next season. Which would work perfectly because Pam got into the Pratt School of Design and has to move to New York for three months. Fingers crossed because Jim didn't get to propose during Toby's farwell funeral!

No, instead Andy stole the perfect fireworks moment and proposed to Angela, which I have to admit was hilarious. Can I even imagine the hilarity that this wedding will bring? No. I can't even fathom it. Andy's overly preppy parents. Hilarious. Kelly asking to be a bridesmaid. Hilarious. "Mr. Andrew Bernard. Has a nice ring to it." Hilarious.

Angela & Dwight doing it in the office and Phyllis walking in on them. Priceless.

And finally, Jan is pregnant! But Michael is not the father. Yikes, bikes. Instead, Jan got sperm from a sperm bank, which resulted in one of my favorite quotes from the evening: "If I was 22 and I had lots of time...to have lots of children, then sure let's let Michael have a shot at one of them, but honestly I have to make this one count." Now Michael thinks he's going to be a Daddy. All I have to say is wow.

One last side comment, for the majority of this episode Jim was looking a little greasy and scraggly. Producers of The Office, Jim needs a shower or a hair cut. Pick one and do it Jim Halpert.

I have big expectations for next season. My predictions: Dwight will stop Angela's wedding, Michael & Holly are going to elope (at Sandals in Jamaica), and Pam & Jim will be together forever.

Oh, and Jim will finally wash his hair.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Back to School

Yesterday at work, we had a fire drill. A legitimate fire drill. Alarms. Walking to the nearest exit. Stop, drop and roll. Okay, so we didn't stop, drop and roll. Our Fire Safety Director instructed us on what to do in case of a real fire. As I've mentioned before, I am responsible to helping the disabled in the event of a fire. The entire drill reminded me of high school. Then I realized that most of my work life is comparable to the life of a high school girl. 

High School Girl: takes the bus to school.
Working Girl One: takes the bus to work.

High School Girl: sits at a desk in each of her classes.
Working Girl One: sits at a desk all day.

High School Girl: gets called into the principles office.
Working Girl One: gets called into her boss's office. 

High School Girl: has an allowance.
Working Girl One: has a paycheck. 

High School Girl: writes notes to her friends about the cute boys in her classes.
Working Girl One: writes e-mails to her co-workers about her Top Five.

High School Girl: eats lunch in a cafeteria with her groups of friends.
Working Girl One: eats lunch in the Cafe with her co-workers.

High School Girl's Cafeteria: has tables with the popular kids, the geeky kids, the jocks, etc. 
Working Girl One's Cafeteria: has tables with the clackers, the IT guys, the CEO's, etc. 

High School Girl: reads a magazine and hides it behind her textbooks.
Working Girl One: reads PerezHilton and hides the screen behind her e-mail.

High School Girl: has extracurricular activities - sports, clubs, and jobs. 
Working Girl One: has extracurricular activities - happy hours (on a good night) and tv on the couch (on a lazy night). 

High School Girl: goes to the nurses office when she is sick.
Working Girl One: goes to the Wellness Center when she is sick. 

High School Girl: watches Gossip Girl, Greek, The Hills and One Tree Hill.
Working Girl One: watched Gossip Girl, Greek, The Hills and One Tree Hill.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

One Motorcycle Ride Away from a Promotion

Today was a Working Girl first for me. I had to make a decision that could make The CEO like me a teensy bit more, but also had the possibility of compromising my comfort levels at work. 
Let's go back to the beginning of this story, which is when The CEO graced us with his presence around 10 a.m. 

"WG2, are you there?!" The CEO likes to bellow at me from his office like I'm not in reality only four steps away from his desk. I replied that of course I was there. His reply, "Good, I don't know what to do when you're not here." 

So, I might have to back up here for those of you who don't know me well, but I have always been under the impression that The CEO hates me. For real, up until this point I thought he hated my guts. In the past he has insinuated that I have no personality, yelled at me on numerous occasions about trivial things, and I'm under the suspicion that he has questioned my usefulness to The Boss a few times (a.k.a. he wanted to fire my ass).  

Ok, back to the story. His reply caught me a little off guard since I thought when I wasn't in the office he did a little jig in my absence. He then told me he had a project for me, which did not excite me because projects to The CEO mean doing things personal assistants are paid good money for (and I'm not paid good money). 

It turns out I was correct. The CEO had driven his motorcycle to work today and had parked it at a meter. My task for the day was to go fill the meter with quarters every hour so he didn't get a ticket. Yes, this is what my career has come to. 

I was pissed. Now, I know that we all have to start somewhere with our careers. As interns and entry-level drones we expect to do the dirty work. The bottom of the food chain often comes with horrible tasks that we have to take on to advance in the work place. For most, these things include expense reports, data entry, and a lot of complicated hours making spreadsheets no one uses. For me, it's sitting at The CEO's new apartment waiting for the cable guy or the repairman to fix his stove. And I'm sick of it. It's been a year and even though I was promoted out of my assistant level job I am still being treated like an assistant (even like an intern sometimes). 

I vented my frustrations to my co-worker, Small Fry (we call her this because she is really short and has freakishly small hands), who told me that The CEO has always become a smitten kitten with employees who take an interest in motorcycles. If you take a look at the evidence, this is true. The guy who runs our European office is a motorcycle fanatic. Small Fry earned points for noticing his bike had alligator seats. And there is one employee at work who should have been fired months ago and she just got promoted...and we're pretty sure it's because she took a ride on The CEO's motorcycle last fall. 

This afternoon, The CEO asked me to take a ride on his motorcycle. Even though I know he wasn't trying to be slimy, it certainly came out that way. He even winked when he asked me. But the whole thing still made me feel dirty.
And even though I almost vomited in my own mouth when he asked me, a tiny part of me considered doing it. It's just a motorcycle ride, I reasoned. How bad could it really be? A quick scoot around Union Square and back to the office and then maybe The CEO would like me more, pick on someone else for once, maybe even promote me. 

Then I snapped back to reality and reminded myself that if I wanted to have him respect me and in turn if I wanted to respect myself, that I needed to impress him with my work ethic and not my willingness to wrap my arms around his mid-section. I had to concentrate on work and not about what would get me out of the dirty work -- especially if that 'what' makes me uncomfortable. 

Despite my Working Girl breakthrough, I'm still pissed I had to put quarters in a meter all day. So, I took The CEO's leftover quarters from my 'meter project' and bought myself a Diet Coke. 

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

"What Are You Doing?"


It's been a few weeks since I've written a Hills post but we're back in action for the season three finale. 

We last left Heidi in Las Vegas with her bosses to scope out a new hotel and casino.

"Think really hard before you do something stupid." - Stephanie Pratt
Within five minutes of this weeks episode Spencer is on his way to Las Vegas to completely humiliate Heidi. As much as those two annoy me (beyond words) I can't help but look forward to this awkward confrontation. 

Heidi walks through the Sahara Hotel & Casino with a notebook and pen in hand. I'll give her credit here because every good Working Girl knows not to go anywhere without a notebook and pen. But really, what is she really writing down? Her to do list? She probably doesn't know how to write.

All Whitney and Lauren talk about while at work at People's Revolution is Audrina. Bor-ing! Where is Kelly Cutrone?

"Working with drinks? Yeah, that sounds really legit Heidi" -Stephanie Pratt
I have to say working with drinks sounds pretty legit to me seeing as I was drunk or hungover for 85% of my work trip to South Africa. Anyway, Spencer and Stephanie are on their way to sabotage Heidi's work trip. As he walks in, Heidi is hanging with the boys. I would be so awkward if I were having drinks with three of my male work superiors.

"What are you doing? What are you doing? Like, what are you doing?" - Heidi
Blah, blah, blah we've heard this fight before. Brent Bolthouse is no joke. I picture him as an intimidating boss and now Heidi is on his bad side. 

Back in LA...
"I'm gonna eat all of the cheese before [Audrina] gets here, which is not going to be good for my behind!" -Lo 
Best. Lo. Quote. Ever.

And back in Las Vegas, Brent is waiting for Heidi outside the hotel. She's late. A good Working Girl isn't late. She is on time or early. Unless, of course, it's a Friday morning after a Thursday night happy hour that went a little too long. Brent left her. What a gentleman! No worries, she's with Spencer. Didn't see that one coming. False. 

"I feel like I need to talk to Audrina." - Lauren
THEN DO IT ALREADY!!!! Ok, good, she's finally talking to Audrina and it's probably the worst conversation ever, nothing was resolved. 

Spencer and Heidi are back together. That's it? That's the season finale? 

At this point I'm ready to swear off The Hills. It's the same thing over and over again. But someone at MTV is doing their job and the "Next season on The Hills" package has sucked me back in. Kelly Cutrone. New hot boys. Lo and Audrina fighting. Yes. Yes. Yes!

Friday, May 9, 2008

Yea, Kiss Her. Kiss Her Good.

Andy: Hit about twelve hundred balls last night in preparation for the day so hands are a little tender. [shows blistered hands to camera] It's actually not funny at all it's incredibly painful.



Was anyone else actually yawning throughout The Office last night?

I mean, there were a few highlights for me. One being when Andy face-planted his golf cart into a sand trap on the golf course and the second when Andy showed off his battle scars from practicing his golf swing the night before to impress the client he, Jim, and Kevin were playing a round of golf with in this episode. Apparently, I'm loving on Andy today.

Otherwise, I was cringing. The plot lines had potential, but didn't deliver.

Michael, Oscar, Darryl, and Pam head over to Valley View High School (Pam's alma mater) to recruit interns for the summer. Of course, their booth is lame. No one wants to sign up to work there and Michael scares away the single interested person in the internship by calling him "funny-looking". Because Michael isn't in the office, everyone skips out for the day. They just left? What!? When Michael isn't in the office they usually have an Olympics or some other type of event. But no.

No, instead we watch Angela and Dwight not talk to each other the whole episode. Dwight and Angela were alone in an office together and nothing happened! Wtf! I was hoping for some heavy petting in the break room. Not stone cold silence.

I think this episode was more about setting up story lines for the finale next week. For one, Jim is actually trying to sell paper these days because Ryan put him on probation, but mainly because he needs money to ask Pam to marry him! Yay! I hope that is in the season finale. Please, make this a happy season ending writers. I need it after the writer's strike has been ruining the show lately.

Pam is starting to look for a new job. All I have to say to this is: finally. But even though I want to see Pam succeed, I would seriously hate for her not to be the Dunder Mifflin receptionist anymore. I'm torn here.

All in all, this was a very disappointing episode for me and I need the finale next week to blow my socks off or I will be depressed until next season from lack of laughing.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

The Stiletto Glamazons

All my friends can attest to the fact that I am an impulse shopper. I see something I like and I usually end up buying it. I can't help myself (especially if you set me loose in Target). 

I'm even worse really bad when it comes to buying shoes. They are my Achilles heel of shopping. Show me a cute shoe and I'm a goner. Uncomfortable? That's okay, I'll break them in eventually. Can barely walk in them? That's okay, I'll get used to them eventually. Too small? That's okay, I can deal. Too big? That's okay, a cobbler can fix that (and yes, I can a shoe repairman a cobbler - I'm old fashioned, sue me). 

The thing is I am not okay with being uncomfortable, being able to barely walk, or wearing too small or too big shoes. I don't deal with pain well and more often than not those great shoes I bought get worn once by yours truly and then thrown in the closet to rot until next season when I give them another try. And that other try never goes very well.

And I will tell you why it never goes well. Here's the big truth: I can't wear heels. Yes, I said it. I cannot wear heels. They hurt my arches, they pinch my toes, and I look funny walking in them. I'm more of a flats kind of girl (which is unfortunate because I'm pretty short and could use the height). 

Case in point, I once was in so much pain that I went barefoot in a really gross bar in the city. And then was asked to put them back on, which was way embarrassing. May I point out that I was very, very drunk and the shoes were still killing me. And to further prove that I can't walk in them, I once put a hole in WG1's toe with one of pointed heels (she still won't forgive me btw). Two very good reasons as to why I should be forbidden from wearing heels. 

I hate high heels, but I could not be more envious of those girls I see walking around in the city in four-inch heels. They glide. They look graceful. They seem glamorous. They are the very opposite of me in my ballet flats from Old Navy (last season, but don't tell anyone). More importantly, stilettos to me scream Working Girl -- someone who is a force to be reckoned with, someone you can't push around. And this is why I cannot resist high heels. I want to a be taken seriously while wearing kick-ass footwear. 

But then I put them on and remember that heels are just not my thing. I am a flats girl through and through. But it doesn't stop me from envying them - those graceful Amazons in heels stomping through New York City kicking ass and taking names. 

Which is why I want to buy these and these and these

Someday I will force my feet into a pair of gorgeous Prada pumps, walk through the halls of my office, and not feel the urge to take them off before lunch and replace them with Uggs. Someday. 

But for now I will stick with flats. 


Wednesday, May 7, 2008

A Working Girl in 'Cuse

'A Working Girl in...' is a post written by a contributing writer that appears on Working Girl twice a month. This week's post was written by a Working Girl from Syracuse, New York about her job as a waitress and bartender while pursuing her dream to attain a master's degree in psychology.


I've always had the theory that your first year of college can either be the worst or best year of your life.

Best case scenario you move out on your own in some new, exciting city, get a job doing what you love making tons of money in the process, and start out your early twenties young, hot, rich, and ready to take over the world.

Worst case scenario you move back home with mom and dad, struggle to find a job that utilizes your $160,000 degree education and instead settle for something that pays just over minimum wage, and slowly disintegrate into a slob whose dreams and ambitions are beginning to fade.

Enter: Me and the Worst Case Scenario.

As graduation slipped by and those last 30 days of keg stands and cheeseburgers slowly melted away, I was forced to look deep within myself and ask, "Are you really moving back home right now?". This is not how it was supposed to be. I'm supposed to be moving on up - to the big city, with the big jobs, and the big nightlife with the big handsome men. I was not supposed to be going back to Syracuse where the only thing slower than the economy is that guy you used to date in eleventh grade (because, yes, he moved home too). In order to cope with such a setback I convinced myself this was only temporary, just one year, and then I could move off to somewhere bigger and better and finally have my Mary Tyler Moore moment - hat throwing and all.

I found myself the highest paying "non-job" I could and started waitressing and bar-tending in one of Syracuse's fancy-schmancy restaurants. It definitely has its perks. 'Tasting' (or as I like to call it 'drinking on the job') is encouraged, which means I'm making use of at least one of the things that I learned in college. I also get to sleep in everyday and have become an absolute daytime TV fanatic. For you 9-5'ers who haven't had a sick day in a while let me update you: Drew Carey has completely ruined "The Price is Right". I recommend switching over to "The View" or "Family Feud". However, contemporary female debate cannot compensate for everything. Just as you Working Girls have to deal with office politics and burecratic bullshit, I too face challenges at my job. Not only must I memorize 400 bottles of wine, knowing the exact difference between each burgundy and beaujolias, but I must also deal with the wandering eyes and lingering hands of the city's finest doctors, lawyers, and semi-retired mob bookies.

As my one year anniversary of "adulthood" approaches I've tried to look back on this year with unbiased eyes. It really hasn't been that bad after all. You can't beat having roommates who pay all the bills and do all the cooking and cleaning. I've also come to realize that once they've stopped worrying about curfews and teenage pregnancy my parents are actually pretty cool people. With no bills to pay I've had the chance to save up a good chunk of money and have had the opportunity to see my hometown in a new light. Say what you will about Syracuse but I don't know of many other places that offer both nightlife and the great outdoors just twenty minutes away from one another. I'm starting to think that this year spent at home has been a beneficial experience. I've actually come to appreciate what this city has to offer. Had I moved away right after graduation I'd be in debt, super stressed, and who knows how often I would get to see the fam. I imagine I will miss this place more than I expect once I leave.

Oh yea, did I mention I was leaving?

I've managed to enroll myself in graduate school and have secured an internship in the city to trump all others - New York City. It looks as though my big plans are going to take off after all and hopefully after this short delay I'll be better equipped to handle whatever life throws at me. In the meantime, I'll be practicing my joyful hat throwing because like the song says, "You're gonna make it after all."

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Answers from the Corner Cubicle

Thank you everyone for your questions! I was really only expecting a few people to poke and prod at us and I was pleasantly surprised to get some great questions that a lot of us Working Girls ponder while twiddling our thumbs in our tiny working spaces. Without further adieu, here are my non-expert opinions and answers to your burning questions.

Ad Girl asked: Can you give me some tips on the best teeth whiteners? I can't survive without my coffee in the morning and multiple cups of green tea in the afternoon, but it's wrecking my teeth!

WG2 answered: I'm afraid I'm going to have to admit that I have actually had my teeth professionally whitened. I know, I know, I'm young. But I got them done at BriteSmile anyway before my debutante ball and it has actually lasted me past my college years. Only recently have I looked at my teeth and think I could do with a new set of pearly whites.

If I had to pick a teeth whitener though to wipe away the grime of caffeine, I would pick Crest Whitestrips Premium Plus. Of all the types of whitening systems on the market, this one gets the most praise and delivers the results you want to see. They are the most expensive of the Crest line at $35, but I think it would be worth it to have your pre-coffee binge smile back.

***
Anonymous asked: Do we have to take down all of our absurdly hilarious drunken photos on Facebook just because we're Working Girls? I refuse...

WG2 answered: I say, with great emphasis, absolutely not. Once you are employed, I don't think that your boss is going to take a lot of time out of his busy day to make sure you are being overly responsible on the weekends. It's your personal time and as long as you aren't logging into your Facebook/MySpace account everyday at work, I don't think doing damage control on your photos is a problem.

While yes, I think we should be careful (i.e. half/naked pics & drug paraphernalia = bad idea), I don't think that those of us who are employed need to be that worried. Those of you still in college though should be wary. When you start applying for jobs it's not a bad idea to de-tag those pics of you doing a beer bong or a keg stand. WG1 can attest this as she was once asked as an intern to look up future employees of her company on Facebook to make sure they would make a good fit with the company. My advice is to just be careful and use your best judgment in what pictures are appropriate for your future boss to see.

***

Anonymous asked: Personal photos on your desk....how do you feel about that?

WG2 answered: I am all for getting personal at work. A lot of people advise that portraits, mementos, etc. give off the air that you are easily distracted and therefore not a good worker. I personally, do not have any photos on my desk, but plenty of people in my office do and I definitely don't hold it against them. I mean, even my CEO has a huge portrait of his wife hung up on his corner office walls. I think it's all about what makes you comfortable. For example, I did have a photo of my cousin's newborn up in my cubicle for a hot sec until a few of my colleagues asked me how old my daughter was and how long I had been married. Yea, I squashed that rumor faster than you can say 'single white female'.

***

Anonymous asked: Let's hear about your lovely, talented, and sweet sister.

WG2 answered: If you didn't know before, you certainly could have guessed by now that I have a punk for a little sister. Even if she is a punk, I do agree that she is lovely, talented and a sweetie (and I miss her!). She lives back home in Chicago, loves to bake, is tall, blond, likes sports, cleaning & neat freak (a.k.a. she will make the perfect wife someday). Ironically, we are exact opposites. And I am very excited to be going back to the Windy City for a little visit this weekend where we will have many opportunities for some girl bonding.

***

The Blonde Blogshell asked: Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What do you look like? What is your most embarrassing moment? oh and...what am I thinking?

WG2 answered: Wow, all good questions. If you had asked me my senior year of college where I would see myself in the next five years, I know exactly what I would have said. I would be an editor (associate, assistant, maybe?) at a high-profile magazine, have a great Working Boy who loved to read, liked a Natty Light after a long day, and had a secret obsession for bad reality TV, and we would live in a great loft in NYC with a superb view. Now, with reality slowing hitting me I'm not quite sure how real that will all pan out (especially since I'm currently toiling away in marketing). But it's a dream that I someday want to make a reality. So (fingers crossed) I hope that is me five years from now!

You can sneak a peek of what WG1 looks like in this post she did on her desk at work. I, on the other hand, am trying to keep it highly anonymous. Without getting too much into detail, I'm short, have brown hair (that used to be long, but I just chopped it off a la Posh Spice), and have lots and lots of freckles.

My most embarrassing moments (yes, that's plural) both involve too much drinking and my senior year of college. My roommate and I both went to a school that lets its students live at the beach senior year. Once, after I left the bathroom during a day of afternoon drinking, I accidentally tucked my dress into my white bathing suit bottoms and then walked around The Point (which was heavily populated area at our school's beach area when it was nice out) and just about my entire class saw what looked like granny panties exposed for all the world to see. Not only that, but I then tripped on the deck of one of the beach houses. I was a beached whale wearing granny panties.

The second embarrassing moment involved a bathroom, one of our (not as close) guy friends, and an unlocked door. I still have not lived that one down.

And you're probably thinking I should stop going to the bathroom altogether since it is the root of all my embarrassment.

***

Maxie asked: Tell us your most embarrassing work story :-)

WG2 answered: I have been seriously racking my brain for something embarrassing I've done at work. And my only answer is I drank a little too much champagne at the office holiday party this past year and was tricked into singing "All I Want for Christmas" by Mariah Carey with my co-worker Vanessa. Turns out Vanessa was an excellent singer who sounded like Britney Spears before the drugs and I sounded like Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks. Slightly humiliating.

***
Anonymous asked: What's the best bit of office gossip you've ever heard? Or what about the best conversation you've overheard on a bus, street, train, etc? People say the craziest things...

WG2 answered: Next to this post when our facility coordinator got fired for watching porn at work, the best gossip I ever heard was actually when our magazine decided to only publish an online publication. Almost ten people got fired that day and I was center stage to watch it all go down. It was actually a very sad day because most of the people who left the company were friends. But that day was a crazy day for gossip -- I don't think I got any work done as I was too busy straining to hear conversations in the offices around me.

As for conversations I overhear, I think I need to put more thought into that. There is a whole site though devoted to conversations overheard in the office. I would check those out - and a plus is they update every hour!

***
Thanks for all your questions though! And don't worry WG1 will be back from South Africa soon and we can dispense of the boring posts about whitening my teeth and my embarrassing beached whale moments.

Monday, May 5, 2008

It's Cinco De Mayo and All I Want To Do Is Sleep

I woke up this morning craving a margarita. A nice frosty, cold beverage to sip while I did The Boss's expense report because today is Cinco de Mayo and therefore a great excuse to do some day drinking. 
That's when I remembered that I am not in college anymore. Margaritas and Coronas with lime might be the breakfast of champions for college students living up a Mexican holiday, but not for a full-time employee like myself. 

That's when I came up with an alternate plan. Three of my co-workers and I planned early on in the morning over our cups of coffee that we'd hit up a great little sangria place around the corner after work (maybe even sneak out early because all the managers were in a board meeting all day). Great! We sank back in our cubicles counting down the hours. 

Around lunchtime the plan veered off path a little. Maybe not sangria, we thought. Sangria has wine in it which equals hung-over the next morning. Instead we decided on a little Mexican place (that when calculated was one block closer and we were already getting tired). We'd get a few margaritas and head out. 

Around 3 p.m., one of my co-workers backed out. She had to work late. 

4 p.m. rolls around and another co-worker, who could barely keep his eyes open after putting together 200 media kits, backed out as well. They were dropping like flies.

My other co-worker and I were determined to make it to thee bar, until 5:50 p.m. when we both gave in to Monday exhaustion and officially moved Cinco de Mayo to Ocho de Mayo and decided to celebrate this fiesta with quesadillas instead of alcohol. 

Toto, we're not in college anymore. 

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Greetings from South Africa!

I only have about 5 minutes before my boss comes back and I have to get off the computer. But I just wanted to say a quick "hello" from my business trip in South Africa. I'm going to have lots of stories for you all later. Our entire staff will arrive here today for our national sales meeting (funny that our national sales meeting is being held in a different country) and I've been here since Tuesday preping with our events manager and the associate publisher (my girl boss, I promise I'm working on better nicknames). I'll save the stories for later but right now I'll tell you: Cape Town is beautiful beyond words and the people here are the most polite and well-mannered people I've ever met.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Fluffy Fingers

Dwight Schrute: There is this yellow zigzag that does give Ryan the authority to discipline Stanley,--
Michael Scott: Great.
Dwight Schrute: However in so doing, it zigs past your name, hence zagging you and making you appear weak. That's the yellow color, yellow, for cowardly.
Michael Scott: What's the pink?
Dwight Schrute: Menstrual cycles.


This was probably one of the more serious (and I use this term loosely) episodes of "The Office" that I have ever seen.

Before we get to the real meat and potatoes of the episode (a.k.a. the Clash of the Titans a.k.a. Stanley vs. Michael), what is going on with this Ryan vs. Jim plot line? Ryan paid a little visit to the Scranton branch this episode and flat out told Jim his job was in jeopardy because he spent too much time flirting at the reception desk and goofing around. Seriously intimidating. But I think Ryan's coke problem will be revealed before Jim can be punished. And I even predict that Jim might be getting offered Ryan's job (just a thought!).

On to the Clash of the Titans. Wow, Stanley, wow. This plot line was a little too serious for my liking. I thought for real that Stanley was going to be fired for his 'did I stutter?' comment. That was seriously an intense little battle. However, I did like that we saw Michael get a little bit of respect from Stanley at the end of the episode. My heart goes out to Michael Scott and his awkwardness, and how he has no friends -- it's like he can't help himself! And then I remember what it's like to work for a boss like Michael and I commend Stanley for saying something (even thought it was entirely inappropriate).

Also, please, please, please tell me why Michael didn't use the 'fluffy fingers' technique. I kept waiting and waiting for him to start tickling Stanley, but nothing. Very disappointing.

I also had some side thoughts. Did Angela look a little puffy to anyone else? I think she might be real life preggers because they are only showing her from the face up. I hope this doesn't mean she'll be gone from the show for long after the birth! Angela is one of my favorite characters with her scathing glares and her love of cats.

Jim and Pam. Sigh. I can only hope that someday I fall in love with a Jim Halpert-esque man. I loved how he "proposed" that Pam go get him a nice, hot coffee for their brainstorming meeting with Michael. How long do you think the writers are going to tease us like this? I would love it if Jim just randomly stood up one episode and said, "Pam, will you marry me?". That would probably make my 2008 a whole lot brighter.

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Ask Working Girl

Since WG1 is safari'ing it up on business in South Africa for the next two weeks and I'm too lazy to post everyday, I thought it would be nice to get my ideas for a post from all our lovely readers.

So please ask us anything! It can be work-related, not-so-work-related, whatever. Ask away and I will post all the answers next week.

Only thing we won't answer is where and who we work for. We would like to keep our jobs. At least a for a little while longer.