The Work Spouse

As I was going through my Google Reader early yesterday morning before the droves of co-workers flooded the office, I read a post on Behind These Hazel Eyes on the concept of a "work spouse". 

According to Hazel's blog post (and Wikipedia aka my Bible), a work spouse is "a co-worker (usually of the opposite sex) with whom one shares a close platonic relationship" and apparently this bond tends to mimic that of a real wife and husband. 

And I instantly thought of my old co-worker Ramon. 

At my first job out of college while I was still working in New York, I sat next to a pushing 45-year-old, jovial, Cuban man who shared my love of reality TV shows (oh, and he is gay so don't go getting any ideas that this story is gonna get all lovey dovey on you). 

And we were most definitely work spouses. We even called each other husband and wife at work, which to be honest I think creeped people out. We also fought frequently, went through some troubled times where we stopped talking, and just recently reunited while he was in Chicago for a meeting and took me out to dinner at Rosebud (can we say yum?). 

So while I was googling "work spouse", I came across an article from CNN Living which listed the top seven signs to tell if you have a work spouse. And it made me laugh because it just solidified that Ramon and I were a couple. 

1. You depend on a particular co-worker for office supplies, snacks or aspirin. 

Um...how about money?? Ramon and I would constantly go back and forth borrowing money. And he would constantly steal my aspirin. And together we were the snack king and queen of the office - we would go on snack runs together. Wow, I'm a tool. 

2. There are inside jokes you and a particular co-worker share. 

This is a no-brainer. Our favorite go-to's were anything about the shows Rock of Love and Kid Nation. He even called me Taylor for a nickname. Yea, figure that inside joke out. 

3. You can be bluntly honest about his or her appearance. 

I constantly made fun of Ramon for not dressing his age. And he would make fun of me whenever I didn't do my hair...which was almost everyday.

4. When something eventful at work happens, this is the person you go to for a de-briefing.

Ok, this one had me stumped. Because as much as I loved Ramon, he was a huge gossip so I did not go to him whenever I heard something juicy. But I know he always told me when he heard something delicious (because I usually already knew). 

5. At breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks, your co-worker could order for you and vice versa.

This is most definitely true. Ramon loved his Italian subs from Subway, his Cuban food from the place next to Subway, and pepperoni pizza from the pizza place next door. 

6. You and your co-worker can finish each other's sentences.

Creepy, but yes. 

7. Your co-worker knows just as much about your personal life as a real spouse or best friend would. 

Fact. Although I don't have a real spouse, Ramon knew a great deal about me. And I knew way too much about him and his boyfriends (multiple). 

Looking over this list, do any of you have a work husband or wife?

Early to Rise

Every morning, I set my alarm for 45-minutes before I actually have to get out of bed. There is nothing I love more than being woken up and then realizing that I still have time to sleep.

Two-weeks ago, instead of hitting snooze for 45-minutes, I got out of bed, got ready for the day and went to work…an hour early! The office was quiet and I could actually get work done without interruptions.

On any given day, it’s nearly impossible for me to focus on one task for more than 10 minutes. Emails are popping up on my computer every two minutes, the phone is ringing and people are walking up right up to my desk with questions. Having quiet time in the office before my co-workers arrive gave me a head start to the day and made me more productive throughout the day.

My early arrivals at work only lasted one week; I just couldn’t get it together to get in early last week. But it’s definitely something I’m going to try to do at least once or twice a week moving forward, especially if I find I'm extremely busy every day, because as much as I love to sleep in, I’d rather get to work early than stay late.

Why So Anxious?

Come Sunday, like clockwork, my stomach begins to turn into knots. I start to worry about my work week - what could I have done better last week, what did I leave to do this week that I should have done last week, what can I do to impress my boss this week. 

I've always been a pretty anxious person. Before interviews, I would turn into a ball of nerves. Before presentations at school, my stomach would become a butterfly exhibit. And before my first day at a new job, omigod it's like I can't breathe. 

And then the day is over and I feel better and life goes on. Eventually I become accustomed to the people, my workspace, my environment, my job, my duties and I calm down. 

Recently though I feel like it's been getting worse. Every Friday, I leave work relieved and happy with the work I've done for the week. I think I worked so hard, I deserve this weekend and these days off. And then all of a sudden it's Sunday and I become a pile of nerves. 

I've only been at my new job now for 6 months...which in some ways seems impossible because I only feel like I've been here two months. But on the other hand, I feel like I've been here forever. Someone at work the other day asked me if it was my year anniversary yet. I replied with a snort. Very ladylike. 

I know my nerves are just nerves. But after two people got let go last week, my nerves went into overdrive. Will they know I looked at Perez Hilton for an hour last week or that I procrastinated and didn't do a project assigned to me until the day before it was due? 

Sometimes on Sundays, I have trouble sleeping. I constantly get that "you look tired" greeting from my co-workers on Mondays (thanks guys! what a compliment!). I know that my worries are just that - worries. I don't think my job is in jeopardy. I know I'm needed. And my boss is always quick to tell me what a great job I have done on projects. 

Sometimes I attribute this worry and anxiousness to the fact that I still don't know the company that well. That even after six months, I'm still learning what our company does. And maybe it makes me anxious that my presentations aren't always perfect the first go around. 

Whatever it is, I hope it goes away soon. 

For My Fellow Chicago WG's

First of all, I just have to say I loathe, loathe, hate, hate RCN!!!!!!!!!!!! I still don't have cable. I still don't have Internet. And now they are sending me bills for $600+ because I haven't sent in my old cable box.

Hence no post yesterday. My apologies chicas.

I'm going to keep this post short and sweet, but my friend Pam just turned me onto this website called Poor Little Rich Girls. And when I saw they posted the words "free" and "Berry Chill" together, they had me hooked.

Essentially, the site caters to the "young woman living in the city earning enough money to support herself, but not quite enough to go spending it on every Jimmy, Marc and Saint Laurent she sees." And as such, they offer discounts and coupons on a ton of different things. My personal favorites so far - one hour free with a personal assistant from Chicago Anytime Assistants, 20% off your bill at Hunt Club, and duh this Berry Chill thing is making me salivate.

And not only do they offer discounts for us hard-working women, but they also have profiles on Chicago working women, find us awesome/healthy deals for lunch around town, and keep us dressed like superstars (without hurting our wallets).

Unfortunately, it looks like they only have a Chicago edition, but I'm hoping they take this national, because it's an awesome tool for us working women on a budget.

To say I'm smitten would be an understatement.

Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes is a weekly feature. Here we will dish on tidbits, news, and important things we think you Working Girls should know. So scroll down to hear what we think you should glean from this work week.

• This past weekend, Bea Arthur, the actress made famous for her roles in Maude and Golden Girls passed away from cancer. Arthur is probably best known for being the first female character on prime time TV that had an abortion. We applaud her for pushing the envelope and know she will be truly missed. 

• Let women rule the world. That is basically what this article from Reuters is saying. OK, I may have exaggerated a teensy bit. But it did say that women have a tendency to take less extreme risks, and creating a more balanced team of managers (aka one woman for every man) then there could be less risk in decision making. 

• Still confused as to why women are getting paid as much as their male counterparts? Yea, me too (shakes raised fist at the sky). This fact sheet from the Center for American Progress is very interesting to read - it gives you a break down of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and talks about why women are earning less even though they went to better schools and received better grades. 

• In a new survey compiled by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, many women between the ages of 18-64 believe that cosmetic surgery gives them a competitive edge in the workforce. Of those surveyed, 73% believe looks play an integral role in getting a promotion or getting hired. 

He's Such a Swine

If there is one thing my company loves, it's memos. I seriously feel like we get at least 3 a week. Recently, it's been about wearing jeans to work, how to use the Internet appropriately, or the 5K that the office is running together next month. 

This week though, it was about the Swine Flu. 

I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about - it's been all anyone is talking about these days - the Swine Flu outbreak that began in Mexico and has recently overtaken oh, how do I put this...ah yes, the WORLD. 

Anyway, today we got an email from our company telling us that to "take the necessary precautions to help prevent you from becoming sick" and that if we did feel ill to stay home. 

Now, I'm glad my company is being proactive about this, but really company?! Really?! I think this is just common sense. If you don't feel well, don't come hacking up a lung to work and spread the disease around to 5 more people. To me, this is a no-brainer. If you get sick, stay home otherwise half the company will be out the next week with your flu-like symptoms. 

The memo also came with ways to prevent from contracting the Swine Flu. Among those included washing your hands frequently, staying away from those infected, and avoiding touching your nose or mouth. To which I can only say wow, thanks for the valuable information.

Be Careful What You Wish For

Since I was an intern, I wanted to work on events. I loved the fast-paced environment and running on adrenaline. As and intern and when I was a sales assistant, I assisted with numerous events. I ran around, did as people asked and solved small problems where I could. I was always assisting someone. I was never working on my event.

Very soon, I have my first event. I'm freaking out (which is causing me to break out, awesome). This isn't just a "hey, let's have a cocktail party for about 40 people" event. It's a "hey, let's fly a bunch a people to a place and do this and then that and oh, we just found out we need go here when we scheduled this" event.

Don't get me wrong, I'm excited. But I'm stressed. I said to WG2 this weekend, "Um, why did I want this job?" I've realized that what I love about events, is the actual event. I love event day, even if I'm stressed. And there is nothing like the high I have after an event is finished and gone well.

Pre-event, well, it's a lot different when you're the one planning. I'm learning the ropes of the pre-event and learning to love it. There is much more that goes into than I realized, I've dropped the ball on a few things and, I think, disappointed Mom Boss a bit (another story for another day). Because it's my first event, I wanted everything leading up to it to go smoothly.

With the event only days away, I can only just get everything together, pull it all off on event day and use what I've learn with this event for the next one. Oh, and hope that the post-event feeling is event better because it was my event and it went well.

Things I Could Do Without

Today was one of those days where one second it was 8AM and then next time I looked at the clock it was 11:30AM. Where did my day go?!

Because my brain is mush and my Internet is shotty, I am compiling a list of things that I hate/loathe about working.

1. Commuting. Nuff said. 

2. People who talk on their cell phones the wholeeeeeeeeeee way to work. I mean, really people?! Really?!

3. Nosy co-workers

4. People who hover over your desk. I like my personal space thankyouverymuch.

5. Contracts that need to be signed before I leave for the day and bosses who suddenly go missing (and by missing I mean in meetings for hours and hours) and can't sign said contracts so you have to stay late and then you can't go return your stupid cable box.

6. Blisters from new shoes

7. Lean Cuisine lunches

8. Coming back to work after a long weekend (WG1 visited me this weekend so I took Friday off!!!), and returning to 50 unread emails. No fun. 

9. Co-workers who talk so loudly on the phone that you can't hear yourself think

10. Someone drinking all the water in the water cooler and then not replacing it 

Ok, whew. That was nice to get off my chest. To be honest, today wasn't horrific, but it was really busy. 

And seriously, commuters need to stop talking on their cell phones all the way to and from work. Obnoxious.

Happy Administrative Professionals' Day!

Did you know that the Wednesday of the last full week of April is Administrative Professionals' Day?

Yea, me either.

That was until this morning when my boss presented me with a HUGE (we're talking massive) bouquet of flowers! He thanked me for all the work I'm doing and I blushed because any time someone compliments me I turn into a teenager meeting their teen idol.

To give a little background on my job (because I realize it can be confusing - what does she do??? I can hear you asking...she does events, and emails and now she's an admin assistant - whatttttt?). I am technically the assistant to one of our EVP's, so I handle his calendar mostly, print stuff, file stuff. But I would say that takes up about 10% of my day. The rest of my time at work, I work on special projects which include our two large events a year and most recently an e-mail strategy project.

Right now my flowers are sitting on my desk emitting a heavenly scent and some of the flowers haven't even bloomed - so I'm thinking these suckers are going to last a lot longer than a week!

Man, I love my boss.

! This Message is of the Highest Importance !

There is a sales assistant in an outside office that I have never met. I’ve spoken to her only once or twice on the phone and she seems nice enough. But she commits one of my top office crimes. She flags every single email as “Highest Importance” with a bright red exclamation point.

To be fair, she has sent me some important information that I requested for an upcoming event. It was, however, similar information that I requested from other sales assistants and no one else changed the priority of their emails.

The bright red exclamation point on most to all of a person’s emails is one of my biggest pet peeves because I just don’t understand the logic behind it. If every email you send has a bright red exclamation point, every email is of equal importance.

I received nearly 10 emails from her today and all of them, in her opinion, where of highest importance. In my opinion, maybe two were of high importance and even that’s a stretch.

Technologically Un-savvy

I repel technology. I have broken numerous digital cameras. I believe I have dropped more than one cell phone in water. My computers die on me all. the. time. It all comes down to technology hating me (because obviously this is the conclusion I've come to and not that I'm clumsy or something).

Just like my personal technology, the technology I work with also hates my guts. The printer loathes me - seriously, it jams almost every time I use it and never when Bill, my tech guy, uses it. Unfair, unfair, unfair. Anyway, my Internet is frequently testy (as in I get signed off of Gchat too often daily).

During my second month at my new job, my Internet just stopped working. My e-mails got stuff in my "drafts" folder, my Gmail couldn't connect to the server, and my Internet magically turned off.

So of course I landed on my theory of technology hates me. So I traipsed over to the Tech dungeon and told them of my technology woes (and I probably told them all about how my cell phones just slipped into sink and how my computer from 1999 up and died on me the other day).

My fave tech guy Bill followed me back to my desk and I sat down all flummoxed as to why oh why the Internet wasn't working since our server wasn't down.

Bill took one look at my computer, rolled his eyes and poked his head under my desk.

"WG2," he said in a tone that sounded eerily like my dad's when he is mad at me. "Do you swing or kick your legs under your desk?"

Turns out I had kicked some wires free underneath my desk. And now whenever I ask Bill to do anything tech-related, he makes me check all the wires near or around my desk/computer/printer to make sure I haven't repelled aka kicked the technology out of the wall.

Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes is a weekly feature. Here we will dish on tidbits, news, and important things we think you Working Girls should know. So scroll down to hear what we think you should glean from this work week.

• Bag It! Finding the perfect work bag is tough. You want something cute and a little trendy but easy to organzied and condusive to your busy life. And then you need something good for traveling or that'll fit your laptop for a meeting. CareerBags.com is here is save us from the frustration of bag shopping. Created for women by women, CareerBags have something for every type of Working Girl. Seriously, you can browse by career.

• Working Girl Whitney Makes Moves Our favorite reality TV Working Girl has left DVF and gone back to work for Kelly Cutrone at People's Revolution. I must say, I'm very excited about this move. DVF was boring (reason #32 why I stopped watching The City). Kelly Cutrone is hard core and very New York and that's what you need in a reality show titled The City.

Sorry for the short Meeting Notes this week. It was just too beautiful in Manhattan for me to concentrate and blog!

It's Time to Grow Up

The new me starts on Monday. I could not be more excited. Finally, I will only have to do one job. But I could also not be more annoyed. The new me will be the Marketing Assistant. She will work on projects for Mom Boss, Dad Boss, Promo Girl, me and the rest of our department. We will manage the new me on her projects. So, she should probably take us seriously.

Normally, it's easy to take Promo Girl, myself and other cubicle pod-mate seriously. Sure, we may chat a little bit, make fun of one another and maybe get a little inappropriate. Just a little. But we're hard workers.

That was until the two of them discovered Twilight. Promo girl rented the movie over the weekend (before reading the book, which, for the record, I did not condone) and she is now in love with Edward Cullen. Our other co-worker is half way through the series, has seen the movie and is equally obsessed.

Back in November, when I finished the series, I begged them both to read it. I told them they'd love it. They thought I was a crazy, vampire obsessed teeny-bopper. Now, the two of them are printing out photos of Robert Pattinson, decorating their cubes and saying "oh hello Edward," every time they sit at their desks.

I've been partaking in the Edward love fest and I even have one picture in my cube. I spend a little time censoring NewMoonMovie.org for Promo Girl so that she's doesn't find anything out before she reads the book. I've explained the obsession to Working Girl Two and she put it best. She said that they were in the pre-teen obsessed phase and that we, having finished the series and passed that phase, are in the cool teenager phase.

The three us decided yesterday that when the new me starts, the Twilight talk must stop. I'm not knocking any Twilight fans. I'll be the first to admit I love Edward Cullen but how is a new girl supposed to take us seriously when we're saying things like "I wish I were a vampire with sparkling skin."

Whoa Nelly

For the past two months, I've been in a work slump. One of my friends told me it was spring fever, and I agree. The weather has been drab (seriously, I am so psyched it is gonna be over 50 this weekend in Chi) and my projects were at a low hum.

I've been bored and my brain had turned to mush. That was until this week rolled around.

Today, I had three meetings. And the most I usually have in one day is a big fat zero. I have about four projects on my plate right now and I usually have around one or two.

The one project I'm really proud of is an e-mail marketing campaign my boss had me put together. E-mail marketing was something I told my boss I was interested in learning more about - the process, the copy, the creative. It all intrigues me. I also like learning the analytics of it - how many people opened the e-mail, how many clicks did each link get - that stuff really gets me going. So my boss told me to put together an e-mail strategy for a current promotion we are running.

I went about my business and put together this fab PowerPoint and presented it to him last week under the assumption that he just wanted to see how I would do when presented with a real project. In other words, I thought I was putting together a fake presentation - something that was important but would never see the light of day.

Turns out I was wrong- oh so very wrong. My boss liked my ideas and told me to put together a timeline and get the ideas flowing. Since then I've been pulled into numerous strategy meetings, survey meetings, and my ideas are being circulated into a few of our merchant and member e-mails. Can we say 'whoaaaa'?

I have to say even though the task of putting this all together is really daunting, I'm really excited to be able to call this project a brainchild of mine. And I can't wait to see it through all the way to the end.

And it's an added perk to be excited to go to work in the morning.

Working Girl Does Some Spring Cleaning

Hi Working Girls!

We hope all of you readers had a wonderful weekend/Easter/Passover! 

As most of you have probably noticed by now, Working Girl has gotten a little makeover. A while back, WG1 and I decided to try and take WG to a new level. What that actually means is for us to know and you to find out (soon!). The first step though was a new design - something a little more sleek, a little more professional, and a little less pink (which was hard for me to let go because it's my all-time fave color).

A big thank you to Jess from Delicious Design who did our redesign - this is the second time we have used Jess and we cannot say more good things about her. If you're looking for a designer who won't charge you an arm and a leg for a design, we suggest you shoot her an e-mail. She is fab!   

Let us know what you think! We love it! 

(And don't forget to look out for new things to come from WG!)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

For the past year, there has been a solid group of assistants at work. There have been four working girls (including myself) and two working boys who have held our office together. The boys are great but the four of us girls have developed a great friendship. One that goes beyond the day to day work conversation.

We've eaten lunch together almost every work day for the past 52-weeks, had dozens of happy hours and celebrated special occasions together. These working girls are the only ones who truly know how bad a bad day is for me or how I feel about certain co-workers and why.

Mom Boss and Promo Girl have both told me that there's nothing like the bond that you have with the people that were assistants with you. Being an assistant is a roller coaster of an experience and many people, in different industries, do it. But they were right, the only people who will really understand the experience are the people at your company who did it with you.

Friday marks the day the first one of our little group of four is leaving. Not only is she leaving the company, she's leaving Manhattan. We begged and bribed our working girl to stay but her home state is calling her back.

A new girl started training today and she's sweet, but she's not the same. She's the first of the next generation. Soon there will be two new assistants; one replacing her and one replacing me.

I've moved to a different position, one working girl is leaving and it's only a matter of time before the other two move on to bigger and better things. I'm used to a lot of change in my life but I don't know if I'm ready for this. We've had a fun and comfortable friendship for the past year and it's all about to change.

A Hairy Dilemma

About every six months I get bored with my hair, which has led me to just randomly go to a hairdresser and tell them to take drastic measures and cut off all my hair. Last winter, I had this little gem of a hairstyle:

And then around this time last year, I cut my hair into this trendy bob (thanks for the inspiration Posh & Katie).

Now my hair is growing out and I'm starting to get lazy. I have no more bangs to speak of, lots of split ends, and most days I put my hair in a bun at the nape of my neck and twist my somewhat existent bangs into this curly q on the side of my head (and sometimes a Lauren Conrad braid works). 

But I'm getting bored again people. And I need some ideas.

I want something obviously that screams "I am a working professional" but can also be hot for the weekend. I also have to mention that I'm trying to grow my hair out to do Locks of Love. 

I have narrowed my options down to the following and I need your help in determing which hairstyle will get to grace my head for the next few months. And is obviously OK'ed for work situations. 

Option 1: Not overdone bangs, subtle layers. 

Option 2: back to a more blunt fringe with no layers

Option 3: something simpler, no bangs, just great long layers

So you tell me Working Girls - which is the best option?

The F Word

I am by no means a delicate flower. But I must give off that vibe in the workplace because my boss sure seems to think I am delicate. 

I surmised this fact the other day while in a meeting with my boss, the CEO, and some other VIP's. A conversation was being had about an annoying client - someone who apparently really grated the nerves of the higher-ups - and someone in the room used some crass language to describe said annoying client. To which my boss responded that that kind of language should not be used in front of a lady. (Just in case you were confused, lady means moi). 

My boss has proven time and time again that he doesn't encourage the use of curse words while in my presence, nor does he like it when other people use them around me. He has once or twice reminded people that I'm in the room if they use the "f word" or "d word". 

What fascinates me is that he isn't the only one - our CEO also is careful with his language when around me or other young women in the office. 

I know this fact should be a pleasant one, but half of me can't help but be a little annoyed by the fact that just because I'm a lady that men can't curse around me. But then there is this other part of me that thinks it's pretty quaint and adorable that they don't want to pollute my delicate flower brain with obscenities. 

And then there's this whole other part of my brain that thinks I'm being pretty narcissistic. I mean, maybe they just want to keep the office clear of curse words in general. 

Which leads me to ask, what do you guys think about cursing in the office? An office to do or no way in hell? 

Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes is a weekly feature. Here we will dish on tidbits, news, and important things we think you Working Girls should know. So scroll down to hear what we think you should glean from this work week.

• A new study recently revealed that women in the American work force are changing their attitudes. According to the study, young women with children are just as ambitious in the workplace than women without children. 3,500 workers were surveyed and the results revealed that 69% of mothers under age 29 say they want to move up the career ladder, while 66% of women without children have the same ambition.


• WG1 recently spoke about her new obsession with Mint.com, a site dedicated to helping you track just exactly where all that money is going (my guess is the bar?). If you're looking for a different way to track your money as well as pay off your credit card and student loan debt, try Fabulously Broke in the City's budgeting sheets on for size. I am so jealous that she is debt free!
  
• Do you think today's thirty-somethings are more focused on their emotional fulfillment than their careers? Lorraine Candy, editor of UK Elle magazine, does. In a recent article, the editor talked about her most recent online survey where she asked women about to turn 30 what their priorities in life were. She was surprised to find that 70% prioritize relationships over promotions at work.
  
• This fact peaked my interest - women really do shop to cheer themselves up! A new study of 443 women (aged 18-50) showed that women spent more money within the 10 days leading up to their "visit from Aunt Flo".

Working Girl Wears: Help!

Now is that time of year in New York where one day it's 66 degrees and sunny and the next it's 38 degrees and raining. In addition to putting my sinuses through a roller coaster ride it's making getting dressed incredibly difficult.

If I have to wear tights one more time I might hurt someone but I'm too lazy to pull my summer clothes from out of closet and from under my bed. I need a little early spring wardrobe inspiration. I'm hoping you can help me.

Send me your favorite early spring outfit ideas. Pictures of you in them or something from Polyvore. Let me know if it's okay to post them next week.

Things You Probably Shouldn't Do at Work

For the past month I have been having problems with my cable provider. 

It all started right after I got back from Key West. I turned on my TV after a long hard vacation/work trip ready to watch Grey's and Private Practice to find my DVR had been erased - everything that I had pre-recorded and all the shows I still hadn't watched from the week before poof gone. Of course I was irate since I'm one of those people that love TV (as I have mentioned over and over). 

I called RCN, my cable provider, and they informed me that I had low signal and that I would probably need a new cable box. So the next week they sent out a technician who gave me a new cable box and then proceeded to tell me that he didn't know why but my signal was low (you think genius?) and that he would need to send a proper technician out to fix it the next day. Of course that guy never showed up.

So I called the next week, fuming, and told them my plight. They opened a work order and told me to wait for dispatch to give me a call to set up an appointment. Three days pass, nada. So I call back and this time they set up an appointment -- catch being that it is an all day appointment where someone needs to be home from 8-5PM to let in the technician.

Since I have a 8-5 job, my little sister who was home on her Spring Break from college, offered to sit in my apartment and wait for the cable guy. 5PM rolls around and I am about to get on my plane to NYC (to see WG1 for her bday of course), and my sister tells me no one has showed up and no one has called all day long. I call RCN in an irate state and start bitching and they drop the bomb on me that an all day appointment isn't 8-5...it's actually 8-8PM so there is nothing they can do until 8PM. So my sister waits till 8PM. Guess who still doesn't show up? Yea, so predictable.

Last week, during work, I call RCN and scream until I barely have a voice. I talk to managers and supervisors and no one will do anything but put in another work order and offer me a free month of HBO (which is useless when you don't have signal BTW). So I let them put in another work order and waited 8 days for someone to call me. Nothing. I have not heard one peep. 

Today, in my last ditch attempt, I called RCN again and I got the same song and dance about work orders and dispatch will call me. This time I cried BS and cancelled my subscription. So doing this in the workplace probably isn't the best idea, especially when you are so fuming angry that veins are popping out of your neck as berate the customer service reps who can barely mutter two sentences and offer up "condolences all all your frustrations". A co-worker kindly offered to transfer the call into an empty office so I could bitch in peace. 

After I finally cancelled and went back to my desk, a co-worker of mine who sits in the office behind me (aka my one of my only friends who also happens to be over 50) offered up this sage advice, "WG2," she said, "Cable providers are like boyfriends. You dump them and you move on." 

Nicely put co-worker, nicely put. 

I'm a Big Girl Now

Now that I'm the Special Projects Manager, I feel like I need to mature three to five years. Changing from coordinator to manager is a huge step at my magazine. Typically, they'd give someone with two years of working experience an Associate Manager title.

I feel that because I'm a full-on manager I need to act older. Turning 24 helped my mentality a bit. But now, I can't just be a young working girl finding her way. I need to know my way.

While I have a lot of great experience for the position, I know that people who have held the position before more have had more. I know some things and am learning others. I've never worked on a hotel contract before and I've never been in charge of an event budget. But I need to act like I know what I'm doing.

And, is it weird that I feel like I need to improve my appearance? I look pretty put together everyday at work but all of a sudden I want to cut my long hair into a more stylish, easy to manage haircut. I want a better wardrobe. I feel like my nails should be polished everyday.

Too bad I don't have the budget for a great haircut, new wardrobe and weekly manicures.

Working Girl Reads Supergirls Speak Out

This past week Working Girl had the privilege of sitting down with Liz Funk, author of Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls. Liz's book centers around the idea of a "Supergirl" - someone who she describes as being under the impression that to be happy you have to be a size two, excel at your job, wear the coolest clothes, have the perfect boyfriend, and have gotten straight A's (in high school and college). The book delves into the world of the Supergirl and how the most dangerous effect of being a Supergirl is not only competing against other Supergirls, but competing against themselves which is a destructive habit that Liz found can often lead to depression and other emotional disorders.

Before I get to our Q&A portion, I just have to give you a breakdown of how amazing Liz is. If we're talking Supergirl, she is the definition. Liz Funk was born in 1988 (yes, that makes her 20 years old), and she is not only the author of Supergirls Speak Out, but has also has written articles for USA Today, Newsday, CosmoGIRL!, and recently appeared on the Today Show. She serves on numerous advisory boards, has great fashion sense, and loves Arrested Development. And she hasn't even graduated from college yet! Safe to say, she is a Supergirl.


WG: First off, for those of our readers who haven't read your book, how would you describe a SuperGirl?

A Supergirl is a young woman who wants to be a perfect 10 at everything she attempts. She wants to have a degree from a great college, to have a great job, to do great work and quickly ascend the corporate ladder, to be pretty, to have great friends, to have a boyfriend or a steady stream of hook-ups, and more broadly, to be charming. And on top of it all, the Supergirls want to make doing everything appear as though it comes naturally to them. And that’s where things get tricky. Often, Supergirls seek to achieve for the wrong reasons—they’re trying to find their value in being perfect, when they intellectually know that they’re demanding way too much from themselves and it’s impossible to be on top of things all the time.

WG: In your book, you call yourself a Supergirl - how do you think you became one personally? Do you think you had any particular influences on your Supergirlness? And do you ever wish you weren't a Supergirl?

When I started high school—I went to a 7^th-12^th grade high school, so 7^th grade—I noticed that there were a lot of structures to reward high-achieving kids, like honor roll, student of the month, and annual award ceremonies, and even more implicit structures within the community where kids, particularly girls, who were high-achieving and beautiful and charming got the most attention. This really spurred my desire to want to do well in school, get my career started, and win others over. Also, to be perfectly honest, I have hair that is naturally dishwater-brown, but when I started having my hair bleached blonde when I was 17, I got so much more attention, and it made me work a lot more on my appearance and see my appearance as a really integral part of my identity as a Supergirl. I was also briefly anorexic in high school, and that totally sucked and was really intertwined with my achievement issues.

I often wish I wasn’t a Supergirl! I often have a hard time relaxing, I let work stress pollute my relaxation time, and I very rarely get drunk because I don’t want to devote the day after a fun night out to vegging on the couch with a hangover. I’m a work-in-progress, though: I’m really actively working to remedy my Supergirl drive and find a healthy balance between motivation and work, and relaxation and play.

WG: One person you interviewed in your chapter on working, Yolanda, talked about the concept of not apologizing at work because it makes you appear weak. Can you elaborate on this point and do you agree with her?

I do agree with Yolanda, to an extent. While I think that if you did in fact screw up and something bad happened because of your mistake, you probably should apologize, especially if you’re not the only one affected by the problem. However, young women are frequently the lowest on the totem pole in the office, and frequently they can be scapegoated by their superiors and expected to take the blame for things they played no role in. That’s a point where young women need to assert themselves, stand behind their work, and not apologize. I once had a boss make me apologize to her for a problem we were dealing with, and by apologizing, the problem became my fault, even though it really wasn’t in the first place! It’s situations like those where girls need to overcome their need to please others and charm authority figures, and put their reputations first. Personally, I’m a big apologizer and it’s one thing that I really don’t like about myself and that I’m working on.

WG: You discuss feminity in the workplace a lot in your book, in your research did you find that there is room for feminity or do you think women need to appear more masculine to succeed?

Femininity is an extremely powerful tool; sex is not. I think that young women can absolutely be feminine in the office and can use their femininity to help them: I think women are natural negotiators, they work well with others in intimate settings and often easily meet people where they’re at, and I think that they are very perceptive and intuitive… all because of femininity! I invite women to embrace their gender as they approach work! When it comes to clothes, things can get tricky. You don’t need to dress like Miranda Hobbes for work, but you shouldn’t dress like Carrie Bradshaw, either. Yolanda, the banker who I followed for my book, had great work clothes; she would wear nice black pants that looked sleek and fit her well, nice heels, designer glasses, a snug blazer, and a shirt that maybe had a bit more pizzazz than the rest of her outfit. Also, she usually had one—just one—designer piece on her person, like a nice bag or a simple piece of jewelry. But Yolanda was also in a majorly male-dominated corporation. I think girls who work at non-profits and in the media have a lot more flexibility, simply because the throngs of women who proceeded them have already done that negotiating for them.

WG: Do you believe women have to adapt more to leaving college and entering the working world than men do?

That’s a great question. I hesitate to say yes, because there’s all these silly movies like Knocked Up and You, Me, and Dupree (not that I don’t love these silly movies!) that posit that when women overachieve, guys in turn become lazy bums who play video games and smoke weed all day. But I do think that girls make the transition a little better, simply because I think that girls are itching to enter the grown-up world and prove themselves to the industries they want to work in when they graduate, whereas guys seem to get jobs because it’s time.

WG: How important would you say fashion/looking good is to a career?

I wish it mattered less, but I think it does. I’m a big fan of the web-site Ed2010.com, a community for aspiring magazine and newspaper editors, and I remember a few years ago, we had a big discussion on the message boards about how being pretty and well-groomed plays a big role in landing an internship, and ultimately, most agreed that being pretty and fun to chat with over the cubicle dividers is a big part of getting hired. I think that there is much more to being charming and personable than being good looking, however, and I challenge Working Girls everywhere to put down the mascara wand and instead be as authentic and energetic as possible on the job.

WG: What is your advice to Supergirls out there who after reading your book still want to do it all but without the side effects - how can we still achieve this status without having a mental breakdown?

Supergirls need to admit that there is a problem before they can remedy the problem! Girls need to admit to themselves that they’re living inauthetnically and that they’re achieving for the wrong reasons. They need to admit to themselves that they’re trying to be perfect and that it’s not working. Girls need to let themselves be imperfect, and they need to figure out why they matter outside of what they accomplish, what they look like, and how others perceive them. Girls neeed to spend more time alone with their thoughts and they need to develop a relationship with themselves! Here’s a baby step: I encourage working girls everywhere, for one week, to not listen to music, read, or play with their phones during their commute to work. I predict that they’ll find that they think about a ton of interesting things, and perhaps stumble upon some thoughts that really make them think about how they’re living their lives and what they could do differently to be happier and healthier. Seriously, I hate to say it, but ditch the iPod, and you’ll find that you’re such a pensive person!

WG: You expressed a sense of disappointment in yourself - or really a feeling of 'this still isn't good enough' even though you are very successful. Do you still feel this way even after writing this book and doing the research?

Yes. Wah. This has really been the ride of my life and I’m so grateful to have achieved the goal of writing a book (and finally meeting Matt Lauer and Meredith Viera on the TODAY Show!), but I’m always going to expect more from myself. I’m a Supergirl, after all!

WG: Why do you think it is so hard for Supergirls to adapt to corporate world?

Great question! Part of the problem is that the corporate world doesn’t exactly reward high-achievers the way college does. There is less return on the time and energy investment than there is in college. It’s like, in school, if you study and you do extra credit, you’re very likely to get an A. But there’s no guarantee for success in the corporate world, and success comes about much more slowly! Also, on some level, the corporate world is at odds with our humanity: sometimes, you have to hide your emotions, pretend to like people you don’t, and put in 100% on days when you’re just not feeling it. When you’re younger, you can be more in tune with your needs and desires, but when you’re a grown-up, you have to go to work!

It’s not all gloom-and-doom, though, and I think that the twenties are a great time for young women to figure out who they are and why they matter and why they’re special, and once that happens, they’ll experience 300% more happiness in almost every area of their lives. As a recovering Supergirl, I’m inclined to guarantee it.

And I'm Dreaming of Work Tonight...

Last night I had a really bizarre dream that centered completely around work.

Let me set the scene for you: it was like I literally woke up in an alternate universe and it was like I knew this was my job, but I had no idea how anything worked. All of my co-workers were faceless and I didn't know any of them. It was like I had started a whole new job and everyone knew me, but I had amnesia about what I did on a daily basis.

Enter panic. I am told by one of my faceless co-workers that it's time for the event to start...right now. I can't remember what event it is that I have planned and apparently I have done nothing for it. I was supposed to order Mediterranean style food, but I didn't. I was supposed to get a curator to come and speak about Egyptian art, but I didn't. Apparently, all I had accomplished was getting a meeting space. (I know, elaborate dream, but I kid you not I woke up thinking, I should have just called Roti - this Mediterranean place I've been to eat a few times).

I was literally panicking in my dream - I made numerous phone calls but couldn't get through to people. And you know when in dreams you are doing things to make the situation better but it's like you make no progress. That's what this was like.

So I woke up in a panic thinking about cous cous and kebabs.

Of course, as soon as I got to work, I googled interpreting dreams and came up with this explanation:

To dream that you are at work, indicates that you are experiencing some anxiety about a current project or task. The dream may also be telling you that you need to "get back to work".? Perhaps you have been slacking and need to pick up the pace." -Dream Moods

Which womp womp just confirmed that I have been a severe slacker for the past two weeks. So thank you subconscious for making me feel even more guilty that I haven't been working on that project I was assigned a few days ago.

I promise, I will work on it today...as long as you promise not to haunt my dreams again tonight.

Happy Promotion!

Last Wednesday, Mom Boss called me into her office.

"Events Promo Manager is leaving," she said.

I was shocked. I had had a feeling that Mom Boss wasn't happy with Events Promo Manager for a while. And I thought that maybe she wouldn't be around for much longer. But I was thinking months from now. Not right now.

What did this mean, I thought. Do I have her job? Was she fired? Do I have to ask for her job (again)? Would I get a raise? Did she want to leave? Would they interview other people? A hundred things were running through my head. The only answer I got on Thursday was "I have a plan. Just sit tight."

I didn't have to sit tight for long. On Thursday morning, I was called into her office again. "I'm assuming you want this job," she said. I did want the Events Promo Manager job. I wanted it for a while. Now, I finally have it.

Well, I will in a week or so. Until then I'm working as the Marketing Coordinator and on our upcoming events. So I'm beyond busy but I'm also beyond thrilled. Thrilled mixed with nervousness and impatience. I wont know until later this week what my exact title is (associate or not) or my salary. Whatever the outcome, I'm excited to work more heavily on projects I'm truly interested in.

So that's how I started my birthday weekend, with a promotion. Not a bad way to start of being 24.

Make New Friends But Keep the Old

This past weekend I jetted off to NYC to celebrate WG1 and our friend Catherine's birthdays. But before I got outrageously drunk off large margaritas at Maracas Bar & Grill and sang along to Bon Jovi's "Bed of Roses" at Iggy's Karaoke Bar, I had a lunch date with some old co-workers at our favorite sushi joint. 

A few faces weren't able to make it (including Red and Small Fry), but I did get to hang out with most of my old friends while munching on chicken teriyaki. We gossiped, told stories, talked about the recent lay-offs, and the more recent hires. And after lunch I followed everyone back to my old office and chatted with The Boss, visited with The President, and even joked around with The CEO. 

I think I spent a total of two hours catching up with everyone (which seriously cut into my shopping time). And while I know I don't miss my old job, I do miss the people. Sitting around making fun of each other - I miss those moments.

At my new job, I am pretty much friendless. The cast of characters is slim and include a former New Yorker def. over 50 HR manager who sits behind me and makes me laugh constantly, the executive assistant to the CEO who is in her 40's and loves The Bachelor, the IT guy with millions of tats who loves country music, and a married 30-year-old girl who was definitely the cool girl in high school and intimidates me even though I know she wants to be my friend. 

At my old job, the cast of characters was much more vast and there were different people to talk to with all my different issues (work-related and non work-related). 

I miss the camraderie and the longer than an hour lunches and throwing paper planes at each other over our cubicles. I have always had a teeny tiny fear that I won't get to that place with my new co-workers, and seeing my old co-workers this weekend made that fear a little bit wider. 

Meeting Notes

Meeting Notes is a weekly feature. Here we will dish on tidbits, news, and important things we think you Working Girls should know. So scroll down to hear what we think you should glean from this work week.

• I know most of us aren't going to be resigning from our jobs any time soon, but keep this one on the back burner just in case. This employee resigned from his job at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard by writing his resignation letter on a cake. Yum!

• Last week, Sec. of State Hilary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama honored eight international working women who are making a change for gender equality in our world today. Included in the line-up were Suaad Allami, a prominent lawyer from Iraq, who defends women's rights as well as Norma Cruz, director of the NGO Survivors Foundation, who combats violence against women. To read about all the receipients, click here.

• Did you know that for every 71 cents a woman makes in the state of Illinois, a man earns a dollar? This NY Times article's theory is that discrimination and personal choices within the occupation are the factors of why women are earning less. Another factor? Men log more hours.

• Two weeks ago, the ultimate career woman turned 50...yep, Barbie! Yes, I know she's a doll, but she has also been the ultimate Working Girl. On Barbie's resume, astronaut, surgeon, even President of the United Sates. Below is a little skit that SNL did on Barbie's birthday - and since it involves Kirsten Weig and the words "working", I thought this might be a nice Friday treat. Enjoy!

WG2 Is Back

About 6 months ago was when WG2 told me that she was moving home to Chicago my biggest concern was "oh no, our Working Girl readers are going to be so upset." I eventually realized that I'd too be very upset and miss her terribly. We all survived her move and I've gotten used to her being so far away.

But I couldn't be more excited that she's here in New York RIGHT NOW for my birthday weekend!

I have so much to post and share with you all but I'll have to save it for next week. Enjoy your weekends and have an extra drink in honor of my birthday on Saturday (sorry, I'm kind of self-absorbed on my birthday!).

Who Would You Fire?

I was not a avid The Office fan until my senior year of college when watching repeats became a normal hung-over routine between me and my roommates (hell yes we sprung for DVR). But I quickly became addicted to Michael's comments that made you wince, Pam & Jim's glances of lust, and Dwight's quirks.

So the past few years, I would DVR Grey's and dutifully watch The Office because I couldn't not watch it as it first aired. But these days my love of The Office has faded. And now I turn on Grey's (even though Izzy is dying - wait what?!?) and watch The Office on Hulu.com when I get bored.

In a recent article in the LA Times, writer Jon Caramanica argues that The Office is slowly fading and the reason is Michael Scott. His solution: fire someone. And if we're getting specific here, he says fire Michael Scott.

Caramanica writes, "Early on, taking after Ricky Gervais' David Brent on the original British version of the show, Michael was a catalyst for misbehavior and ill will. He was difficult, verging on unlovable; you almost had to shield your eyes watching him, so great was his capacity for awkwardness." He argues that Steve Carrell isn't playing the character like he used to - and he even physically looks better. He has better hair, better posture, and we almost feel sympathetic towards Michael Scott. Which should not be the case.

And I have to say that I whole-heartedly agree. Something is off (come on, I would rather watch Grey's obviously something is off).

The article goes on to say that Steve Carrell isn't the only problem - Jim & Pam are even annoying...Jim especially. The article describes Jim as being "smug and self-satisfied"...again, I agree. Before, Jim used to deliver one-liners that weren't blatantly stings, but now it's like he's not even trying. His one-liners are borderline cruel.

So who is keeping the show afloat? Sidekick storylines - plain and simple. The Accounting corner is probably one of the only reasons I tune in any longer. Oscar, Kevin, and Angela are a great combination that always ellicit laughs.

And my favorite character who doesn't get nearly enough lines? Kelly Kapoor. She is hilarious! I love her pop culture comments, her need to stay thin by eating tapeworms she buys from Creed, and she (like me) loves her birthday. So let's give her some new story lines please.

If it were up to me, I would fire Stanley. Ever since he blew up last season, he has become my most hated character on the show. He's sarcastic yes and sure sometimes he makes me grin, but his bad attitude is killing me slowly. Quit already! And give us some new Office blood.

P.S. Where the hell did Ryan disappear to?

Money, Money, Money

I never thought I was good at managing my money. In college, my bank account was nearly $0.00 ninety percent of the time. If it wasn't at $0.00, it was negative. Ok, I might be exaggerating a little, I only over withdrew twice. I had enough to buy my books, my groceries and (most importantly) alcohol. What else do you need in college? I was set.

Entering the "real world" was a bit of an adjustment. There were several more things that had to be paid for: rent, cell phone, cable, gas/electric, transportation, work clothes, even more groceries and (of course) alcohol. I meant to make a budget for myself, several times, and never did. But I managed. I learned to live on what I made and never over withdrew my account.

Lately, despite the recession, I feel like I've been spending more. Maybe I've been spending the same amount but it just feels like more because of the recession. How am I supposed to know? It's not like I balance my checkbook or keep track of my spending. I don't have time for that. And if you asked me how, I'd have no idea how to balance a checkbook.

Recently, I noticed Mint.com mentioned on a few blogs that I read. It's a money management site that makes it easy for you to track your debit and credit card transactions and set a monthly budget for all of your expenses. You can also have emails or texts sent to you when you are close to hitting your monthly budget on, say, shopping or taxis.

I only joined Mint yesterday and have only used it for creating a budget. But I've read that it can help in paying off student loans and lowering credit card interest rates.

In times like these, it's a good to have an idea of your spending habits and a budget (even if you go over it once or twice). So if you're like me and need a little help managing and keeping track of your spending, I'd check it out.

He Said, She Said

This past Thursday I woke up with a crick in my neck so horrific that every time I lifted my arms, it sent a very intense, very painful shooting sensation up my neck. Apparently I am 24 going on 85. I tried getting in the shower and fighting through the pain, but I couldn't even wash my hair (or put it up so it was just a limp gross mess around my face). So I made the executive decision to take the day off and lay in bed groaning and watching Tyra's special on babies in beauty pageants. 

And the next day I didn't feel much better, so I took that day off as well. And even though I was legitimately in pain and definitely wouldn't have been able to sit at a computer all day much less get on a bus to get all the way downtown, I still felt guilty for taking those days off. (I guess that means WG1 and I are just really great Catholics because we write about feeling guilty a lot.) Since I felt so guilty, I had a panic attack on Sunday about how I was so sure I was going to walk into work today and get fired. 

See, when I felt like I was going to die from my neck pains I sent an e-mail to my boss saying I felt ill and all I got in return was a "Feel better". That's it. After I spilled out my guts about how I went white in the face when I moved my arms and how walking across a room was a small triumph. That's it. And when I sent an e-mail the next morning talking about my progress, I got zero response. So you can see why my heart started a thumping.

At my job back in New York, The Boss would have probably sent me a care package, told me to go get a massage, and fed me vitamins the day I came back from work. Because she was a 'she' and would often refer to me as her third daughter. She heard sick and her maternal instincts went into overdrive. I think a lot of women hear the word sick and immediately google the symptoms and send all the research they found on how to kick that flu in the ass to their friend/mother/sister/co-worker. I even googled shooting neck pains to make sure I wasn't dying from something other than inflamed joints. 

In my short career, I have only had female bosses and it's taking me a while to get used to a male boss. I'm used to getting lots of compassion when I'm sick or talking about my shopping purchases at lunch. 

My new boss is a 'he'. And his response was, "Feel better". He meant well. But his main concern wasn't my health because he doesn't think of me as a fourth daughter. He was probably thinking more along the lines of 'who is going to put together my weekly reports for Friday's meeting'. And for that, I couldn't be happier. He sees me as an employee. I already have parents thankyouverymuch.

Oh and just in case you couldn't guess, I did not get fired today. 

Have any of you experienced the difference between male and female bosses in your careers?

I Made the Same Mistake Twice

I'm one of those people who is very into their birthdays. I've been known to celebrate not just on March 10th (yes, my bday was yesterday!), but for the whole month of March. For example, this year I managed to snag a dinner date with my dad, a birthday soiree party last weekend, and tomorrow some friends are taking me out bowling. And my birthday present this year was a flight to NYC so next week I will be celebrating my birthday (oh, and WG1's too). 

Point being, I love my birthday. Usually about a month before my fated day, I begin announcing it to anyone who will listen. Last year I publicized my birthday enough at my old workplace that some people bought me cupcakes, sang happy birthday to me, and bought me presents. But this year was a much different situation. I've only been at my new job for 4 months so putting my birthday on people's Outlook calendars didn't seem kosher (just kidding, I definitely did NOT do that last year). 

This year only a few people knew of my birthday - one of these people was Bill. Bill is our new IT guy who replaced Jay (the IT dude I thought had a crush on me). He and I started around the same time so he stops by desk at least once a day and mostly he tells me stories about his wife and crazy stories from his after work bar-tending gig. 

So one day, I of course let it slip that it was my birthday the following week and that I was turning 24. To which Bill responded, "Aw man, I'm 24 too! We must be the youngest people in the company!"

Insert dropped jaw here. 

To understand my shock, I guess you have to realize that Bill first of all looks much older than 24. He has facial hair, which always throws me off. And he's married. So when I see rings on fingers, I automatically assume that I'm talking with someone in their late 20's. I can't help it. 

And I didn't make this mistake just once. A few months earlier when I was in Atlanta for our conference, a co-worker of mine, Carlos, and I were eating dinner together when he got a call from his wife. He disappeared from our table and was gone so long his food got cold. When I asked another co-worker if they had seen him they laughed and said this happened all the time since his wife is so young that she often picks fights with him. Of course, I then inquired how old she in fact was. Apparently, she is the ripe young age of 22. 

Insert dropped jaw here.

Color me surprised when I found out he was actually in his mid-twenties and not over 30 like I had previously thought. Again, I had assumed Carlos was older not only because he was married, but also he had facial hair.

Moral of this working girl awkward moment, don't assume someone is over 25 just because they can grow facial hair. Oh, and also if they have a ring on their left finger. 

Running In Heels: Homework

Joanna, Nina and Zanna are heading to Fashion week in Europe. But before the leave, Joanna wants to sit down with the interns and get their opinion of recent issues of the magazine.

The girls are excited and nervous to have the opportunity but Talita isn’t thrilled at the idea of have “homework” after a 12-hour workday. Samantha is Patty Positive about it and Talita mocks her. Ashley sulks and rolls her eyes. Per usual.

“Do you ever think about anything realistically?” – Talita to Samantha.

“I don’t see what’s wrong with being positive. We got an assignment, I’m gonna work hard at it, not just complain like Talita.” – Samantha

I’m going to have to go with Samantha on this one.

Abby, a fashion assistant, is preparing for European fashion week. She’ll be going with the editors but instead of attending the shows, she’ll be running a satellite office from her hotel room.

That night, Ashley and Talita are back their apartment and Samantha is still at the office preparing for their meeting with Joanna. As they eat dinner, Talita and Ashley talk shit about Samantha.

The next morning, Samantha is still reading back issues while the other two get dressed.

“Does it even take that long to read?” – Ashley

At the office, the Meeting begins with Samantha saying “I love this issue, I’m not trying to suck up or anything.” Talita rolls her eyes and Ashley sulks.

Joanna responds with “you can suck up, sucking up is good.” Well, if the Editor In Chief says so, I’m going to say it’s fine.

Talita and Ashley both give positive feedback about the issue they are discussing but then Joanna asks them to share what did they didn’t like. Dun dun dun!

“I have a lot of those.” – Ashley.

Don’t think that was your best move, Ash. But then she gives fair constructive criticism of a fashion piece and Joanna agrees with her that the spread did not have variety in the clothes and diversity in the women. This becomes their next task. In 5 days, the interns have to create a page featuring a current trend and a real woman.

“We keep on getting harder and harder assignments and more and more work to do, this internship is harder than I thought it would be.” – Talita

“ I’m not going to admit it to the other girls but, I’m actually pretty glad we got this assignment. Its’ my chance to finally show j what I’ve got.” – Ashley

Samantha may be smarter than Talita and Ashley are giving her credit for. She gets samples from the fashion closet for their assignment and has a fashion assistant model the clothes. Things get a little emotional when she tries on an outfit and it doesn’t fit. Jeremy, a fashion editor, reminds her that sample sizes are 2 and 4 and that she shouldn’t be upset.

Later, Ashley asks Zoe for advice on their assignment. Good move seeing as Zoe is the editor for that page. Ashley truly seems nervous and admits that she’s a huge procrastinator and that she probably wont do anything until the last minute. How very college of her.

Talita hits the streets of Manhattan to hut down women in vests. Talita asks the art interns to help her layout her page.

They meet with editor Lucy to update her on the status of each of their pages and Ashley is late. Her excuse: she gave her last dollar to a homeless man and that dollar was her dollar for the subway. Uh, really Ashley? First of all the subway is $2.00 and, second, I thought you ladies rolled in cabs.

Ashley finds out that Talita had the art interns to design the page and she plans to call her out on it. I think this was fair. It’s not like the editors design each page in the magazine, the art department does.

Two days before the project is due, Ashley still hasn’t done anything and instead of working she talks to Zoe about how Talita “cheated.” Zoe doesn’t think what Talita did was out of line but she does say that Ashley will look better if she does her entire assignment herself.

Joanna and the crew are back and it’s time for the girls to present.

Samantha had a poorly cropped photo on her layout.
Ashley’s page was unfocused.
Talita had spelling mistakes in her copy. When is this girl going to learn?

“I don’t think any of you have spent any time really looking at magazines.” – Joanna

“I thought that Samantha’s trend was awful, Talita’s, she cheated on her project and Joanna still didn’t like it. – Ashley

“I hope that Ashley and Samantha have learned their lesson and that next time they worry less about me and focus more on their own projects. – Talita

“I don’t think it can get any worse” – Ashley

No Shots For You

Last week, I jetted down to Key West for a long weekend of working, coordinating, and being an all-around travel agent to a hoard of salespeople. 

If  you happened to catch my post from two weeks ago (yea, I have been a major slacker, my apologies for zero posts last week), you might recall my mentioning my Spring Break-esque trip down to Florida to celebrate a few of our top salespeople's achievements this year. The trip went almost perfectly (there was one snag - the hotel lost one of my very, very important boxes and my boss was not pleased). 

I did have one fear going into the trip and that was consuming alcohol. The most drinking I have done around co-workers has been at going-away parties and cocktail parties. But I'm not exaggerating when I say I would abstain from drinking more than two glasses of wine/beer. Getting drunk and telling off my boss scared me sober. At my old company, it was easy to avoid drinking. Usually when I was working events, drinking a few glasses while on the job would be deemed tacky. And when I was in social settings, it was easy to nurse a glass of wine. 

My new job, however, has led me into a land of temptation where our sales team will moan and groan if they aren't given more than two drink tickets at a work happy hour function paid for by our company. This trip was especially tricky because it involved being "off" the job on a tiny island where it was highly probable that I would happen upon my co-workers and my boss at bars on Duval Street. And gasp I might be drunk.

And happen upon them drunk I did. I saw one co-worker unsuccessfully try to pick up girls by buying them Jell-O shots. One co-worker, when asked if he had had a good night responded with, "Yes, and a great morning" - yea ew. And another co-worker drunkenly followed me and my friend back to our room (stopping only to thrust his pelvis a few times while in front of our boss's hotel room) to only realize that he had gone two floors too high when he couldn't find room 235 on the fourth floor. Over-served is an understatement. 

The whole purpose of this trip of course was to relax. And when I say relax, I mean the salespeople who had won the trip were there to kick back. I was there to work. So I was naturally nervous to consume one too many beverages when I was off the clock. Which was confirmed, when as I was about to shove a Jell-O shot of my own down my throat, one of higher up salespeople told me I should veer away from any kind of shots. Apparently, my boss loathes them. Which he then followed up with, "Don't worry, I won't tell him I saw you take one." Which of course caused me to have a minor panic attack.

So I threw out that shot of raspberry Jell-O and vodka goodness, and ordered another beer. Any other shots that were bought for me by co-workers that night, I would pretend to take and then throw out. I was being overly cautious, but let's just say I was glad I didn't have to lay on the floor of my hotel bathroom the whole next day. 

While I can't say that I wasn't a teensy bit inebriated most nights of my work vacation, I can truthfully say that I didn't embarrass myself in front of my boss (though I have to admit I made one of my co-workers pretend to be my older brother to ward off a 40-something drunken tourist with a tongue ring who just would not leave me alone).

I was really proud of the way I was able to enjoy myself and not overdo it. I had a great vacation and I met some great people. Oh, and I got a little, itty bit of a tan.

Dear Working Girls,

WG2 and I have completely and totally dropped the ball on posting this past week. Blame it on the winter blues or that WG2 just came back from a business trip or that I just really couldn't do anything but watch Lost on Wednesday and was too tired to post (you Losties know, it takes a lot of effort to watch and understand each episode).

We promise to be back in action next week. With daylighting saving time in full force and a week off from my favorite television show, we will have no excuses.

Love,

WG1 and WG2