Below and within.

I like activities. Who doesn't? I enjoy clubs, outings, groups... Basically getting out of my house with others is something I rarely turn down. However, I am never the person to plan such activities. I like pre-existing engagements that I can RSVP to. I don't call people to see if they want to go, I certainly don't plan months ahead of time to reserve space, or organize a team, or hire a DJ. I attend and if necessary, I pay. That's it, that's my effort. Usually -that is all the effort that is needed. "We'd love it if you showed up!" Consider it done. My job is being an assistant. In my free time, if anything - I want people to assist me.

Now - the trouble comes with my friends. I'm friends with the go-getters, the planners, the above-and-beyonders. From the outside this seems good. One would think that I could just be lead blindly to social gatherings by those in charge and do what I do best: participate. Nope. When you are friends with the organizer you are inevitably given a job - some sort of menial task that your "friend" doesn't feel comfortable asking anyone else to do. Usually the request is given under some sort of false pretence that you are "the only one I can trust with this" or "I've seen what you can do, you'll be great!" (The go-getters are always sickeningly encouraging.) This translates to, "I'm really trying to make some new friends here, and if I ask them to write down their own names and addresses, they'll obviously hate me forever. Here's a pen."

Aside from the additional work that has now tainted this purely social, formerly fun activity, the Friend of the Organizer also has more responsibility than any other attendee. By signing up for softball I committed to the same amount of games that everyone else did, under the assumption that if I were hypothetically extremely hungover and unable to walk, stuck in traffic, or plain old not in the mood to show up that it would be ok to not show up. Wrong! Other people can do that. The average attendee of a weekly outing to a local watering hole can just not show up unannounced and be welcomed back the next week without 35 "Why aren't you here? Who can I ask to watch the table when we all go out for a cigarette?" phone calls. The Friend of the Organizer must be present at all instances of said organized event regardless of other - even pre-established - commitments.

Well I quit. I'm done being a founding member, a team manager, or any other pretend title giving the illusion of power. I'm going to stick with activities that I enjoy without any strings attached. The people at the gym never ask me to help pick up towels with them. The bartender never has me get my own ice. People are dependent on me all day at work, so from now on after 5 and on weekends, I am going to be completely dependent on others, or independent with no responsibilities but my own. If that bothers you, you should probably find some more responsible friends, and actually - I wish you would so that I'm not the only one.

Takin' what they're givin'

A woman at my office quit last week. I am now doing much of her job on top of my whole job. It sucks. I can't get to NH fast enough. This work load was dropped on me as a surprise on Friday, hence I have been MIA on the internet. I have to work for one more financial planner now (bringing the grand total up to 7). I didn't mind sitting down with the woman who left (who is awesome by the by) and the new-to-me planner and sorting through open cases. I didn't mind getting a list in my inbox on Monday morning of new-to-me clients and their status with their insurance and accounts, etc. I do greatly mind the two manila folders bursting at the seams of filing that she just "didn't get to" dating back to mid 2004. Super.

The worst part is that she left her employers in a lurch because she didn't like the way she was treated. Instead of them bucking up and figuring out how to process business themselves (as MANY planners here do) and/or learning a lesson they turned around and dumped all of her shit onto other assistants. I'm one of 3 people who is now doing a job.3(repeating). One poor other woman was only doing marketing materials part-time for planners and started 2 months ago. She has NO idea what's going on, but that doesn't concern the "higher ups" at all. Of course not - it is cheaper to have present employees do more work (and not get paid more, mind you) than to hire a new person. The planners I have been working for actually pay less for me now that I've been roped in to help this new guy. It's absolutely terrible, but it makes complete monetary sense, which means this is how it will stay until soemone else (me) leaves.

My only hope is that this will all pay off around Christmas time when I'll get presents from 7 men that I know make good money, hopefully some sort of bonus, and some peace and quiet when they're off galavanting in their Time Shares/vacation homes.

-Other news -

Running is going well, went 6 miles on Sunday. It was much more tolerable than I expected, but my iPod keeps slipping out of my holder thing, which was just annoying, and will get more annoying as the runs get longer.

I'll be running a 5k race this sunday in celebration of it being Half Way to St. Patty's Day, sponsored by an Irish Pub in Manchester, NH.

I left my cell phone AND my lunch at home today, and got stuck in traffic behind a four-car pile up on the way to work. Weather said it was going to be cloudy and 72, it is definitley rainy and 60-ish now. LIARS. Boo X 3.

The supermarkets have huge crates full of pumpkins, candy corn is everywhere and the leaves are changing. Yay X 3.

A.L.I.T.

Ouch, my shin splints of indoor track fame are back. Boo! I did squeeze two workouts a little close together (I ran at 7 last night, and then again at 6 this morning) which is probably the biggest issue. I have weight training scheduled for today and then REST tomorrow. This is all very doable... I just have to not lose my interest (again, culinary school?).

I have my training plan posted up in my cubicle at work, and I've been crossing off my workouts in pinky-purple marker. If that doesn't keep me excited, I don't know what will. I'm hoping that people will start asking me about it. No takers yet... I'll try printing it out in a bigger font next time.

Work was hellish yesterday. So terrible that my amazingly cordial, nice, friendly, bend-over-backwards-for-anyone co-assistant, Sheryl snapped, "Aww... Shit runs downhill!" after hanging up on our boss. Eep... :/

All is well now and we're back in the swing of things.

TGTIF.

Give my kids ghetto names like Little Mookie, Big Al, Lorraine (I wish)

I'm back...

I lose interest in the blogging so quickly! Lately whenever I've come across ideas to write about, it's sort of like the kid drowning in the pool... unhappy and mostly bitter. That's not what I want to go back and read about when I'm skimming my archives, so I have just stopped all together. But for now I'm back.

I've just commited to running the Philadelphia Half Marathon with my sister in November. That gives me 11 weeks to get into 13 mile running shape. I'll try to keep This is me updated with that adventure.

Also, within the next 6 months I'll be moving to and getting a new job in New Hampshire. I am very much looking forward to it, but financially I can't do it yet. Goal: early 2007.

I wish I were in school. I found myself looking online for various continuing education, hobby, and even masters programs today. The Back to School vibe is so strong! I wish I had a need for a new pencil case and a Five Star notebook. I'm thinking of getting my MBA eventually. I could do it in NH, but it will be $300 cheaper per course if I wait until they consider me a "resident" (which is another year, at that point I'll certainly have lost my motivation to learn - proof: ask me how I'm doing in culinary school.)

Maybe I will excercise my mind by chipping away at the constantly growing "To Do:" list on my desk.