11:20 p.m. | 2004-03-20 I Can Write Interesting Stuff Sometimes. Unfortunately, This Entry Is More Stuff Than Interesting. I�ve been staying late at work to finish up one of my analyses. That�s not been fun, nor has it been conducive to my household chores or well, my personal life. However, I often draw the short straw. So to speak. Anyway, I finally got a stamp of approval from NewBoss late last night. He handed it off to UA who has to proof everything before it goes to NewBoss� Boss (NBB). So, she was reading my rather long and convoluted analysis this morning. This is that. (UA:) Hey CI, this is really very interesting. (CI:) What�s interesting? (UA:) Your analysis on this subject. This is the first analysis I�ve ever found interesting. Most of them are really technical and boring. (Mind you, there are around 10 analysts and we all have different topical areas, but she has to read them all. And, it doesn�t have so much to do with writing as it does the subject matter.) (CI:) Is it really interesting? I mean, I�m bored by the subject because I�ve been dealing with it for a couple of months. Does it read well? (UA:) Yeah, totally. That part about this incidence� I can�t believe that people weren�t outraged and that it wasn�t on the news. (CI:) Oh, people were outraged and it was on the news. However, that happened last year so it�s not in the news so much anymore. Anyway, she proofed it and sent it over to NB�s boss for signature. NBB sent it back over with her signature and a note saying that it was very interesting. That probably doesn�t seem like a big deal, but, in general, the stuff I write is not so interesting. In fact, none of us write �interesting� stuff, so that was nice to hear. And, it is interesting. Albeit, not so much to me anymore since I�ve been mired in the subject for a couple of months. It�s like writing term papers for a living. Once you�re done, you just don�t want to see it ever again. Except, if you save them � like I do � and read them years later. Then, they seem interesting. But, not so much when you�re writing them. On a different note, there was a little �contest� at the weekly meeting. NB told us there was a prize and we could win it by number picking. You know, by picking the number closest to the number he chose. Honestly? I was a little apprehensive. Knowing NB, the prize could be �the most assignments ever� as easily as it could be something cool. I was ready to split hairs over the word �win�, but instead, I just picked a number. And, lo and behold, I won. What did I win? Well, a new computer. What�s that? Is OMC jealous? Why, yes, he is. Very much so. Did I yank his chain about that? Of course. In other work-related news, I went to lunch with UA today. We haven�t been able to lunch much because she has a new puppy and has to go home to feed him midday. However, we were able to squeeze in lunch today. UA and I are both gardeners and love nature. And, she�s recently done something that I�ve avoided. She joined a particular flower club. Here�s that. (CI:) What time did you leave work last night? It must�ve been late. (UA:) Yeah. I didn�t get home until after 9:00pm, but I attended my first flower club meeting. I went straight there after I finished at work. (CI:) How was it? (UA:) It was fun, except it�s all old people. (CI:) Yeah, I know. That�s why I don�t go to those kinds of thing. Not that I don�t like old people, just that I live right next door to a senior center. You know, they like to talk. A lot. Did you notice that? (UA:) Yes. I don�t think I ever finished a sentence. Ever. (CI:) See, that�s why I don�t join. They just don�t ever stop talking. And, they don�t sleep much. Plus, they don�t have to go to work the next day. Love them, but no, I can�t do that. (UA:) It was fun though, and they have a bus trip planned. It�s a bus trip to a garden I�ve never been too and really want to see. And, if I go, I can get my most favorite flowering plants at cost. So, I was thinking that�d be great. You know, to go to a place I�ve wanted to got and get plants at cost� Both of us got lost in gardening thoughts for a while. (CI:) But, then you realized that you�d have to take a long bus ride with talkative seniors, right? (UA:) Exactly. See, I don�t think I could do that. (CI:) You know, if you took someone with you, it might work out better. (UA:) I thought of that too. (CI:) I�d go with ya. (UA:) Really? (CI:) Yeah. Except I�d need to know how long a trip it�d be. Like I said, I have a building of seniors next door to my home� an hour of talky-talk can be really long. (UA:) Come to think of it, I need to know how long a trip it�d be too. I�ll find out and let you know. Not that I don�t appreciate seniors, and not that I think I�m gonna be any different when I get along in age� just that I�m not there yet. I can�t get by with two hours of sleep followed by 22 hours of talky-talk. I can out-talk a lot of folks but not too many seniors. your thoughts? seed flower