A Day in the Life

Where in the world is Natalie?
 
My poor blog has sat empty since August, one lone picture of a blue man gracing the front page. As I wrote here, I was hired for a new job over the summer.

Since I signed eleventy billion confidentiality clauses and contracts, I'm going to call my current company Credit Dauphine. I am employed there as an editor, and it is a surprisingly intense amount of work. It has been an adjustment from my stay-at-home days. In addition to a new schedule and job, I continued freelance writing on the side, and kept up the usual balance of friends, family, a marriage, and time for myself. FitC sat quietly in the backseat. This month, I added NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) to the To-Do List, and it's been a joy. I'm still working on finishing, but even if I don't make the goal, it's been fun to work on a novel again.

A recent trend in the blogosphere is to do a photo essay of an average day; taking a photo every hour and chronicling what the blogger does during a random day. It's been a long time since I've shared anything, and I thought that an average day in my life would be a good way to go. I can't promise this will happen again, or if I will even have another moment to blog this month. But it's a hello, a how-are-you-I'm-fine-see?, a day to let you know that I'm thinking of FitC, even if I can't really do much about it.

And it was a very typical day; nothing really grand or unusual happened. One day last week, Jamie brought me cronuts. That was a good day. And earlier this month, I managed to write a huge chunk of my NaNoWriMo story in one go. That was pretty exciting. Oh, and last week I saw Cyndi Lauper and took a trip to Wilmington, N.C. But Tuesday, November 19th, was just a normal day. Come join me.

7:20 a.m.: My alarm goes off. I ignore it, like a true American.

7:50 a.m.: Whoops. I'm running late. Time to get dressed, make coffee, ponder the universe. I get dressed in a super hurry and discover later I'm not quite that put-together since the tank-top I am wearing as a camisole under my sweater is way too long. (British English translation: My vest under my jumper was in a bunch.)

 8:15 a.m.: I wake up Mr. B to tell him goodbye. He's half-awake already and particularly sweet to me this morning. He gets an extra kiss goodbye.

 
8:20 a.m.: I have a five-minute window in which I can leave the house, avoid the school bus traffic in my neighborhood and roads, and still be on time for work. I miss it. There are two highways I can take, both full of the best and brightest of Charlotte drivers. The official motto of all Charlotte highways is: "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here." This morning, I meet a falling rock from a truck and get a tiny chip in my windshield. Because, of course I do. It's OK, because it's a sign of what kind of day I am in for when I get to the office.

9:00 a.m.: Arrive at work, and sit in the car finishing my morning coffee. Consider taking a photo of the parking deck. Drink more coffee instead.

9:15 a.m.: Looks like it doesn't matter how late I was, since my computer decides to be finicky and lock me out. It does this sometimes, and I have to call tech support to have them unlock me. Tech support and I are on a first-name basis because of it.

Several co-workers try to help me out by giving me advice on how to open my computer. The advice ranges from condescending to smug to kind, but even though I tell them that yes, I've tried the obvious tricks, and need tech, they don't believe me.

10:30 a.m.: Still locked out of my computer. I attend a meeting unprepared and without the info I need since it's all stuck inside a machine that doesn't recognize its own password. Tech support says they'll send a guy up to my floor.

11:00 a.m.: Tech guy comes up and is equal parts contemptuous and superior. He types in his Official Tech Password and is locked out. He is surprised and has to call tech support. I feel a little vindicated.
  
11:30 a.m.: I've been at work all morning and haven't been able to do anything related to my computer. I throw in the towel and go to lunch.

12:00 p.m.: My friend Carley and I go to the lake to eat, since the whole "working" thing wasn't working for me. It's ridiculously beautiful.

I order a bánh mì sandwich but it's not called bánh mì on the menu. It's called Asian Tuna. OK, lake people. Whatever you say. But that's a bánh mì. Right? Right.

During lunch, we make plans to go to the new H&M after work and look at all the empty racks.

1:00 p.m.: Back to the office. My computer works now! Hooray! Except for email. And IM. And Internet. But it's on!

2:00ish: An alarm sounds. Oh good. Time to slowly go down 7 flights of stairs to stand outside. In the case of an actual emergency, contract workers like myself would be used as a floatation device. I took a picture of the slow moving stairway, but it was a stealth shot that came out blurry. Picture lemmings? Or lemurs. Lemurs may be cuter.

3:00 p.m.: An appropriate time to start my work day.

4 p.m.: Editing. I am up and down from my desk and working with the designers and coders. I collide with the chair of one of the web people who pushes away from his desk just as I am walking by. My feet and chair wheels meet. Luckily I am wearing ugly socks.

4:00ish - 6:00ish: Working full speed to make up for the missed morning. My brain overloads and short circuits. No photos, for this, sorry. I don't remember when I stop and leave work. See you tomorrow, Credit Dauphine!

6:00ish: I meet Carly at the mall to do a little retail therapy. Christmas decor is already in full swing. I take an awesome selfie in front of the grand tree.

Carley's a good shopping partner because she does not deter me from buying sparkly stockings (probably because I am still in ugly socks) and doesn't tell me to put down that sequined bra that my inner drag queen desires. I buy galaxy print tights that include a lightening bolt image because DAVID BOWIE, and they make my ass look cosmic.

Carley and I have a Starbucks dinner and see this Internet favorite. Admiral Ackbar isn't only popular online.

8:29: Driving home time! It's been exactly 12 hours since the last time I was in my car.

9:00: Home again! Time to NaNo, shower, and show off my cosmic ass to my husband. Mr. B arrives home a little after I do and we snack and chat and bond. No, you sweet perverts, no pictures.

Midnight: I finally climb into bed to actually sleep. Lather, rinse, repeat for the next day. Hopefully my computer will work, my drives will be smooth, and my socks will be cute.

Love you, Internet strangers and friends. See you soon.