Darla Dare, Girl Detective
Yesterday my boss was off work all day, so I had an experience unique in my many years of temping: I had the office entirely to myself for an entire workday.
I got my work out--and I had plenty to do. At first I pretended I was Darla Dare, Cub Reporter, working on a real scoop with a tight deadline. That got me through the first project I had to do. Then I got tired of being a cub reporter and pretended I was Darla Dare, Girl Friday, holding the office down singlehandedly. That got me through my next few projects. Then I didn't have a lot to do except answer the phone and fold some brochures, so I was Darla Dare, Social Secretary to the Stars, fending off paparazi.
As a last resort in case I ran out of things to do, my boss had left me two huge stacks of papers to shred. Around noon I got started on the first chunk and was Darla Dare, International Spy, shredding evidence before the double agent arrived. That was pretty fun and kept me going for a while, although the shredding ended up taking several hours and by the end I was Darla Dare, Master of a Thousand Papercuts, and the shredder overheated.
Darla Dare is a real person, incidentally. Several years ago I worked in the Properties Department of a law firm, and I got Darla Dare's house refinance to type up. I said to my coworker Tanya, "The name Darla Dare sounds like someone out of those cheesy old novels, like Darla Dare, Candystriper." And Tanya said instantly, "Darla Dare, Girl Detective." Perfect!
As Darla Dare, Girl Detective, I smuggled Mom's digital camera into work with me Friday and took some pictures of my alley. They're behind the cut line if you want to look at them, as well as a picture of some wool I've spun.
The office I'm working in, incidentally, helps people apply for disability benefits. Most of the clients are in terrible shape physically; some have HIV or Hep C, some have complications from untreated diabetes. Many clients have mental difficulties as well, or are semi-retarded. Quite a number of clients have physical, mental, and developmental problems all at once. It's all served to make me feel robustly healthy and very, very grateful.
So I've been pulling up my socks, so to speak. I've started applying to more jobs--the one I really hope I get now is Costumed Interpreter, where I'd dress in old-timey clothes and teach groups of kids and tourists about what it was like to live in the olden days. Yes, they would pay me as much for that job as for an assistant librarian position! I've also made myself a chart to keep me writing every day for at least an hour (there's a picture of the chart behind the cut line too) and I'm sending more stories out to magazines. I hope to be out of Mom's house by April at the latest.
Here's the entryway of the building I'm working in:
This is one of the mysterious windows in the alley, the ones with chandeliers:
And here's a view of the alley fire escape:
Here's my writing chart (I haven't filled today's in yet, although I did my writing!):
And lastly, here's some wool. The bobbin with the dark blue and silver-gray yarn on it was what I've spun for Seaslug_of_Doom's scarf and hat--which I should be finishing about now, except that the other bobbin of yarn, the mauve-y stuff, was what I'd intended to ply it with, but it's turning out much too different. I thought it would be more blue than it is. Then I thought I might try the lovely pale gray Shetland wool (the white-looking hank of unspun wool in the middle), but it's too light--it would make the yarn look pale and pastel, not rich and dark. The bright red was wool I dyed with Rit dye, but it won't work either. It would completely overwhelm the sophisticated blend of colors if plied with the first bobbin. And the small brown ball of wool was some Coopworth I'd hoped would look black, but it's a rich dark brown. I might ultimately ply it with the red, but not for Seaslug_of_Doom's scarf.
So my only recourse is to ask S_o_D if he wants me to continue with the project at all, since it's now going to be February until I can finish it; if so, I have my spin guild meeting next weekend and hopefully I'll be able to snag more of the dark blue/green/silver-gray wool, or something in cool colors that will complement it, or a different bunch of colors entirely. The woman who does the dyeing swears she's going to have more colors this month.
I got my work out--and I had plenty to do. At first I pretended I was Darla Dare, Cub Reporter, working on a real scoop with a tight deadline. That got me through the first project I had to do. Then I got tired of being a cub reporter and pretended I was Darla Dare, Girl Friday, holding the office down singlehandedly. That got me through my next few projects. Then I didn't have a lot to do except answer the phone and fold some brochures, so I was Darla Dare, Social Secretary to the Stars, fending off paparazi.
As a last resort in case I ran out of things to do, my boss had left me two huge stacks of papers to shred. Around noon I got started on the first chunk and was Darla Dare, International Spy, shredding evidence before the double agent arrived. That was pretty fun and kept me going for a while, although the shredding ended up taking several hours and by the end I was Darla Dare, Master of a Thousand Papercuts, and the shredder overheated.
Darla Dare is a real person, incidentally. Several years ago I worked in the Properties Department of a law firm, and I got Darla Dare's house refinance to type up. I said to my coworker Tanya, "The name Darla Dare sounds like someone out of those cheesy old novels, like Darla Dare, Candystriper." And Tanya said instantly, "Darla Dare, Girl Detective." Perfect!
As Darla Dare, Girl Detective, I smuggled Mom's digital camera into work with me Friday and took some pictures of my alley. They're behind the cut line if you want to look at them, as well as a picture of some wool I've spun.
The office I'm working in, incidentally, helps people apply for disability benefits. Most of the clients are in terrible shape physically; some have HIV or Hep C, some have complications from untreated diabetes. Many clients have mental difficulties as well, or are semi-retarded. Quite a number of clients have physical, mental, and developmental problems all at once. It's all served to make me feel robustly healthy and very, very grateful.
So I've been pulling up my socks, so to speak. I've started applying to more jobs--the one I really hope I get now is Costumed Interpreter, where I'd dress in old-timey clothes and teach groups of kids and tourists about what it was like to live in the olden days. Yes, they would pay me as much for that job as for an assistant librarian position! I've also made myself a chart to keep me writing every day for at least an hour (there's a picture of the chart behind the cut line too) and I'm sending more stories out to magazines. I hope to be out of Mom's house by April at the latest.
Here's the entryway of the building I'm working in:
This is one of the mysterious windows in the alley, the ones with chandeliers:
And here's a view of the alley fire escape:
Here's my writing chart (I haven't filled today's in yet, although I did my writing!):
And lastly, here's some wool. The bobbin with the dark blue and silver-gray yarn on it was what I've spun for Seaslug_of_Doom's scarf and hat--which I should be finishing about now, except that the other bobbin of yarn, the mauve-y stuff, was what I'd intended to ply it with, but it's turning out much too different. I thought it would be more blue than it is. Then I thought I might try the lovely pale gray Shetland wool (the white-looking hank of unspun wool in the middle), but it's too light--it would make the yarn look pale and pastel, not rich and dark. The bright red was wool I dyed with Rit dye, but it won't work either. It would completely overwhelm the sophisticated blend of colors if plied with the first bobbin. And the small brown ball of wool was some Coopworth I'd hoped would look black, but it's a rich dark brown. I might ultimately ply it with the red, but not for Seaslug_of_Doom's scarf.
So my only recourse is to ask S_o_D if he wants me to continue with the project at all, since it's now going to be February until I can finish it; if so, I have my spin guild meeting next weekend and hopefully I'll be able to snag more of the dark blue/green/silver-gray wool, or something in cool colors that will complement it, or a different bunch of colors entirely. The woman who does the dyeing swears she's going to have more colors this month.