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Jun. 11th, 2004 04:00 pmIt's my birthday! Nothing can get me down! Not even extended awkward office going-away parties like the one I just had to endure, since not only is today my 24th birthday, it is also my last day at this, my latest in a series of lame temp jobs. I had hoped and prayed that I would get out of here without the awkward send off, but no such luck. I hate being the center of attention in general, and specifically when I'm in a room full of people I don't know very well, even if they are nice coworkers at a not-hellish temp job.
The problem is me. I never know how to handle these things! Do I steer the event? Do I have to talk that much? Do I decide when it's over? Do I open the card in front of people? Do I wait? I don't know! I don't know what to do!
Things like this make me seriously wonder if I have a mild case of social anxiety. Or maybe I just don't like lame, boring forced socialization. (I choose to believe the latter.)
Either way, I just emerged from the painful gathering (which was broken up by someone other than me about ten minutes after I probably should have ended it), and it did not kill me, so I call it a success. Also, they appear to have forgotten today is my birthday as well! I don't really mind because it's my person challenge everywhere I work to avoid any and all awkward social gatherings centering around me. Usually I am unsuccessful, but today I was one-for-two.
Anyway, so now I have to pack up my belongings to take on my merry way, which are:
-One (1) old Dasani bottle which I've been using as a water bottle since my second day here. Wow, that's a long time. I bet there's a whole ecosystem going on in there that I drink parts of every day. Happy thought;
-Two (2) bottles of Neutrogena hand cream;
-One (1) pack of Orbit gum; and
-A bigass pile of old timesheets.
That's it! I travel light! I always fear being fired in the middle of the day, or getting so annoyed with a place that I'll feel the need to leave in the middle of the day, so all of my belongings are within arm's reach for me to grab 'n go.
The main objective today is to REMEMBER TO GET MY TIMESHEET SIGNED BEFORE I LEAVE. This warrants CAPS LOCK because I always forget to get my timesheet signed until way past the submission deadline, at which point someone from my temp agency calls in an annoyed voice, and I have to pretend that my supervisor has been in a meeting all morning when really I'm sitting there frantically scribbling my hours in, trying to remember exactly how many of the five mornings the week before I was late (Answer: All). Actually, I've only done the supervisor-in-a-meeting-thing twice, when I was really really late. Usually I just apologize profusely. That's my method of handling everything: apologizing profusely. Annoying to others, accomplishes little. It's a way of life.
I had more to say but I have to look busy for a bit before I leave for the day. Thanks to everyone who left such lovely birthday wishes!! They're all so nice that it takes me, like, ten minutes to figure out how to reply without sounding like a spazzy cheerleader -- or, to be more accurate, it takes me ten minutes to reconcile myself to the fact that I'm always going to sound like a spazzy cheerleader, so I should just break out the multiple exclamation points and go for it.
The problem is me. I never know how to handle these things! Do I steer the event? Do I have to talk that much? Do I decide when it's over? Do I open the card in front of people? Do I wait? I don't know! I don't know what to do!
Things like this make me seriously wonder if I have a mild case of social anxiety. Or maybe I just don't like lame, boring forced socialization. (I choose to believe the latter.)
Either way, I just emerged from the painful gathering (which was broken up by someone other than me about ten minutes after I probably should have ended it), and it did not kill me, so I call it a success. Also, they appear to have forgotten today is my birthday as well! I don't really mind because it's my person challenge everywhere I work to avoid any and all awkward social gatherings centering around me. Usually I am unsuccessful, but today I was one-for-two.
Anyway, so now I have to pack up my belongings to take on my merry way, which are:
-One (1) old Dasani bottle which I've been using as a water bottle since my second day here. Wow, that's a long time. I bet there's a whole ecosystem going on in there that I drink parts of every day. Happy thought;
-Two (2) bottles of Neutrogena hand cream;
-One (1) pack of Orbit gum; and
-A bigass pile of old timesheets.
That's it! I travel light! I always fear being fired in the middle of the day, or getting so annoyed with a place that I'll feel the need to leave in the middle of the day, so all of my belongings are within arm's reach for me to grab 'n go.
The main objective today is to REMEMBER TO GET MY TIMESHEET SIGNED BEFORE I LEAVE. This warrants CAPS LOCK because I always forget to get my timesheet signed until way past the submission deadline, at which point someone from my temp agency calls in an annoyed voice, and I have to pretend that my supervisor has been in a meeting all morning when really I'm sitting there frantically scribbling my hours in, trying to remember exactly how many of the five mornings the week before I was late (Answer: All). Actually, I've only done the supervisor-in-a-meeting-thing twice, when I was really really late. Usually I just apologize profusely. That's my method of handling everything: apologizing profusely. Annoying to others, accomplishes little. It's a way of life.
I had more to say but I have to look busy for a bit before I leave for the day. Thanks to everyone who left such lovely birthday wishes!! They're all so nice that it takes me, like, ten minutes to figure out how to reply without sounding like a spazzy cheerleader -- or, to be more accurate, it takes me ten minutes to reconcile myself to the fact that I'm always going to sound like a spazzy cheerleader, so I should just break out the multiple exclamation points and go for it.
