Leave It

When we moved into our new office, I asked my boss's boss about putting a "clean up after yourself" sign in the restroom - she said to keep it neutral (what she actually said was "not snarky", which tells you, she knows who she's dealing with), but totally fine.  She also suggested putting up trivia in the stalls.

So I ran with that, and I now create a weekly newsletter for the restrooms called the McGavock Bathroomian.  Hard-hitting journalism, it is not.  For example:

Restaurant Review -
Bob Evans

 4 out of 5 Coffee Mugs Do you like Cracker Barrel, but feel that the store part is a little over-blown? Do you like Denny's, but wish it had more lunch food? Do you like Applebee's without the alcohol? Do you like Shoney's or IHOP, but want better atmosphere? Then you'll probably like Bob Evans. Sadly, we visited during the Great Romaine Lettuce Crisis of 2019, so we got sandwiches when we were craving salads, but there are worse problems to have. This is a solidly average meal.

I put in advice columns, recipes, celebrity gossip and so on.  It comes out Wednesday evening for Thursday AM viewing.  So, since we are off tomorrow (Wednesday), I decided to print and hang them this afternoon.

Which is all well and good for the Ladies Rooms - the men's are a bit of a challenge.  On my end of the building, the bathrooms don't get much use, and I had accounted for anyone who might need to use them.

On the other side of the building, I typically have a male colleague hang them.  But he's on PTO, and so rather than be patient, I decided I'd hang them myself.  I knocked, I entered quickly, and was just about to hang #2 of 5 when one of the men from my side wandered into the bathroom.  I said something like, "Jesus, you scared me."  But really, he's the one who should have been scared.  I apologized, left quickly, and looked down the hall to see the three colleagues who saw it unfold laughing.

Thankfully, I have a sense of humor in general, and about myself in particular.  Thankfully, the same is true of my colleague. We all got a good chuckle, then I got another male colleague to stand guard while I finished my job.

Wouldn't the Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Telecommunication Arts just be delighted to learn the lengths I've gone to using what they have taught me?

My year has been really good, and it's ending on a high note.  I had lunch with people I like this afternoon, I have had some good conversations, and tonight, I'll cook a nice meal, throw on some clean pajamas, and chill the heck out.  I remember being a tween and teen and thinking my NYEs once I grew up would all be special and party-filled and I'd have ballgowns and shit.  Not so much.

I mean, I've worn formal dresses.  I've two long formal dresses in my life - one my Freshman year of college, when I wore a full length green velvet gown to my sorority's Violet Ball - and then of course, the wedding dress.

Truth be told, short, roundish people look better in short dresses - otherwise there's this DQ cone thing going on.

Anyway.  That's what I have going.  What about you, friends?

My advice?  Stay out of places you don't belong.  I'll see you next year.

Love,
ae