June 22, 1989
Dear Everyone:
The big news around here is that our manager, “Hubert Sager”, is leaving. He’s been transferred to “CUSA Fiddles” in “Alamo” which means that HIS commute will be about 10 minutes door-to-desk. The rest of us continue with our 1 hour+ trip in to and out of the City each day.
We were invited to attend a luncheon to say good-bye to “Hubert” last Tuesday. This took place at the World Trade Club which is in the World Trade Center, which, I found out, is the official name for the Ferry Building. I really hate these luncheons. First you have to find the place. Then you spend an hour standing around with a drink in your hand, making small talk either with people you don’t know or with people you work with all day. Then you sit down to salads that have been sitting on the table for the whole hour that you’ve been drinking and small-talking. THEN you get a choice of two entrees neither of which you care for, while the waiters busily keep filling you wine glass like they WANT you to get smashed in the middle of the day.
Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I have nothing against free drinks or free food. It’s just that I had to drive a company car home that afternoon so the hosted bar and free-flowing wine sort of had to go by the board. Probably just as well.
Once the interminable meal was over, we had to stay in our seats while the gifts were presented. They gave him a big box of “Company” Golf Balls just like the ones we gave our Japanese visitors last month. (Some of you may recall that “Hubert” was the guy who broke his leg playing golf last year.) They also gave him an official “Company” combination paperweight / coaster, something that is certainly going on MY Christmas list for this year.
(Actually, it turns out “Hubert” already has one, so now he has two; a matched pair.) After the presentation, the group got down to some serious drinking of the brandy variety and “Rowena” and I finally got out of there and back to the office. Elapsed time: 3½ hours.
There was a guy on our van one time who complained about eating at a restaurant where they had to wait 12 minutes for the waitress to come and take their order. “12 minutes! We could have eaten a whole meal in that much time!” Is this a uniquely American thing? Europeans think we’re crazy not to take hours over a meal. Is it because of our way of life, or has Ronald McDonald brainwashed us all from childhood? We always want things NOW, if not sooner. Why is that?
Now that we’ve taken care of Philosophy 101…
We still don’t know who “Sager’s” replacement will be. His last day is a week from tomorrow. Some people over in Travel Administration decided that they should hold a potluck lunch (another lunch!!!) and that we in Records Management should host a “coffee break” for him. This man is going to gain 50 pounds if he doesn’t get out of here soon.
I got elected to produce an announcement for the coffee, so last weekend I got out all of my inks and Osmoroid pens and played around with some ideas while watching Return of the Jedi on the VCR. From now on I will associate “Sager’s” “Fond Farewell” with Luke Skywalker and company.
This was one of the things on my list of “Things I absolutely must do right away: #1, find the list”. Most of the other things had to wait because I got into a sewing frenzy. I’m making a new suit, cream colored poly-wool blend, that I just can’t tear myself away from. (Maybe that’s why I hate wasting time in restaurants; I have more important things to do!) I started with a jacket, consisting of 19 outer pieces, 10 interfacings and 13 lining pieces; and a skirt, 4 outer pieces, 1 interfacing and 3 lining. Total number of things to go together: 40. You keep adding pieces together and adding them together until you end up with just two: a jacket and matching skirt.
(Definition of “important things to do”: Things that I want to do.)
I’ve been working every night until 9:00 or 10:00 which is way past my bedtime. But by this weekend, I’ll have a new suit to wear to work. Of course, you realize what this means: I’ll have to tear myself away from working on the suit to go out and buy a pair of shoes to wear with it. Men’s shoes are something that they wear on their feet. Women’s shoes are “accessories” and must go “with” something.
(What to give to a woman you hate: A fuchsia-colored suede handbag so she’ll spend a fortune having suede shoes dyed to match it. Not to mention the dress she’ll have to have custom-made.)
This morning we had another of the Thursday-morning-meeting-that-will-not-die and I’m exhausted. Luckily, the gremlin in the bathroom has gone on an extended vacation and I don’t have to deal with it. It leaves me with more time for sewing.
Love, as always,
Pete
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