sketchy

Today was the sketchiest day of my entire life. No, really. I wrote this post yesterday, but Panera's wireless internet wouldn't let me publish. Internet is back now. One interview and the wrap up of my three evergreen stories tomorrow. Then I get off at 5, I'll come back, pack...put my fish in some sort of travel container and finally head home for a tryptophan coma and Thanksgiving.

Sketchily yours (but alive),
BT

Lyrics of the moment:

"Ghost of Corporate Future" - Regina Spektor
A man walks out of his apartment,
It is raining, he's got no umbrella
He starts running beneath the awnings,
Trying to save his suit,
Trying to save his suit.
Trying to dry, and to dry, and to dry but no good

When he gets to the crowded subway platform,
He takes off both of his shoes
He steps right into somebody's fat loogie
And everyone who sees him says, "Ew."
Everyone who sees him says, "Ew."

But he doesn't care,
'Cause last night he got a visit from the
Ghost of Corporate Future
The ghost said, "Take off both your shoes
Whatever chances you get
Especially when they're wet."

He also said,
"Imagine you go away
On a business trip one day
And when you come back home,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan,
Your children have grown
And you never made your wife moan."

"And people make you nervous
You'd think the world is ending,
And everybody's features have somehow started blending
And everything is plastic,
And everyone's sarcastic,
And all your food is frozen,
It needs to be defrosted."

"You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending right now.
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending,
You'd think the world was ending right now."

"Well maybe you should just drink a lot less coffee,
And never ever watch the ten o'clock news,
Maybe you should kiss someone nice,
Or lick a rock,
Or both."

"Maybe you should cut your own hair
'Cause that can be so funny
It doesn't cost any money
And it always grows back
Hair grows even after you're dead"

"And people are just people,
They shouldn't make you nervous.
The world is everlasting,
It's coming and it's going.
If you don't toss your plastic,
The streets won't be so plastic.
And if you kiss somebody,
Then both of you'll get practice."

"The world is everlasting
Put dirtballs in your pocket,
Put dirtballs in your pocket,
And take off both your shoes.
'Cause people are just people,
People are just people,
People are just people like you.
People are just people,
People are just people,
People are just people like you."

The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
The world is everlasting
It's coming and it's going
It's coming and it's going

My ex-boyfriend, Pedro, turned me on to this song over the summer. (Does that sound funny?) The song couldn't have entered my life at a better time. With the exception of moaning wives, I feel like the poor man in this song whenever I have to enter a real-world job situation. I was battling a 9-5 in a world I wasn't soo sure I was fond of. I learned how much I really need people and how bad my undiagnosed ADD really is. The song came back today, as I completed another 9-5 in an environment I think I like. Regardless, 9-5 is a long time to sit in front of a desk, but at least I know that as a real reporter, I won't just sit, I'll get to do things. I think a lot of the sitting and a lot of the idle time comes with being an intern, and having people doubt what you can really do without that fancy peice of paper with, of all things, a B.S. label on it.

I wasn't cut out for the life that the other interns I worked with over the summer want...I'm not cut out to do the same thing over and over again. That's the greatest part about reporters...they're an expert about something new every day, even if it's a beat.

The paper's editor came over to my cubby hole du jour and congratulated me on having the video of the week last week. Yes...my little video of the Publisher's Clearinghouse winner was the "video of the week." I'm sure that means nothing, but to me, it means everything. One of the reporters said my video was "cute" because I was being pushed to the back but kept fighting my way forward. That's actually how I want all of my work to be viewed, it was a huge ego boost. The people at the paper, the nature of the work, make me feel like I'll actually go somewhere with this. And, when the time and education is there...I can leave 9-5 (because, it's the hours I don't like) and live happily ever after teaching college.

It's a good plan.

It is Monday, and on Monday I am thankful for my new coffee mug, free wireless Internet at Panera and meeting Marie at the Daily Grind in Martinsburg for an hour and a half. Oh, and that same orange hoodie I was thankful for on Saturday.

I drive through Shepherdstown tonight, thinking about everything that this place has brought me. McMurran is decorated for Christmas, as are most of the little shops. I pass the brothers' old house and think about the number of times I've stumbled down that hill and insisted that I just had a bad sense of balance. I think about how strange it will be to be a real person and come back to Shepherdstown to visit the myth that it is. And then, I pray that it will suck me into the black hole that it is and I can stay there, writing at the Lost Dog and drinking espresso for the rest of my life.

It's a better plan.

I think the staff of Panera is signaling for me to leave. I think they're closing. Regardless...no internet at Birch, so it's Garage Band for some film soundtracking and probably a movie or six for this budding reporter/videographer combo pack.

*sigh*

Oh, and one more thing...

Would you like to say something before you leave
Perhaps you'd care to state exactly how you feel
We said goodbye before we've said hello
I hardly even like you, I shouldn't care at all
We met just six hours ago, the music was too loud
From your bed I gained a day and lost a bloody year
And I would like to know

How do you feel? How do you feel, how?
How do you feel? How do you feel, how?

Thanks Pink Floyd...