My hangnail is bleeding.

[judecorp]

I brought my Simon & Garfunkel "Old Friends" box set into work today, which is making me a very mellow boy. I got into work a half hour early to check on Velma (she's been upset and fighting some demons) and managed to be fairly productive, even. I made a poster and sent out some emails and have been a pretty good worker, considering. I'm fighting a little scratchy throat which means more echinacea when I get home, and a good night's sleep.

My girl was upset last night, and it's very frustrating to be so far away at times like that, times when I just want to put my arms around her and make her feel better. I just have to keep reminding myself, "tomorrow, tomorrow." You know, I wish I could be like scottopic and write in brilliant prosetry.

We are so passive aggressive at work. There is a chalk board outside the women's bathroom and there are lots of comments and questions about respect and how one earns it. It started with "Does respect come with a title?" I love the people that I work with, except the one that was written about. We are amazing people. Even the passive aggressive messages make me smile, because I imagine who wrote them, which of the brilliant, competent people I am privileged to share space with had those thoughts.

I'm really going to miss Velma when I'm gone. She challenges me and my defenses in a way that I've come to really crave. There isn't a single thing that gets by this woman. I have so much respect for her, and today she told me that she was really proud of how well I was doing. That made me feel really good.

I'm writing the paper about My Emily this afternoon. I hope she likes it.

~//~

Just a grain of sand
hanging on his sole for so long
thinking I belonged
in his worn out tread
until he clapped his shoes
together and knocked me loose.
When I blew away I thought
that I would join the
anonymous others
on the sunny shore but
I was swept into a clam
and became her pearl.