8.19.99

    Quiet day at work. My cube-mate is gone today. I wonder if he's sick. I'm one of the few people with a cube-mate. I guess that's what you get when you're the new kid. Our office moves downtown in one week. I'm excited. I think everyone is excited. I'm hoping I'll get one of the big cubes they're setting up at the location but I have a feeling that I'll be in the common area. As long as I get a desk with drawers, I'll be pretty happy.

    The downtown location kicks ass. It's a historic building with an opening to the old "Shanghai" tunnels in the basement. Technically, the opening has been bricked up but it goes about four feet back into the wall before you hit bricks. There used to be something of a network of tunnels among the older buildings. The tunnels emptied out at the waterfront where booze could be smuggled in and drunk soldiers out. I'm guessing that's where our building's ghosts will come from.

    Actually, I'm terribly disappointed but so far we can't dig up any ghost stories on our building. I'll have to make a trip to the historical society and see who all the various tenants were.

    Last night, I met all the designer coworkers at Bridgeport Brewery for drinks. It turned out to be quite a bit of fun and I had maybe a little too much beer. It was nice to get a more well-rounded picture of my new cohorts. Plus, I got to ask lots of questions about the company and got wonderful, partially-slurred replies. It is still just a matter of time, however, before they throw a blanket over me and beat me senseless. I think it's unavoidable.

    I dropped in to bed last night at 11 p.m. It felt much later, though. T. was already in bed and all the lights were out. He was irritated that I didn't call. I was two hours late. I should have called. I hate being inconsiderate. Especially about things like that. I go out of my mind if it's two hours later than T. said he would be home. I start imagining fiery car crashes and how long it might be before I get the call. I start wondering if I'll get to say goodbye and how I'll tell his parents. And you wonder why I don't want kids.

    So, sorry, schmoops.

    On the other hand, I'm happy that time got away from me. I was shocked at the time when I asked on my way out the door. I really do need to get a watch, though.

    This weekend is going to be wonderfully busy. T. and I are going away to celebrate our one-year anniversary which is on Sunday. I have to say that looking back on a year of married life that I'm quite pleased. All the horrible things that people say happen after you get married haven't happened. There's been plenty of growth and change in the last year. There have been some great times and some hard times. There's been lots and lots of laughing. So, this weekend we are playing and pampering ourselves. Maybe some golfing on Saturday or just taking in some sights. Saturday night will be spent at a bed and breakfast and Sunday morning we're getting massages. Mmmmmm... can't wait.

    It would be appropriate at this time to link to the Wedding Album that I put together but, frankly, I've been burned. Burned by one Jackie Collins. No, not the Hollywood sweetheart but one bitter, British hag with an email account. She used to post in a forum that I post in. I took umbrage at her use of the words "stupid bitch" when referring to someone she had entanglements with. Nearly a year later she comes back to the forum, full guns on me because she had seen me posting in Pamie's guestbook. One of her trident insults was that I looked fat in my wedding pictures.

    I was wrong to post the URL of my wedding album to anyone but the closest friends and family. Jackie Collins exemplifies one of the worst characteristics of the internet. She's someone who will take pot-shots because she's sitting safely behind a computer screen. She would never say those things to my face because I'd pop her in the nose. Of course, I'd also not deign to speak with her. Women who refer to other women as "stupid bitches" will never count themselves among my friends. Men won't either. Of course, the beauty of the internet is that anyone with a vendetta can scream about it.

    I'm still scratching my head a little over the fact that she did aim for me. There were many other targets that make a little more sense (she didn't exactly ingratiate herself there). I can only guess that I scared her by being in "her" forum. It's not like I was even going to acknowledge her presence. It's not a conversational forum at all, in fact it's rather one-sided. However, she must have felt at ease there and I must have upset that. I'll admit that I'd be pretty uncomfortable if someone from my past who had first-hand knowledge of my most embarrassing and shameful behavior suddenly popped up. Pretty uncomfortable.

    Poor Jackie Collins. What must it be like to live with so much bitterness and anger?