Random thoughts

Some random thoughts I've been compiling the past two weeks (my apologies if any are repeats) :

--If it is Monday and I say "next weekend I am going to Boston", what do you think? Do you think 5 days from now or 14? In France/French, they think 5 days (i.e. le week-end prochain), as in this weekend. It was confusing enough when we expats got to the Paris office, so we overcompensated by always using dates. But now, we're getting ourselves confused with using "next" - is it this or next, or next next?

--One colleague gets Le Monde every day at work. But it is in his corporate mailbox by 3 p.m for the next day - how can they write, edit, layout, print, publish and distribute the next day's paper by 3 p.m. the preceding day?

--I am always amazed by people who go on holiday and then return all gung-ho, ready to work 12 hour days and are excited about work. Sure, I return from vacation all rejuvenated, but not necessarily raring to be back at work.

--I keep trying to figure out what to do with my life when this stint is up. I thought, gee where would my current zip code put me in the US? Turns out, Denton Texas. Time to think up a new moving location strategy.

--Yes, it seems to be a universal problem....filling the copy machine with paper. I feel like I am forever putting paper into it, nevermind that I print 1% the amount that the guys down the hall print. I just went in to pick up a print job and one guy was staring at the display screen, then left. Ummm, 2 of the 3 paper try indicators were Red, showing 0 paper. And the dude just walked away. I'm going to go mental one of these days very soon.

--If you’re supposed to use hot water to wash your hands, how come most of the faucets in the women’s room are turned to cold?

--And speaking of hygiene ... the company has had all these meetings and studies relating to H1N1 and whether or not we can all work from home. But still the French insist on shaking hands every morning (or, if it is 3 p.m. and it's the first time they've seen you, then shake hands then) ; granted, it's better than the kissing. But seriously - GERMS. I know not everyone washes hands. So now, before the person even turns away I take out my hand sanitizer and use it in front of them, with a slight look of disgust on my face. One day I want to sneeze into my hand and then shake theirs. And never mind the interruption it brings to your work/concentration, to stop what you're doing to shake hands ; or that the other person will stand there in the hallway and wait with hand outstretched while you shift your papers, phone, pens from right hand to left.

--One of my neurosis is I like blue ink pens... Another one is that even if it’s a cheap, free, pen, I.want.it.back. So how did I ‘lose’ 2 pens and 1 pencil last week? I am sure when colleagues were at my desk and we were doing work, they walked off with them. And I think I know who, but how can I go take back a cheap, free, office pen? The kicker is the pens were from the London office and I like them. A lot. Ugh.

--The UK has a “Serious Fraud Office”? Seriously? That's the name, honest.

--When I read books where characters are in relationships, experience emotions, etc (i.e. all books), it makes me realise I have little of that, of close human emotion/contact and makes me feel more alone. I feel better when I read things like National Geographic (well, then I just hate humanity and weep for Mother Earth rather than myself).

--Yes, I actually feel like it is a minor victory, like I have done something to advance time when I am looking at the clock on my computer and it changes. Seriously. It was 13:52 and then it was 13:53 - all because I looked! Whew.