Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Thinking Out Loud (Sort Of)

During my adventures yesterday I talked with many people I knew, some as friends and some who used to work for me. A couple of the reunions were a bit shocking. One guy that had worked for me came over to talk and when he smiled I saw he only had one tooth left in his mouth. (He didn't have a full mouth 4 years ago either, but sheesh!) He's a pretty OK guy, a bit hard-headed, but an excellent worker. That smile creeped me out! This one scraggly tooth sticking up from the bottom of his mouth, glowing yellow and looking lonely... yuck! I almost asked him, "Why not just pull it and be done with it?" Even no teeth would look better than the 'boys from Deliverance' look.

I also noticed the receptionist was still talking about her kid. This doesn't sound like too big a deal, but when I left, it was the only topic of conversation she ever had. Back then I would walk to her desk and she would be telling someone about something her kid did or some story about the kid. It was never ending. And if someone else chimed in and mentioned that their kid had a similar experience she would interrupt and say something like "That's nothing, my kid...." She's still the same. How many stories can you have?

Then there are the ones who haven't changed much, but it's a good thing. A couple of the women I was friends with still were sweet and gave me a hug, just like always. Maybe not the most professional way to conduct an interview tour, but wtf, right? There was also the hottie that didn't care who was around and gave hugs and pecks on the cheek freely. She's still a hottie. There was also the 2 guys that always gave me a hard time about everything. In a friendly, 'who can rank on who the best' kind of way. Seeing them again was fun. They still didn't mind insulting me and getting it back. Guys can be like that.

Then there were the surprises. One woman in particular is a big cheese type that I always though was sort of attractive but didn't care to try too hard to be. Now she's a bit different. She has lost weight, toned up, added slight coloring to her hair and she looks great. I was pleasantly surprised. Also, one of the guys I knew has also done some slimming and cleaning up and he looks really good. His change was more of a surprise.

Another very pleasant surprise was when an old friend who had left the company a few years before me magically appeared. She left to join the FBI and, the last I heard from her, she was in Brooklyn. Suddenly there she was. Back again, married with a kid. It was really great talking to her. I plan on getting together with her to catch up again.

The very best part was having lunch with my 'special friend'. Have you ever met someone who you have an instant connection with and the chemistry is just perfect? That's how she and I are. (I'm talking friendship chemistry only. And yes, Nicci knows her well.) We've managed to keep up with one another over the time I've been gone, but it's always great to hang with her and goof off for a while.

I guess reading over this I can see that it's not so much the job that I remember but it's more the people. Probably that's the draw toward maybe going back. A job is a job. People are what make it pleasant or, unfortunately, unpleasant. I do miss the interactions, even the weird ones. Where I am now, it's a strange world indeed. Going from the old place to the city has been weird. The characters are all present, just not as many and not nearly as many pleasant ones.

There's no real point to this post. I'm just thinking out loud (sort of). It's cool to have a place to document these things so I can look back later. Maybe I'll look back in a few hours and think I'm a goofball or something. Who knows?

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