Thursday, February 26, 2009

Peace Out, Wightman

Tonight, after work, I popped by a bar called The Pub to help say goodbye to Kate. Kate sits a couple of cubes behind me, and is leaving the beige farm to seek out her fame and fortune in the world of massage therapy. (No, not that kind. Or so she says.)

The Pub is kind of what an English Pub would be like if it were run by Disney. It's got all the amazing tap beers. It's got lots of woodwork. It's got men and women in kilts. It's just a little nicer than it should be. A little too shiny. You know that there's never been a tooth found on that floor, and that just kind of rules out any feeling of authenticity. Still, there were kilts.

And let's be fair about this. The men were in kilts. Most of the women working the floor wore something more akin to an "Oops I Did it Again" era Brittney skirts with thigh-high socks. Still, there were a few there that really pulled it off in a way that wasn't creepy, and to those few I am grateful...though I had to apologize to my company for being somewhat distracted.

I talked for a bit to one of my bosses and admitted I have a "Voice Crush" on Terry Gross. I have no idea what she looks like in real life, but based on her voice and her intelligence (and my imagination), she's a 10. My boss had met her, and after I explained what she looks like in my mind (50ish with blond hair who appears well put together and wealthy without trying to. Neither heavy nor skinny, and completely approachable) she told me I couldn't be more wrong. Blast it all! We dorked out together talking about our mutual love of most things NPR. We toasted Kate a few times, and two beers later it was time for me to hit the road. I had a slightly extended goodbye (Kate claimed she was inappropriately "huggy"), but four hugs later I was on the road. Quick stop for breakfast supplies, and then had to run home to let our poor dogs out who had been crossing their legs for the last two hours.

Kate will be missed. She's one of the few people in the room who really understands the disappointment of the cubicle. Not in that vague "I don't like my job" kind of way, but in a way where she works hard to keep what's really important in front of her and not letting her daylife get in the way. She's good people, and it'll be a smaller place without her.

So, here's to Kate. Best of luck.

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