Nobody's Fool

the friday five

1. What do you do for a living?
I'm a marketing communications project manager at McKesson. What that means is that I do a lot of writing and editing, manage the design and production of collateral, and nag a lot. That's my day job. By night I'm a crime-fighting freelance writer, when I feel like it.

2. What do you like most about your job?
I love being able to write and edit for a living. They are my passions, and I have recently discovered that I'm not happy unless I'm doing those things. My last job ended up being about 95% HTML programming, and I was miserable. I also really like the people I work with, and I'm proud of my company and what we do. I feel like for the first time in my career, I'm working for a company that actually helps people in meaningful ways. Even if I'm a mere cog in that wheel, it still feels good.

3. What do you like least about your job?
I really hate office politics. I've been pretty successful at burying my head in the sand in that regard, but they inevitably creep in from time to time.

I also hate paying invoices.

4. When you have a bad day at work it's usually because _____...
It's usually for one of two reasons: either because things are so ridiculously busy that people start getting bitchy, or because a project I am managing is delayed because of somebody else's disregard or lack of accountability. Neither of those things happens very often. Though when either of them do, I am usually thrown into a tizzy and start threatening to leave my job and become a dog walker. Which leads me to the next question...

5. What other career(s) are you interested in?
I'm like a little kid when it comes to this question. Firefighter, superhero ... Mostly I think I'd like to go into business for myself as a full-time freelance writer and designer. But I also think about other careers such as:

Novelist; sociologist; pet-sitter; brand management guru; veterinary technician; translator; publishing house editor; food writer; retail store owner; restauranteur; teacher

Never mind that I'm not really qualified for any of the above, except maybe the publishing house editor.

It's Friday Five Time!

Haven't done this in awhile:

When was the last time you...

1. ...went to the doctor?
Hmm, probably in the fall. I have moved so much since graduating from college that I have switched doctor's offices about every year, and I'm so tired of it. I finally found this cool, quirky doctor who advocates things like continuous birth control use, but she lives on the Peninsula, whereas I now live in the East Bay. I can now take BART there, but something tells me I'll need to find a new doctor someday. I'm really resisting it though.

2. ...went to the dentist?
Ditto for the dentist. I haven't been in probably about a year. My dentist is also on the Peninsula. I also had a falling-out with the dental assistant over my professional teeth whitening gel (she started yelling at me because I wanted the overnight stuff, not the super potent one-hour stuff that was causing sores on my gums). So now I'm planning to switch to my husband's dentist in the city, but haven't done it yet.

3. ...filled your gas tank?
About two weeks ago. I drive, like, a mile a day to the train station and back, so I don't use that much gas.

4. ...got enough sleep?
Over President's Day weekend. I don't sleep enough during the week. I can't seem to wind down until about midnight. People tell me this is what happens when you get older.

5. ...backed up your computer?
Oy gevalt. I haven't done this in awhile. In fact, I just found my backup disk the other day. It was sometime in 2002. I haven't backed up my work computer ever. That's a little reminder.

Friday Five

Technically, there are 21 minutes left in Friday for me.

1. What's the most daring thing you've ever done?
Probably my move to California. I had lots to lose. I didn't really know that many people. I didn't even have an apartment when I got here. But even so, I made sure I had a good job lined up and even swung a relocation allowance (which, given the dot-com laid me off 6 months later, was really good news).

2. What one thing would you like to try that your mother/friend/significant other would never approve of?
Quit my job to write a novel. Oh, also, walk down the street in the dark by myself.

3. On a scale of 1-10, what's your risk factor? (1=never take risks, 10=it's a lifestyle)
I'm probably about a 6 or 7. I'm naive sometimes, which may or may not count as risky. I also sometimes suffer from a sense of invicibility. But, on the other hand, I would most likely not vacation in Israel or Colombia, go on American Idol, defy gravity, of gamble more than $50 at the blackjack table.

4. What's the best thing that's ever happened to you as a result of being bold/risky?
I met my husband. We had only been emailing for three days, and I drove 45 miles to meet him at his apartment. In Oakland. He didn't sound like an ax murderer on the phone, but who knew?

5. ... and what's the worst?
I got Shanghaied in Shanghai. Well, not really, but sort of. After three days in Shanghai by myself, and three weeks in Asia mostly by myself, I was desperately lonely for somebody to talk to. These two young men approached me on Nanjing Road and began speaking English, telling me that they were import-export students and practicing their English, and could they take me for a coffee? What happened next is a famous scam (I later found out): they whisked me to a dark bar (where, mysteriously, the bar owner also spoke English — the only three English-speaking people I encountered in the city outside of the hotel — and kept bringing us drinks and fruit). When the very expensive bill arrived, the men didn't have any cash. "LIttle sister, you pay this time; we pay next time," they kept saying. The bar owner and I ended up walking to the nearest department store so I could cash in a traveler's check. I was so angry and humiliated, and my companions realized I was angry; they were sweating and worried, and volunteered to bring the money to my hotel. That evening, I actually did indeed receive a call from them at the hotel, but I was so spooked at that point that I didn't want them anywhere near my hotel. I stayed locked in my room and woke up the next day a lot less naive.

Friday Five

1. What does it say in the signature line of your emails?

Just my phone, fax, and email address -- the phone numbers have the international calling code ahead of them because of all the work I'm doing with designers overseas for my Rockport book.


2. Did you have a senior quote in your high school yearbook? What was it?

I didn't have a senior quote in a traditional sense; though in the "Where do you want to be in five years?" section I was quoted as saying "I want to be a journalist working at a newspaper." Not sure what I was thinking there...


3. If you had vanity plates on your car, what would they read? If you already have them, what do they say?

I hate vanity plates.


4. Have you received any gifts with messages engraved upon them? What did the inscription say?

I got a cool pewter paperweight before I moved to California that reads "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" I know it's something pre-inscribed that lots of gift shops sell, but it's still very inspirational; I keep it on my desk at home and look at it in times of self-doubt (which is most of the time).


5. What would you like your epitaph to be?

"It's always the quiet ones."



The Friday Five

the friday five

I am finally going to be a responsible member of The Friday Five mailing list and start answering the weekly questions:

1. Do you like to shop? Why or why not?
I do like to shop, but I'm not very good at it. I tend to be drawn toward the same kinds of things, then never can find anything good to wear. I'm also hopeless when it comes to the normal female obsessions like cosmetics and skin care stuff.

2. What was the last thing you purchased?
I bought stockings from Nordstorm. Snore.

3. Do you prefer shopping online or at an actual store? Why?
I love shopping online. I seem to find more that I like online. I think stores, especially department stores, are too overwhelming for me. Plus, I can search for exactly what I'm looking for without the pressure of buying.

4. Did you get an allowance as a child? How much was it?
When I was a kid, I used to get a couple of dollars a week, and when I was in high school I usually got $10 a week. I had a paper route from the time I was 12, though, so I usually made some pretty serious money.

5. What was the last thing you regret purchasing?
Several things for the wedding, including some gaudy costume sapphire earrings and a very uncomfortable bustier, neither of which I wore on my wedding day.

The Friday Five