Vince has coined this new phrase for the insane lakes that have been sprouting up on the corners of New York streets since the most recent Snowmageddon/Snowpocalypse. I’ve been smugly splashing through them in my nice rain boots that have a fleecy lining, which keep my tootsies warm and dry, while others who opted for the ‘fashion’ footwear navigate treacherous islands of ice or snow to perch on while trying to make it to safe ground.
So, naturally, I got my comeuppance yesterday for my smugness. As I was walking down Hudson Street in the West Village, on my way to host the pub crawl, I was suddenly showered in a huge spray of dirty brown snowmelt water from a passing cab. All over my nice clean jeans, my lovely purple coat, my nice wool hat (that luckily was pulled down and protected my face from the diseasewater), gross brown water enveloped me as the cab sped by. I won’t feel so smug tomorrow if someone goes ankle-deep in a curb pond.
Yesterday was a crazy day. At about 4pm, I was losing the will to live, so I got some peanut M&Ms from the vending machine in our office. I’ve never been completely sure if they are gluten-free or not, but they don’t list any gluten contaminants and I love them, so I’ve continued to eat them. A couple of times before I had mild reactions after eating them but didn’t worry too much.
Within 45 minutes of my mid-afternoon treat yesterday, though, I was feeling that all-too-familiar pain of stomach discomfort. By the time I went to bed, I was really uncomfortable and when I was woken up at 3am in agonocious pain, I decided that peanut M&Ms are now on the list of Things To Avoid. *sigh*
I’m feeling a little better this morning, but it will be another day or so before I’m back to normal. I know that there are skeptics who probably think I imagine my food problems, but if I could eat bagels and croissants and cake and my favourite snacks and drink beer with no repercussions, believe me I would. It’s just not worth the constant fatigue, nausea, stomach pain and other less polite effects of eating gluten.
I’m starting to compile a list of the snack foods that I know are gluten-free, so next time I’m in a hurry and hungry, I can get something to eat that I know won’t make me feel bad. Peanut M&Ms, definitely not on the list.
No, not the foot of snow we got. I’m an hourly wage employee, so the sky could be falling in and I’ll still find a way to get to work.
As I was doing my usually morning routine, I had an ‘oh shit’ moment. I realised I had changed some travel plans for someone at my temp job, and that they might need to be changed back. Except that the flight would be leaving in less than two hours that I needed to book them on. Cue heart attack. I rushed into work 45 minutes early, clambering over snowdrifts that came up to my waist, and was very glad (yet again) that I have good karma as the crisis had been averted before it even started. it wasn’t the best start to my day, but it could have been much worse.
And that was when I remembered that I like not having to worry about these things any more. I take pride in doing my very best at every job I have, whether it’s for one day or three years, but I like the lack of responsibility that comes with being a temp. I have enough responsibility in the rest of my life, with two careers to manage, four day jobs, a buddhist practice with leadership responsibility, a mortgage, a husband to occasionally see and friends to even more occasionally go for a drink with. I’m gonna give myself a break on this one.
It’s snowing quite hard again today, although the temperature is infinitely warmer than yesterday. The diagonal slant of the snow in the wind, rushing past my window on the 44th floor of a midtown office building, makes me feel rather wistful and prone to daydreaming. The beautiful, Gothic architecture of the old GE building opposite (the roof is stunningly ornate) adds to the mood.
I have things on my mind today, and not much to talk about. I’m going to stare out the window at the snow rushing by and daydream.
