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livingdebI got to go to an and-of-summer party yesterday. This is a swimming pool and board game party thrown by some friends who have millions of friends. It's generally quite large and full of people I don't know, though after all these years of party attendance I am actually getting to recognize some of them.
One interesting thing I noticed is the huge difference I feel between work and this party in terms of being in the loop.
At work I feel very out of the loop. For example, I was not automatically "invited" to certain committee meetings and didn't notice until Wednesday that two of them were on Friday, so I took Thursday off instead of Friday. If I had gotten the notifications when the meetings were set up for all the principal attendees, I would have noticed earlier and probably taken off Wednesday instead of Thursday.
For another example, a couple of weeks ago I contacted the head of the advisors in my college and asked if they had meetings of any kind and, if so, whether it would be appropriate for me to attend these. He said yes, they have monthly meetings, and I am welcome. But my predecessor didn't come because she was only part-time. I am also part-time, but feel that advisor meetings should not include all advisors except me.
(Another sad thing is that I'm a little afraid to tell my supervisor that I contacted the head advisor and am doing this. Because I'm a little afraid that she'll tell me that I don't need to go to those. I want to at least see what one is like before I let the cat out of the bag. And this is even though I know my supervisor likes me to keep her up to date on all my goings on.)
In contrast, at the party I got to find out things! I wasn't necessarily told directly, but it still felt good. For example, one friend who likes to help host Halloween parties told the hostess that she would not be doing so this year because her husband will be out of town. So, the hostess might like to throw the party instead. However, the hostess likes to go to the party thrown by the No Kidders (group for people who don't want kids). (Yes, most years she goes to at least two Halloween parties!) And I get to know way ahead of time instead of just wondering at the end of October if anyone I knew would be having a party.
For another example, when I went down to the hot tub to say goodbye to the host, the gal he was talking to recognized me as someone who performs at recitals and requested another recital. And so I got to hear the preliminary plans being formulated (perhaps next April).
The party was a lovely antidote to the alienation of work, even though I see even my favorites of those people much less often than I do my co-workers.
Also, of course it was a nice party where I got to learn about how Starbucks barista jobs are stressful (but why? that is so wrong!), two friends are probably moving into new jobs soon (one is having the job created for her; one has two companies talking to her but the timing is off and she might lose both opportunities), one of my classmates is angry about how much time our teacher wastes, one of my friends is willing to travel only 33% for her job now and yet is currently travelling over 50% and, for example, has the highest status on an airline that flies only to one country (The Philippines), etc.
And I tasted bread pudding made with biscuits, which also seemed to have custard and chocolate--too bad I was so full by the time I tasted that. And I learned that chicken nuggets make a good party food. And there are these "chips" made out of cookies you can buy now. And I got to wear a winter hat in Austin in September because it went with the party theme and it was actually a bit cool outside.
One interesting thing I noticed is the huge difference I feel between work and this party in terms of being in the loop.
At work I feel very out of the loop. For example, I was not automatically "invited" to certain committee meetings and didn't notice until Wednesday that two of them were on Friday, so I took Thursday off instead of Friday. If I had gotten the notifications when the meetings were set up for all the principal attendees, I would have noticed earlier and probably taken off Wednesday instead of Thursday.
For another example, a couple of weeks ago I contacted the head of the advisors in my college and asked if they had meetings of any kind and, if so, whether it would be appropriate for me to attend these. He said yes, they have monthly meetings, and I am welcome. But my predecessor didn't come because she was only part-time. I am also part-time, but feel that advisor meetings should not include all advisors except me.
(Another sad thing is that I'm a little afraid to tell my supervisor that I contacted the head advisor and am doing this. Because I'm a little afraid that she'll tell me that I don't need to go to those. I want to at least see what one is like before I let the cat out of the bag. And this is even though I know my supervisor likes me to keep her up to date on all my goings on.)
In contrast, at the party I got to find out things! I wasn't necessarily told directly, but it still felt good. For example, one friend who likes to help host Halloween parties told the hostess that she would not be doing so this year because her husband will be out of town. So, the hostess might like to throw the party instead. However, the hostess likes to go to the party thrown by the No Kidders (group for people who don't want kids). (Yes, most years she goes to at least two Halloween parties!) And I get to know way ahead of time instead of just wondering at the end of October if anyone I knew would be having a party.
For another example, when I went down to the hot tub to say goodbye to the host, the gal he was talking to recognized me as someone who performs at recitals and requested another recital. And so I got to hear the preliminary plans being formulated (perhaps next April).
The party was a lovely antidote to the alienation of work, even though I see even my favorites of those people much less often than I do my co-workers.
Also, of course it was a nice party where I got to learn about how Starbucks barista jobs are stressful (but why? that is so wrong!), two friends are probably moving into new jobs soon (one is having the job created for her; one has two companies talking to her but the timing is off and she might lose both opportunities), one of my classmates is angry about how much time our teacher wastes, one of my friends is willing to travel only 33% for her job now and yet is currently travelling over 50% and, for example, has the highest status on an airline that flies only to one country (The Philippines), etc.
And I tasted bread pudding made with biscuits, which also seemed to have custard and chocolate--too bad I was so full by the time I tasted that. And I learned that chicken nuggets make a good party food. And there are these "chips" made out of cookies you can buy now. And I got to wear a winter hat in Austin in September because it went with the party theme and it was actually a bit cool outside.
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no subject
on 2014-09-15 04:17 am (UTC)It was a good party. It made me happy.
on 2014-09-18 07:30 pm (UTC)It is hard to tell without living the life, but I think this much travel would be easier if I was home every weekend.
Re: It was a good party. It made me happy.
on 2014-09-21 01:31 am (UTC)