Month: April 2010

I guess it’s not technically a “night shift.” I work from noon to 8pm today. Normally, I would be on the subway by now. How is that even possible??

It’s 7:45-ish. I’m drinking coffee with a purring cat on my lap. Birds are chirping. I’m blogging. I can’t believe that for the next few months I’ll be washed and dressed and on a subway by now. No relaxing with my coffee, cats, birds and blogs. (Don’t hate me. I’m a hard worker. I just prefer to get a slow start.)

Almost everyone is coming in today to work those hours. There’s a big push to get all the materials ready for the classes that start tomorrow for the enumerators. Those are the people who are going to come knocking on your doors to count you. You being the people who haven’t already returned your forms.

I’ve seen all the maps for all the counting. And I’ve looked through all the names of all the people counting everyone in my neighborhood, hoping to spot someone I know (so far, no go).

By the way, have I mentioned that I have no sense of direction? The subway is all messed up on the weekends and I had to get out at a different stop. I had to make my way back to the Census office and of course I was late.
I don’t even know where this building is that I shot. I just remember it was pretty.

I’ve been mostly absent because I’ve been working overtime for the past two days. It’s been seriously busy behind the scenes at the Census. In a good way. I’m going to try to do a real post tomorrow.

A shot from my roof, taken in lazier days.

“I’m a morning person,”I said, which I am and so they gave me the morning schedule. I have to be at work at 8am. I have to finish this post in the next minute in order to accomplish that! Then I still have to wash up, give out cat meds and … ACK.

So much for meditating and exercise. When am I supposed to do that?? And write?? And read books?? And watch tv??

Ack.
Ack.
Ack.

I don’t have a furball. That sound is:

gack gack gack gack gack.

Anyway, I’m afraid I’m going to show up today and they’re going to tell me I messed up on Monday, made ton of mistakes, and how have I gotten through my life up until now being this inept?

I just love the narrow, cavernous streets, and all the old buildings. Although there does seem to be a fair amount of new buildings.

Yesterday was my first day at my new Census job and it was surprisingly great. They have to hire thousands of enumerators and I’m in the group that’s calling thousands of people to ask them if they want a job. Most people said “YES!” and were, like me, grateful for the work.

All day long I got to call people and give them good news. “You applied for a job and there’s a position available, do you want it?” “YES!” “It’s yours!” “THANK YOU!” It was nice.

Plus, I like the people I work with. The office is in a place that’s easy to get to, so I’m good.

Okay, I am a little freaked about how little time I have left now for writing, interviewing and reading for my new book. I’ll manage, I’m sure. But I am a little stressed. I can’t lie.

Don’t you love this street though? Isn’t this how you imagine New York to look? This is where I get to go to work every day.

Today I report for my new Census job. It’s in one of my favorite back-in-time parts of town, although I don’t know how much picture-taking time I’ll get.

But it’s this whole area southeast of the World Trade Center. Part of it is the financial district, maybe all of it is, I’m not sure where the neighborhood cut-offs are. But it retains the feel of the 19th century in many spots.

Bird coming in for a landing.