Deadlines & Celebrations

Well, back to drinking.  I have a couple of good excuses!  The first is that I’m on an insane deadline for the next book I’m going to publish.  The new title submission process my distributor puts me through involves about 20 really difficult essay questions.  Then there’s a million other tiny things that need to be done.  All by September 2nd.  So, yeah, I’m freaking out.  Mainly because I work a long shift on Sunday, and Monday’s a holiday so nobody from the distributor will be around to help me if I screw up the process.

If I drop the ball, then the title is delayed until fall 09 instead of spring 09.

So that requires a drink.

But the real reason I had a few drinks last night was to celebrate some wonderful news.

I’m shocked, even though I know better, when I learn that people are reading GS.  It’s thanks to this website that a little incident popped up here at work.  I admitted to having a crush on a coworker, and linked her page in the forums, and she had a meltdown, demanding that I erase the thread, remove any connection with her name, and clear the results from Google.  (I had to explain how search engines work.)  Also, I was never to speak to or about her again under threat of serious action at HR

Well, fair enough.  I complied, somewhat (the thread is archived), and even wrote Google at her request.

The initial confrontation really sucked.  She sent an email saying “please come to my office” and I leapt up, figuring, you know, it was love.  Or a chance to score some pot.  I’d just paid , too, for one of her stupid pictures (which was the real purpose of the thread, because she spammed everyone with a sales pitch to buy her work).

I showed up and she directed me to a chair in the far corner of her office, then closed the door and sat down so she was blocking the exit.  Then she proceeded to tear into me, with me sitting there feeling like I was auditioning for a Saw sequel.

I got out of there as soon as possible, did everything she asked, kept my head low, avoided that entire side of the building, and told no one of the incident.  Next thing I know is that her version of the story has run through the entire 600 person company.  She’s telling anyone who’ll listen.  My favorite is a comment I heard from several people the other week – I’m a terrible person, but a great blogger.  Which, I think, is good.  I don’t know.  I’m confused.

Of course, everyone eats up the faux conflict so, when she blabs, it all gets back to me within a day and there are wild attempts to get me to respond.  (That’s it!  Meet me at the playground at 3pm!)

I continued to keep quiet and avoid everything.  Really, fuck this retarded shit.  I don’t know what her story is, but I’m goddamned busy.  Two jobs and a publishing company means that I don’t have time to deal with ignorant cows.
Throughout the week, dozens of people have breathlessly caught me in the halls or have run into my office with the news.  She’s leaving!  Can we see the thread?  I get the feeling that the celebration of her departure is much larger than me having a couple beers last night.

So, tonight, I’m breaking out the gin.