Perks of the Job

In addition to my discount and the learning, one of my favorite things about working at Sephora is that I am encouraged to wear Crazy makeup. I haven't gone that crazy yet, but tonight I wore some beautiful green eye shadow that's a bit more dramatic than I usually tend and I must say I think it came out rather well. I never would have tried this look on my own, but now I have it in my back pocket if I ever want a good night look. We are also encouraged to wear fake lashes. I bought some lash segments tonight and I am pretty excited.

Also, on Saturday we are required to wear one of these looks:

(Which one would you choose? I am leaning toward Brilliant Sorceress and Snow Sprite. Plum Line is too normal. The difficult thing is that I have to go from Sephora, to Williams Sonoma, back to Sephora. I do not think W.S. would appreciate this.)

Katie (****) Renville

She hated telling people what her middle name was. (It was Rose.)

Two years later, it's still surprising when I think about it. Which is frequent. I miss you.

Quick rundown.

This is what I look like right now. I think I look more haggard in person. Imagine that my communication is in grunts and I shuffle around the house in my slippers. I can barely keep my eyes open even for America's Next Top Model.

This is what led to tonight:

Tuesday PM: Straight from work I drive to Manhattan. I arrive at 11:30ish.

Wednesday AM: Arise early next morning to get me a ticket to 'Mauritius' by Theresa Rebeck. Walk walk walk around NYC, mostly to Rockefeller Center (GIGANTIC Christmas tree, smelling glorious, with ice skaters swirling around and twinkly lights.) I LOVE BEING IN NEW YORK CITY. Visit to Anthropologie= I want to decorate my entire imaginary house from this store. Visit to fancy fancy Sephora on 5th, but customer service not as good as mine. Subway to Alice's Tea Cup to buy two Deelicious scones.

Wednesday PM: Run back up to 152nd to meet Mom, handoff keys, all the way back to Times Square to see Mauritius. So good. I immediately KNOW that my grad school monologue MUST come from this play. (It also includes the worst executed stage combat I have ever witnessed in a professional play.) Immediately after play is over I rush to find a bookstore which sells script. CANNOT because it is not in print!!! WHAT WILL I DO?! Meet the fam, off to dinner, see Cymbeline at Lincoln Center, do not like. Back to 152nd. Sleep kind of late, wake up too early.

Thursday AM: Macy's parade.

Thursday PM: Meet Slate and off to Manhattan's largest cemetery, just around the corner-- so so so pretty, old, and a little creepy. WISH I had brought camera. Step on dead squirrel. Maybe the most disgusting thing that has ever happened to me. Eat delicious food. Go see Dan in Real Life. Walk walk walk Slate to Grand Central Station far away which is Beautiful. First time there. Conversation. Home, and back in the car to drive to Pittsford at 11ish.

Friday AM: VERY bad drive home through snow storms. Am EXhausted. Remember when I promised myself when Katie died that I would NEVER drive at night in winter, especially when tired? Realize I am doing just that. Am scared. Make it home by 4 and fall into bed as soon as possible. Wake up at 9:30 to go to work work work.

Friday PM: Return home. Watch one show online and get into bed.

Saturday AM: Wake up way too early to go to work opening shift.

Saturday PM: Return home, nap for 2 hours, return to work for closing shift. Return home, watch one half-hour show online, get into bed.

Sunday AM: Get up way too early to work opening shift. Assisted in technique class and feel like am on a cooking show. I even made the maple syrup whipped cream, half the waffles, and prepared whipped egg whites all by self. Feel trusted and rose to unexpected occasion. No longer menial robot, contributed.

Sunday PM: Return home, nap for 15 minutes, return to work for closing shift. Return home, watch some tv, blog, and BED.

I am wiped OUT. But I actually am quite enjoying my jobs though my feet are killing me. And I have no life besides working and sleeping and occasional tv.

My new job:

I will hopefully also get offers from the stores I mentioned below, so please give me your thoughts. *insert "A Penny for your Thoughts" from Waiting for Guffman*

But I am definitely going to be a beauty maven in this French store. The first time I went into a Sephora was when I was in Paris in high school. At this point in my life, I didn't really wear makeup, ever, and so this store seemed REALLY fancy and grownup and scary. The second time was in Las Vegas, where it still seemed a little too fancy for me. But I am intimidated no more. The one at Eastview isn't really as nice as the ones I've been in in big cities.

Why I will like this job: Free makeup. Discounted makeup. Lots o' hours. Pretty good wage for retail. Don't have to buy a lot of clothes to wear there, just black pants. Fun staff though all girls. Can transfer to any other store (though I already checked and there are no Sephoras in London!) But most of all, the cosmetic education I will receive! They have classes on all sorts of aspects of makeup application. I hope that one day I will have the skills to look at someone and know what colors will compliment their skin tone and be able to make them up so they look their best.

I do think it's a little odd that I have developed this affinity for makeup. There is a side of me which is pretty au natural, like the vegan side. But I just cannot deny it, I do fulfill the girly stereotypes of liking makeup and spending a long time in the bathroom before I'm ready. At least I don't take a ton of luggage with me on trips-- I am a very light packer.

Why I may not like this job: We'll have to see how things go, but maybe I'll be dealing with a lot of cheerleader-esque girls. Those oh-so-popular snobby Pittsford girls who always look perfect. We'll see. But the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

There's a whole lot of merchandise to familiarise myself with.

Poll: Please Respond

Now I really don't want to jinx myself, but let's say you were in a situation where you had to choose between two jobs.

VS.

Which would you choose? Assuming they pay the same and you'd get the same hours.

Williams-Sonoma: I love the atmosphere, but I don't personally know a ton about their merchandise, so perhaps it would be difficult for me to sell it? I mean, they have a lot of gourmet food in there which I can't/won't eat, so it would be hard to recommend it to anyone else. And though I have an odd LOVE for kitchen things, I don't know a ton about them. Then again, the manager told me I wouldn't be on the sales floor anyway for the Christmas season, so I wouldn't be the go-to girl for cooking advice. I really love to look through the Williams-Sonoma catalogue and wander through their store even though I don't have the money/reason to buy anything in there. And, this job would be a great opportunity to learn more, and as I said, I love the atmosphere of the store which I think will be very important in my happiness there.

Pottery Barn: I don't have an educated background in interior design, but I would LOVE to learn more. The idea of getting to design some rich woman's mantel is really kind of enticing to me (something the manager said I would certainly be asked to do there). It would be great to exercise my artistic side at a job. I also don't know that much about the merchandise in this store. I just know that I really like to thoroughly look through their catalogues. The atmosphere isn't as great here, but it's much less crowded which is nice. And I always have an opinion to give when other people are trying to decide between this set of dishes or that. And I think I have good taste.

Will it irritate me to constantly be helping rich people buy merchandise I will not be able to afford perhaps ever? It's possible. But then again, with a discount maybe I could get those oh-so-colorful mixing bowls. I do think the discount would be more useful/tempting at Williams-Sonoma.

Well friends, it took me long enough, but I'm finally seriously unpacking. I've been basically living out of my suitcase/boxes since I've gotten here. Except for my movies, tv, and dvd player. Naturally, those were the first things I unpacked. Now of course when I say seriously unpacking, I would say that at least half of my belongings are remaining in boxes in the basement during my stay. But I have my scarves on the wall, my pictures on the wall, picture frames out and displaying, some books on top of the dresser, and I bought a big basket hamper so I have some place to put clothes. Previously, the floor was the only place for them, clean and dirty alike. The room is still predominently a boy room, but girlish things are strategically tucked here and there. And I've got to say it is a relief. I can't wait until I have new bedding-- the hunter green comforter I sleep under screams Eric to me. I am hanging and draping my things everywhere I can. As I believe I've made clear, having MY space is VERY IMPORTANT. It is essential to my happiness. I fondly dream of those days when I actually had my own apartment.

Unpacking like this feels like yet another resignation to staying here. Like I have to firmly say to myself, YET again, that yes I am indeed staying at home for something like 8 months, with a grudgingly conceding sigh. Life is a little surreal. Time is kind of flying by. And I still look around as I'm fixing breakfast and can't believe that I'm here. It feels like this time that I'm spending here isn't actually happening, like when I leave I will go back to being 23, having just graduated college. Unfortunately my house is not an alternate universe.

I've been having trouble sleeping. Even on days when I give myself a really good workout at the gym. If this continues a few more days I will have to search out a yoga class. I should really learn a routine which I can do on my own.

Work should finally start next week if all goes according to plan.

After reading Sara's great comment, I realized that the text I added to my youtube video below does not communicate my support for this strike. OF COURSE I SUPPORT IT! More power to them. I think that what they're doing is impressive. Just so you know. I am also really concerned for those people who are getting laid off.

ALSO, notice all of the cast members who are also writers? What a collaborative show! I wish so badly with my whole heart I could be a part of it. Especially after reading Jenna Fischer's blog last night. She plays Pam, and through her posts and pictures it is evident that The Office cast and crew are so supportive of each other and love working together so much. Especially the cast hangs out all the time outside of filming! I want that! I love this show, and-- not in an arrogant sort of way-- I think I would be really good on it. It's subtle, real, character-driven, improv-ed. I want to be on The Office so bad.

The Office is Closed

Two more episodes, and then we're facing repeats. Or whatever else NBC can come up with.Guuuuuuuh.