Month: April 2012

Random 10 4-20-12

Last week. This week:

  1. “Betty and Me” by Jonathan Coulton
    I said we should give him wings and a nice prehensile tail
  2. “The Waitress” by Tori Amos, guessed by Thud
    If I did it fast, you know that’s an act of kindness
  3. “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones, guessed by Clayton
    Can’t you see I’m on a losin’ streak
  4. “The Band Played Waltzing Matilda” by the Pogues
    So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
  5. “Underneath Your Clothes” by Shakira
    But you own the place where all my thoughts go hiding
  6. “Radio Nowhere” by Bruce Springsteen
    I was spinnin’ ’round a dead dial
  7. “Crying” by Roy Orbison w/ k.d. lang, guessed by Clayton
    I could smile for a while
  8. “When I Paint My Masterpiece” by Bob Dylan
    Ancient footprints are everywhere
  9. “Movin’ Out” by Aerosmith
    Level with God and you’re in tune with the universe
  10. “Beauty and the Beast” by David Bowie
    That’s my kind of high road gone wrong

Good luck!

Scavengers assemble!

Today was our company’s second annual New York City scavenger hunt. Like last year, it was a lot of running around midtown Manhattan for charity, teamed up with employees from other subdivisions of our parent company, and all of us clad in very bright yellow shirts with cartoon bananas on them. It was also a lot of fun. It’s ten bucks to charity and you get to leave the office at two o’clock on a sunny afternoon, and if you win the scavenger hunt, the company buys your team a round of drinks.

My team didn’t win — and in fact, I didn’t contribute a whole lot beyond running after the other five guys — but it was, like I said, all in good fun, and for a good cause. This year’s hunt was a lot harder, taking us back and forth — from Dag Hammarskjold Plaza to Rockefeller Center to Grand Central to Times Square to Bryant Park — and less open to interpretation and creativity than last year. This year’s was less scavenger hunt and more Amazing Race. (Or so I assume. I’ve never actually seen it.)

Anyway, it was fun, even if I had to buy my own drink at the end. The cold and rainy weather that moved in yesterday moved out well before we went outside. Which is great, because otherwise I might not have had a chance to wear that stylish T-shirt you see up above.

Wednesday

I went back to the office today, but it was colder and overcast, turning to rain by the evening, so it’s probably all for the best. I wouldn’t have spent much of today out in the backyard.

The official announcement about my new position at work, which has been tied up for a couple of reasons even though I’ve ostensibly had the new job for over a month, went out finally by e-mail today. It’s weird to be praised for my “calm and affable nature,” but it is nice to be officially welcomed into the new group. (That affable calm thing, though? It’s all an act.)

Today was a day of meetings, or at least two meetings, sandwiched around a brown bag lunch. Our speaker was Tere Stouffer, best know as the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the World of Harry Potter. She detailed her experience writing that book, which J.K. Rowling has cited as the good kind of scholarly guide to her wizarding world, and in publishing in general. And there were free sandwiches for lunch, so I’m not going to complain.

And that was my Wednesday.