Let the Good-Bye Lunches Begin

Erika at lunch today. This isn't good-bye, only see you on your off-time.

So, here's a little secret: I start a new job on Monday. A sudden opportunity arose, I went for it, and I got it. I'll be working less hours, getting paid more, I can wear what I want, and here's the real deal: I'll have benefits. I've been working with the promise of benefits for the last 6 months, but never actually getting them. As some of you might have guess, I love where I have been working--all in all I've been working here for a year and a half--but there comes a time when an opportunity to REALLY take care of my needs is just dumb not to take.

I am so curious to see how I can continue my work-art experiments in this new and different environment. In my interview, my new boss literally said to me, "You could even bring your writing here. If your work is done, I don't care what you do with your time here. Writing is fine." I neglected to ask if it was okay if I did whiteboard blog entries and photo shoots involving everybody's shoes, but I figured it was something I would sooner or later do anyway. I think he was trying to say to me, "I know what you are and that's okay with me." I should have said something like, "Good, because sooner or later you would have found out anyway. "

So my usual 3 day working week this week is being filled with good-bye lunches, and thanks-a-lot dinners, and you-go-girl drinks. This is the best part about leaving some place. People take you out to feed you and tell you how much they like you. The bad part is the actual leaving. I will miss so many people. I will miss the breakfast every day (yes, they served us breakfast every single day!). I will miss most of all the blank canvas I found here. I will turn to the blank canvas of my new digs. Oh, the possibility....