Hey! It's May!

Random things that have happened this past week:

Last Wednesday, I came to work and pretty quickly decided that I really, really didn't want to be there. So I told my coworkers I'd be leaving at noon for a 1/2 sick day. This white lie would be well and good if I didn't have well-meaning, thoughtful coworkers who ask repeatedly "How are you feeling? What's wrong? Awwww..." Ugh. It's nice to be cared about, but I'd rather just be left alone when I'm lying, thankyouverymuch. I did manage to psych myself into feeling dizzy and nauseous, but that was only because I guzzled a lot of coffee. So I left the office at lunchtime and blissfully spent the afternoon elsewhere. The next morning, back at work, I was greeted with more "How are you feeling? Better?"

"...Yes," I responded, averting my eyes, willing my extra-caring coworker to direct her attention to something, anything else. I wonder how obvious it was that I was totally full of shit?

And now I ardently wish that I had resisted going home early last week, because I really want to take a full sick day, but I feel that it's too soon to feign illness again. The wonderful thing about sick days where I work is that all I have to do is call in to the voicemail system and leave a message saying I'm taking a sick day, no questions asked. Except for the questions asked when I come in the next day, the sympathetic "You feeling better?" questions. Yes! Yes, I'm feeling freaking better, because I actually got to stay home for a day and deal with all the stuff that piles up when you work 45 hours a week and try to have a life on the side, which includes overcommitting yourself to extracurricular activities that you wish you were making your living off of!

And what if I really were sick? What if I had a horrible stomach virus and I spent the day violently throwing up? Do my coworkers really want to know that? "Actually, I'm not really feeling better, but at least I've gotten my head out of the toilet." Or "Well, my stool isn't bloody anymore." That would shut them right up.

Okay. So ends that rant. Another random thing that happened last week that I wish I could take back: I introduced Tristan to a stranger as my "boyfriend slash business partner."

Business partner?

He's not my business partner.

I don't know why I said that. It just came out. I was picking up a book from this woman who works at an agency that's associated with the magazine I've recently started editing, and Tristan was there with me, and before I knew it, he was my business partner. I guess my reasoning went like this: Tristan is going to help me on the magazine --> I am talking to a person tangentially associated with said magazine --> Tristan is here --> I should introduce Tristan --> he is my editorial assistant, in the loosest, vaguest sense of the term --> this woman works in a business --> "Hello! This is Tristan, my boyfriend/ business partner."

What I should have said was simply, "It was nice to meet you. Thank you for the book," while I let my boyfriend/ non-business partner remain unobtrusively in the background. He pointed out afterward that I could have not introduced him, because he will probably never, ever see that woman again in his life. I, however, feel like I have to introduce him to absolutely everyone to make up for not introducing him to more relevant people earlier on in our relationship.

So. That's that.

I am so busy this week that my head is going to explode. I am currently wondering what I've gotten myself into, what with saying "yes" to everything and really wanting to do it all. We'll see what happens. I feel a familiar sense of abundant stress coming on... I am hoping, though, that I can figure out how to deal with all of it this time. Send me soothing words of encouragement...