Monday, October 25, 2010

Too much work

I was really looking forward for this weekend. For weeks, it stood on my calendar empty and inviting. I told everyone who would listen I planned to keep it that way, and I would spend it dedicated to my creative projects that have been sitting on the back burner for ages. This weekend, I imagined, I would be fruitful and productive on my things...for once.

Then Thursday, I heard about a writing job for a new client, an online retailer, who had what could only be called a sh*tload of work to do. I do want more digital writing experience on my resume, and it's hard for me to turn down a paycheck, so I accepted the assignment, even though I knew that I would be working day to night every single day of my empty weekend. Creativity took its place back on the back burner. Instead I spent my entire weekend frantically writing hundreds of listings about beauty products. Sigh.

My mom worked on an assembly line for most of her work-life packaging over-the-counter products like Ben-Gay, Visine and Desitin. I spent two summers in college working with her and that experience of watching millions of bottles traveling down a belt, getting filled and packaged, changed my entire perspective on things. I can no longer walk through a drug store and not think about how all those boxes on the shelves got there.

Well, after this writing assignment, I have a whole new respect for online retailers and the written descriptions you see on those pages. Someone had to write those, there are so many of them and gosh it is so tedious. Reminded me of the assembly line.

Nestled between my workload, I did have some downtime, though my brain and body felt completely fried. Annette came into town on Thursday night, and we ate sushi at Ruby Foo's and saw Fela on Broadway, starring Patti Labelle. Then on Sunday night, Meagan and Julie came over for dinner. I made a spinach quiche and salad, and we had chocolate fondue for dessert. It was great to see them, but by the end of the night, I had a head ache and was down with a fever. This weekend completely drained me. I took the day off from work on Monday and slept all day.


Before the guests arrived.


Annette in Times Square.


There isn't a gum ball machine or trinket game that my sister doesn't want to play.

1 comment:

Annette said...

I had so much fun! Hope you enjoyed the show. Thanks for dinner. My treat next time!