Soooo...I had a super great Happy Hour with my friends from my old job tonight. I had nearly forgotten how much I like them. They are all funny and witty and clever and NICE! Plus, there is nothing more comforting than being able to start a sentence with "So, you know how I love Amish people?" and have them all nod knowingly like "Yes, yes, we know...go on..." And it's the first time in weeks I've shared an inside joke with someone other than myself. It was positively refreshing and fun. I'm so glad they still ask me to hang out with them!
I kind of don't want to write a Dear Crabby tonight. I feel kind of bad because I know that literally fives and tens of people need my help solving their dumb problems. I also hate breaking routine, but I really just want to write about my happy hour tonight. Wait, what's that you say? This is MY blog and I can do whatever I want?! Alrighty then! I'm putting Dear Crabby on the back burner this week, because I'd rather talk about my former bosses and friends instead.
I met up with four of my old coworkers tonight: Melissa, Maria, Kathleen and Brad. Three of them were my bosses at some point. And they are STILL willing to hang out with me! Huzzah!
Anyhoozle, we met up in downtown Minneapolis, and as soon as I drove into downtown and saw the skyline, I salivated. Oh how I've missed tall buildings and public transportation! Anyway, I parked, cursed the terrible parallel parkers around me, fed the meter and realized I was totally nervous! Have I changed in the three weeks since I since I worked with them? Has my attitude towards spreadsheets changed at all? Have they found and fell in love with my replacement yet?
The answer to all those questions, of course, is NO. Nothing had changed. I fell right back into the easy conversation and camaraderie that I used to have on a daily basis. I laughed way too loudly and made more than my share of inappropriate comments. Because they have no delusions of who I am, I happily guzzled cheap beer and ate fried food to my heart's content.
I mentioned to them that I sometimes have a hard time fitting in at the new job. I tried to get some sympathy from them, but they would have none of it. They insisted that it'll get easier, and I was reminded that I felt the exact same way when I started working with them. And look at me now! Sharing laughs and drinks with the very same people who used to intimidate me? Taking jabs at the exact same people who used to grade my performance at annual reviews? I could feel that scared, intimidated girl melt away the second I took my coat off.
When I started working with them, I was the picture of politeness. I watched my language and giggled at every attempt at humor anyone pointed in my general direction. It was only when I got real, though, that people started to really warm up to me. I knew I wasn't fooling anyone with my Suzy Happyface routine. I knew it and THEY knew it.
It's a shame that I don't get to see them everyday anymore, but it really makes me appreciate how much I really do like them. It's not like I just happen to see them because we sit near each other and hate the same things. I can look forward to hanging out and chatting about everyone's latest shenanigans.
My favorite part of tonight was finally - FINALLY! - being able to discuss Geo's latest hare-brained scheme and have people automatically side with me. What can I say? I'm a sucker for loyalty...
Anyway, thanks to the awesome friends I was lucky enough to call coworkers, and who are crazy enough to call me for happy hour.
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