Maze-like buildings, Apartment Cleaning and Exercycles!

The building in which I work is so huge that for the first year I worked here I was scared to leave my desk for fear of getting lost. The first few weeks I was lucky to find my desk, but would break out into hives if I had to talk to my boss, since I wasn't sure how to get to his desk from mine. This building is a maze, an absolute maze. I remember that within my first month I had to find my cousin's fiance's desk. It wasn't far, but I honestly had no clue how to find it. I was so relieved when I got there, but then had to find my way back. Now I can do it w/o even thinking about it, but back then? I was near tears. I HATE being lost and feeling like an idiot.

There are directories located every ten feet or so which is helpful, but then you feel like a moe because nobody else is stopping to look at it. At least, that's how it felt. Now I see people all the time with that "I'm so fucking lost" look on their faces and I will usually stop to see if they need help.

The year I started here we had a huge mother snow storm in December and when I went outside to go to work, I took one look at my car which was literally a block of friggin' ice and figured out that I could see my building from my street and that I would be outside less time than if I broke my car out of its iceblock. I walk to the nearest door but my desk was on the complete opposite end of the building – a good half mile as the crow flies – and I literally had no idea how to get there. I walked into one area and even though there was a foot of snow on the ground and it was only 7:00 a.m. I found a man to whom I had sent e-mails in his office. I introduced myself and asked how on earth I could get to my zone. He told me and I left not very confidently. I walked along and just felt that I was never going to get comfortable in this building and that I was going to have to find my way back somehow. I found another person along the way and he gave me further instructions. I eventually found my desk, but was not in the least bit confident that I could find my way home. Sure, I could have easily walked outside, but it was bloody cold and that wasn't going to happen. I don't like being cold.

Within a few months, I was walking to work every day and feeling relatively confident in finding my way around the building. I even walk the hallways on my way home reading my book. People always have to comment on that usually by saying, "Must be a really good book." My normal response is just a smile, but I always think, "No, but it's more interesting than these white walls." Am I the only person who reads while walking? When I worked at a certain fast food burger chain (Have It Your Way) back in high school and college, I walked to work because I didn't get my driver license until I was almost 20 years old. And on that walk I would read a book. It just passed the time more pleasantly. But apparently it's a weird thing to do.

I have taken to driving to work this week though. I can't afford the time loss that walking home, changing clothes and then driving to the gym take. I have to get my silly apt. clean! The dining room is as good as it's going to get at this point. The hallway and living room need some serious work and that's on today's agenda. If I don't get it done tonight I'll have to forego the gym tomorrow and just go straight home. I must admit that I'll be glad when it's clean and that I'm really glad HRH is coming in for the baseball game as it was the incentive I needed to take the time to do this hideous task.

And I've found someone who wants my recumbent bicycle. Yay!!! I hate that damn thing and now that I'm going to the gym daily, I certainly don't need it taking up precious space in my living room. I hope my friend from church can come tomorrow to pick it up, but I have a feeling that this weekend will be a bit more realistic. I just want that sucker gone!!! She's tired of her ten-year-old Stairmaster and thinks this will be a nice change of space.

Hard to write anything interesting or exciting when all I've done is work, exercise and then clean. Is it naptime?