Leasing Company woes

So back to working. At least for a little while. I'm working 3 days this week and 1 next week for a leasing company in DC. Honestly, not at all what I want to do. I don't know any of the laws about fair housing, and frankly, I'm much more comfortable working in an office environment rather than at a residence. Not that I'm in a residence exactly, I'm in the leasing office of a residential building. And that makes it weird for me. I can hear people going about their business in their homes. I dont want that. I want to be in a place where people come for 8 hours and then leave. It feels invasive to be privy to those private things that people do at home.

I'm currently on my 'lunch hour' which differs from work hours in that I can ignore the phone. And I ate my lunchable. mostly it hasnt been all that bad, but like I said, the atmosphere is certainly one of a home. And this leasing office is in the BASEMENT of one of the walk-ups. At least on Tuesday I was in a lobby. Albeit a swelteringly hot closet kind of lobby.

I have decided to try not to sweat it. Though apparently tommorrow will be crazy busy with people coming to the leasing office to be shown an apartment. I can stick it out for 3 days. And at the end of it, I can pay my car payment, the cable bill, and still have some left for me, so I can go get a new Easter dress. I'm actually really looking forward to getting an Easter dress. It makes me think of spring, which gives me hope that the winter wont last forever. We can only hope.

Playing Catch up

This morning I got a call from my temp agency lady at like 7:30. She said she had a last miinute job for me, and like a fool, I agreed. The job is at a leasing office of an apartment building in downtown DC. The temp lady assured me that it was going to be very nice and not at all like where I live. Well she was wrong. This place is a dump! The 'office' is a tiny room, about the size of my bathroom. The computer doesn't work. The windows are grimy and made of those weird glass bricks so I can't see out. The heater is stuck on so that even though its in the 40s outside, its close to 90 in the office. The actual 'lobby' is nice enough, but so tiny that its hardly worth anything to look at. My 'tour' included where I'll be having lunch. In the laundry room. The gym, a garrish room with one treadmill and a set of free weights, connected to the rest of the building via a parking lot. I shudder to imagine the bathroom.

We all know that I'm a snob. But hinestly, I want to work at an OFFICE. With working equipment. And maybe a kitchenette. Coffee pots. Cubicles. Potted plants. Desk Lamps. Windows that you can see out of.

I keep having my father's voice in my head. That its money, and I dont have anything better going on. What else would I be doing today? Sleeping til 10 and watching TV. Which is true. But there are only so many levels below ones standard that one can go.

The wretched thing is that I'm suposed to work for this company in another building this Friday, Saturday, and next Monday. Again, I dont want to turn up my nose at money that I really need, but I'm really not looking forward to it. Especially after seeing this place.

So far I've been here for an hour and a half. And I'm so bored. Without the computer, all I have is my book (that I've read dozens of times)and a pad of paper. And my cell phone.

Maybe I'll take a surruptitious nap. More later.


Later: Well 1:45. Been here since 9:15. Just got back from lunch. Nice little deli, a bit of a run down, but the food was good. Then stoped in Starbucks. Much more my speed. The Starbucks crowd is my crowd. Suits. Yuppy mothers with strollers with brand names like "bugaboo". Then back here. Had to close the office door when I left, to deter theft I suppose, but the end result was that the place was like a furnace when I came back. Good thing I got a frozen drink from Starbucks.

While in Starbucks, I used the restroom. I have an irrational fear of public bathrooms, but an even greater fear of what could be awaiting me at the apartment building, bathroom-wise. After washing my hands I used the weird blow-dry hand thing. This was seriously the most powerful thing I have ever encountered. The skin on the back of my hands was rippling like crazy. Plus it blew cold air. Yech.

Even Later: Just went to the bathroom and it wasnt as bad as I thought. Small and spartan, but brightly lit and clean. Smelled rather strongly of lemon-scented cleaner, but I suppose thats preferrable to other odors that may be found in bathrooms.

Just had to move my car. Apparently they tow on the street that I had parked on. But they only tow after 4. It is now 3:15. I'll likely have to stay until 5 or so.