Happiness is a window seat

Big news, y'all.  Today I achieved a new level of workplace greatness:  the window seat.  Truth be told, it was not really a reward for any particular thing that I did or accomplished.  It was more a matter of a new and proactive boss who thought it was silly that our team of four was split between two cubicle sections.  In the process of bringing us together, people had to be moved.  A window seat became available.  And I got it.

This is not to say that there was not competition.  At least, there was one other person who expressed interest.  I don't know if that really qualifies as competition.  But I will say that I was inordinately nervous about how my boss would assign our seating because I really wanted that desk.  Really.

My argument was simple.  The desk was immediately across the aisle from the team member with whom I do most of my collaborative work.  In many ways, it was an obvious solution.  But others can be persuasive if they so choose, and my boss did not give a strong indication of her decision until just about a week ago.  Due to logistical issues, the actual move did not happen until today, and it went off with very little fanfare.

Verdict?  It is awesome.  I can hardly believe that such a scene will be in front of me every day while I work.  It almost makes the long afternoons more bearable.  At least it does for now while the scene is still oddly enough a wintry wonderland.

In other news, we are now into my birthday weekend.  It all commences tomorrow with the all girls event outing in which I shall be getting my hair dried by a professional.  Yes, that's right.  I will be paying someone to wet and then dry my hair.  Hopefully when all is said and done I will understand the appeal but will not enjoy it so much that it becomes an addition.  I think that I managed that pretty well with the whole pedicure thing, so I have high hopes.

Following this session of hot air, we will be shopping, walking and later going to dinner at a cool and trendy restaurant.  I expect we will be home and in bed by 10 p.m.  Mark my words.

My actual birthday is on Monday, if you were curious.  If you are also wondering what my age shall be, I am not ashamed to tell you that it is 33.  I have found that when it comes to age, opinions are highly varied.  To some, I am ancient.  Past my prime.  An old maid.  To others, I am still a spring chicken with all kinds of fun ahead of me.  I choose to believe neither and just take it as it comes.  You are only ever as old as you feel, right?

In other news, sometimes I get bored.  One of my many distractions is the online website, Pinterest.  While the true usefulness of this thing eludes me to a great extent, I sometimes find funny or interesting things when I check in on things.  But honestly, most of the time I just get annoyed.  I believe I have blogged about this a little in the past, mostly regarding a male pinner who tries to offer clothing suggestions to women on a board he calls "Girls, do this."

But now I turn to one of the categories that truly irritates the crap out of me:  fitness.  To be clear, I am not against physical activity, exercise or wanting to live a healthy lifestyle.  Not at all.  But it seems to me that most of the people who literally COVER their boards with workout tips are the doing so more out of wishful thinking and/or false pretenses. 

Don't believe me? Take a look at some of the pictures that go with these "great workout ideas."  They are perfectly in shape with six-pack abs and shiny toned legs.  Under no circumstances do I believe that simply doing these four, six or whatever moves will make me look like the person in the photograph.  That kind of body takes a LOT more work.

My theory is that rather than being a motivational tool, pinners are trying to fool themselves and their followers into believing that they are actually doing these exercises and look like the models.  How do I know?  Because many of the same pinners also have recipes for peanut-butter-cup-in-the-middle brownies.  Or five cheese butter pasta delight. Contradictory, no?

Now, you might argue that anyone who truly was working out as much as their pins suggest could certainly justify eating such things, but I am willing to hedge a bet that things are not quite that balanced.  And really, if you're trying to show off to the world of Pinterest what a health nut you are, you aren't setting a very good example.

I just realized that I now sound like a cranky and crotchety old person, which is very much not how one should hope to be portrayed at the dawn of their 33rd birthday.  But I cannot help it.  I have been a crotchety personality for as long as I can remember and I look forward to one day having the outward appearance to support it.  It may be another 40-50 years in the future, but here's hoping I can make it to that point.  By then, Pinterest will likely be a relic of the past.  Heck, the Internet could be an old wives tale that I share with kids in my nursing home on the moon.  Nice.