Today is an Old Chicago Day. Not because I need their food or love the atmosphere, but I need to chat. To QT. About stuff.
I don’t miss my old job. But I do miss seeing QT every day. And now that I have another job, I can’t even meet her for lunch during the day! Which means, we don’t talk nearly as much as I want to - and need to.
I need to talk to her. About stuff. About people. About work. About life. I need to listen to her talk. About stuff. About people. About work. About life.
I need an Old Chicago day.
What is an Old Chicago day? Let me tell you. The first Old Chicago Day happened about 6 years ago.
On a Wednesday, QT IM’ed me from her desk about 100 feet away from mine at around 1:45 p.m., saying she needed a bathroom break. That was code for we would meet in the lobby, stop by the bathroom, walk to the lunch room, grab a pop, and chat while we walked back to our desks.
For some odd reason, on this day, we both showed up in the lobby with our purses and car keys. Without further word, we both got in the elevator, got in our cars, and drove to Old Chicago. (See?! We really do share a brain!) Approximately 15 minutes later we were sitting at the bar at Old Chicago, drinks in hand (whiskey all around!), talking and chatting. In the middle of the work day. We gabbed and chatted and laughed and chatted and cursed and chatted and ordered snacks when it was dinner time and had a wonderful purging of the soul. A few hours and a few too many drinks later, we called Hubby to come pick us up.
That was the best bathroom break I’ve ever had.
I could use an Old Chicago Day today.
I get you on this one! At my old school I had a wonderful friend who taught right across the hall from me- we would hang out at lunch time and when our classes went to specials, we almost always popped our head into the hallway at the same time to ’see’ what the other one was doing- I miss having that connection to someone and someone to share with at my new school.
I hope you can meet up with QT and have an Old Chicago Day really soon!
And thanks for the advice about R’s behavior. It is worth a try- what I am doing now isn’t helping so at the very worst- we stay the same as we are (and A will feel so much better about things because she will get all the attention!) and at best, it will work! So it is worth a shot- Thanks so much!!
QT says, “Right back at ya!!!” Seriously, I almost just got in the car and drove to OC on Friday…I would have totally expected you to just magically be there.
As they said when glimpsing Jaws for the first time, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”
miss you!