What does it say about my life that when I read of a television show with a title like Puppets Who Kill, I instantly think of three friends who entirely need to be aware of it? (What does it say about my friends?)

I must remember to check out Robson Arms for myself.

In the meantime, I've promised myself the boxed 4-season set of Corner Gas as a reward for a successful NSP.* I didn't actually know WGN was running it, but they're in S3 and I've only seen a couple of episodes of S1.

I'm not actually All About Television these days. I'm All About a lot of things.

I'm All About No Jury Duty. I was called this week and I would have answered the call, no matter how awkward it would have been to miss even one day of work this week, but they didn't want me.

I'm All About Work. I've taken work home two nights this week - the thin end of the wedge for a recovering workaholic.

Now that Gidget's out for a week healing after surgery, and going to be back part-time for another week or two after that, I have the joy of "covering" for her. Since I don't know where she keeps everything, what programs or interfaces she uses to change things, or what her policies are on handling change requests, it's been--challenging at times.

I've been grumbling to myself already, ever since the news came in that no replacement for Penelope will be forthcoming. I mean, yes, I knew when they asked me to take on half her job "for a couple of weeks, a month tops" that I'd never get rid of it. I've been down this path before and I know better than to believe management when they ask you to step up "temporarily." But having it made, you know, officially official makes me mutter.

Instead, we're getting a "National Accounts Development" person. Which makes me grumble even more.

#1 - Our budget doesn't have the money for a mid-range communications person (in a company where everyone is already bitching about sparse communication), but we can afford a no-doubt six-figure "business development" person's salary?

#2 - Why is this sales position being created in marketing? Why not in the sales department?

#3 - Am I the only person who thinks it's stupid that the most productive VP in the company is now so busy with administrative work that she has no time to do her actual job? And that she's going to remain that way, since 80% of Penelope's job was administrative and this place has not one, single admin to support four VPs, two Directors, and a CEO? **

Anyhow. I'm doing 2-1/2 jobs this week, so, yes, All About Work, but I hope it's temporary. (Pay no attention to the complete text of the website, neatly printed out and bound, laying on the desk next to me. I'm only pretending that I'm tired of waiting and I'm going to rewrite the blasted thing myself. Really.)

The only bright spot on this morning's horizon is Morning Mozart on NPR. Which starts now! That's nice, because I'm All About Office Music this week. I decided that I'd listened to Chuckles (he sits on the other side of my cube wall) mumble, stumble, and fumble his way through enough sales calls. It was so painful listening to him that it was distracting me from my actual work.

I brought in my Walkman and some good music on tape (Mozart and Vivaldi) and on the local NPR station's classical channel. Then the R.C. loaned me her CD Walkman (mine's cassette) so I brought in Tchaikovsky, Chopin, and Strauss.

I wanted the Brandenburg Concertos but the R.C. didn't have them. She gave me something called "Russian Sketches" instead. I mean, she knows how I feel about Russian composers. So overwrought. What kind of world is it when you ask for Bach and you get Russians?

I muttered to myself for two hours when I got to work that morning. Then I gave up and listened to the CD and, you know, not really overwrought at all, so I wasted a good mutter. In fact, there's a piece by Ippolitov-Ivanov called "Procession of the Sardar" that's absolutely fabulous.

I'm All About Fruit this summer. I've eaten pounds and pounds of fresh cherries. I don't know if I've ever eaten fresh cherries before, but this summer I can't get enough of them. I've also eaten bunches of bananas and I'm eagerly awaiting this weekend's trip to the farmer's market so I can grab a heaping handful of Colorado peaches.*** I'm told by a usually reliable source (the R.C.) that they're finally available. Only one cantaloupe so far, but I'm going to remedy that on my next grocery store trip because the Rocky Fords are also available. Mmmm.

In spite of the healthiness of all that, I suspect I'm getting fat again. I've been afraid to weigh myself for the last two weeks.

And I'm All About Friends. Coffee with Meghan and Ruthless tonight. I haven't seen them for a month and we've been trying to schedule a get-together for two or three weeks. Sometimes it's ridiculous how hard it is to find two free hours at the same time in three women's schedules.

Getting there on time means I'll have to slide out of here just a little early, so I think I'd better do some actual work between now and then.

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* At whatever time the NSP is, you know, successful. Which is not yet. Not quite. Maybe in a few days. (Don't ask.) (Thank you.)

** It's because the entire management staff (aside from the CEO) are women. That's what I think. If VP Row (the west side of the office) was filled with men? No one would expect them to sit in on meetings for other people's departments, take minutes, type them up, and distribute them. Male executives wouldn't do it, but women? They just assume the grunt work is their problem, even if it says "Vice-President" on their door.

*** Sometimes I push the alliteration thing too far.