a little happy

It was a sunny and exasperating day at work.

First, my computer screen took on a sick yellow tint for about an hour. The nice IT people fixed it, but until they came around, I had to work with a yellow screen, which gave me a headache.

Second, a very important person asked for some sample documents by the end of the day, which required some scrambling, editing, layout, editing, rewriting, and editing, and we're still not convinced they're as good as they could be if we'd be given more time. This gave my boss a headache, and amped up my own.

Third, a large black-and-white utterly simple document that I sent to the printer in the morning didn't finish printing until 2 in the afternoon. However, Joe-the-office-roomie was way too kind and didn't complain at all about having to listen to the blasted printer all day long.

Finally, the document I worked on this weekend for the same very important person is still haunting me. It has been sent to the Mothership "for feedback," which likely means additional changes. However, I at least get to do a more thorough copyedit, and the same officemate helped me figure out how to add tables after references using section breaks so the tables show up in the table of contents automatically rather than having to be manually entered.

Arrived home with headache to find a box on my doorstep - a complete set of hardback editions of the Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen, purchased at a ridiculously reduced price (note: I didn't pay what the Web site is advertising) to replace my cheap, falling apart editions purchased 15 years ago. Gobbled up the first third of Northanger Abbey (which IS on my thesis guided reading list, after all) along with dinner.

Was also amused to read the Biographical Notice of the Author. "Of personal attractions, she possessed a considerable share. Her stature was that of true elegance. It could not have been increased without exceeding the middle height...Her features were separately good. Their assemblage produced an unrivalled expression of that cheerfulness, sensibility, and benevolence, which were her real characteristics....and she seldom changed her opinions either on books or men" (pp 5, 7). That's my girl.

This gave me enough energy and respite from headache to write a few scenes for my thesis, so now feeling slightly more accomplished.

Yes, everyone needs a little happy once in awhile.