more S&G love

Kirk e-mailed everyone Monday night that we'd be celebrating Mike's birthday the next day with breakfast pastries. Great, I thought, since I could be a part of something, as nothing's presented itself as being Sexy Cheesecake–worthy. Instead of bringing the normal morning "desserts," like croissants, doughnuts, muffins, and turnovers -- never realized there were so many kinds! -- scones from Alice's were in order.

Although I was running late that morning, I took the bus as usual (101 up Third Avenue), got off at 60th Street, and bought scones. I arrived at Random House around 8:30 -- not late at all, but I'm often there around 8:00 sharp. When Kirk came in, I told her about the scones. Pleased, she told me Cindy was on pastry duty, and variety would be great.

Around 10:30, the time Kirk had e-mailed as the "start" for the party, I retrieved the jam and cream from the fridge and set up the scones in the conference room. What did I find? More Alice's boxes. Looks like Cindy knows her breakfast pastries. She walks in, sees my boxes and hers, and says: "I know I brought a lot of scones, but I didn't bring six boxes." The rest were mine, Kirk explained. A conversation about great minds thinking alike, an ambitious intern, small-town parades, and dogs followed.

It's a pretty pathetic story, I grant you, but I finally feel like a part of the team.

***
I manned the office Friday. Practically no one was in Thursday -- two assistants and one editor on vacation, a no-show editor, and a late editor -- and Friday had one less assistant. Though I'm never good on the phone, I knew everything would work out as long as I didn't mess up the extensions. The holiday week/weekend didn't stop an agent from making me call Julie at home because "it's urgent," and Cindy requested I water her plants.

Quote of the day: "If you feel uneasy about approaching the orchids, I'll handle it Monday."
Challenge of the day: Finding a watering can.

Yeah, publishing's not a terrible field.