My thought for the day is simple:

You are responsible for your own attitude. Sometimes things don't always go according to your mental plan. But you are responsible for how you react and how you far you let your negative attitude take over your thoughts.

Today we moved into our new office building. It was a comical day for several reasons. The suite wasn't completed when we arrived, which resulted in much grumbling and mummering and in some cases, near-tears. Then, we really had nothing to do except get in the way of the workmen and the movers, so everyone spent the day shuffling around in different areas of the suite; except for Rob, who had to ready to pass out by the time he left today-- he was running around everywhere. I lost track of where he was. A group of us had lunch in the deli downstairs, and I thought to myself: "Wow, we have really hit paydirt here-- we're in a building with its own deli!" And I meant it semi-excited, too, not all sarcastic. I would say the ratio was about 45% sarcasm, 55% genuine awe. Yes, this is what my life has been reduced to. Deli Excitement.

The funniest thing was when the fire department showed up and decided to test the fire alarms. Without giving any of us notice. So there we were, about six of us, sitting around in my new office, when all of the sudden ear-shattering alarms start going off for about 5 or 6 minutes straight. It was so loud we all just sat there with our fingers in our ears and yelled, "Turn them off!" at random intervals. Everyone had that look on their face of "startled toddler." You know the look. A jump, a blink, followed by a pained expression and perhaps some blushing over the audible intrusion.

And once wasn't enough for these firemen. Oh nooo. They tested the alarms 2 more times. The last time, we did get warning, which was nice. But it really was funny--at least, to me-- to steal glances at my co-workers at the crucial moment when the sirens started wailing again. Everyone looked so, I don't know, delicate. Ahhhh! Help! It's loud! One of the first things that popped into my head (after smiling at the strange situation) was that scene in "Benny and Joon" when Sam (Johnny) is cleaning the kitchen with the loud music playing on the boom box, and Joon comes in and holds her hand over her ear and points with the other hand at the boom box and yells over the music, "Ahhhh!"

Oh, and this is sort of disturbing: In the ladies' room, the liquid soap that comes out of the dispensers is dark red. It looks pretty foul on your hands. And then later on in the afternoon, I visited a different ladies' room and not only did I hear a lady crying in one of the stalls (made me think of Moaning Myrtle, of course-- I am no slouch when it comes to Hogwarts mythology), but one of the sinks had a black, inky substance floating in it-- I think it was copy machine toner powder, from the look of it. It was mixed with old soap suds. I wonder if the crying lady was freaking out because of an unseen copier disaster. Well... Happy New Year to you, lady! 2004 is a fresh start. Now get out the Lanier manual and fix that bitch.