Thursday, December 1, 2011

On waking up naked and not complaining

My day job requires me to do a lot of unusual things, including waking up naked at 2 a.m. on a floor that wasn’t mine.

OK, my job didn’t actually require me to do that. It was the unexpected side effect of attending a five-course wine dinner where the sommelier kept refilling my glass until I’d lost track of my consumption and possibly my shoes.

(For the record, I wasn’t driving. Also for the record, I do know the owner of the aforementioned floor, and my nude presence there wasn’t terribly disconcerting. Also for the record, my boss was highly amused when I shared this story).

My job in tourism marketing means I spend a lot of time wooing journalists with treks around the Bend Ale Trail or accepting invitations to swanky dinners so I can write about it.

In other words, I get paid to eat and drink.

Hardly something to complain about, but there are moments I want to. Like an hour ago when the boss walked in and handed me an invitation to a party he needs me to attend next week and I almost cried. Free food, free wine, and I swear I’d rather tear off my toenails with my teeth than spend another evening doing anything other than lounging on the sofa in my jammies.

It’s like that with writing sometimes, too. I hesitate to say much about struggles with deadlines or harsh editorial feedback because HOLYMOTHEROFCRAP I have a three-book deal. I pretty much forfeited my right to complain about anything the moment I signed my name to that contract.

So this is me, not complaining. About free food and wine, or about the fact that I’m feeling stressed over my new book that’s being released next week.

You like how I just slipped that in there?

Yeah, it’s a secret. I’ll tell you more as soon as I’m allowed, but trust me when I tell you it’s super exciting.

And scary.

But mostly exciting.

Got anything in your life you’re NOT complaining about (even if you might kinda want to sometimes?) Please share!

And if you’ve got a good “waking up naked” story, share that, too. It’ll make me feel better.

13 comments :

Jessica Bell said...

:) Congrats on next week's release! Woohoo! I'm in a non complaing mood today so can't satisfy ye. But I have plenty of waking up naked stories. Unfortunately their not suitable for public perusal :) hehe

Sarah W said...

No complaints I'm currently not complaining about . ..

But after my first experiment with vodka at a college party, I woke up in my dorm room bed without pants, clutching a rung from a kitchen chair with a note on my spare pillow that said "Nothing happened" in the handwriting of one of my best guy friends.

What disturbed me most (besides my surprise at being slightly upset that nothing had happened) was that my contacts were out -- he never did tell me how either of us managed that.

LynnRush said...

Can't wait to hear all the news next week. Yeah!!!!!!! I love your posts, they just make me smile.

Patricia Eimer said...

I'm not complaining about the promotion that's moving my family across the state right after christmas to a town I've never even seen before. Not complaining at all. Stupid bloody packing tape.

Congrats on your new release.

Anonymous said...

I am NOT complaining about all the stuff I have to do before I go on vacation in two weeks. A week in Florida with no kids and no husband. Heaven.

But man alive, I have soooo much to do before then! *back to work*

Sonja Foust said...

Ooh I'm intrigued about your news. :)

I don't have too many wake-up-naked stories, but I have a few wish-I-could-die-on-this-bathroom-floor stories. They're not as fun though. ;)

-Sonja

Penelope said...

Next week? NEXT WEEK?!?

I am thrilled to read that.

Jason said...

Hey, you can always complain. I retain my right to complain at all times. :)

That said...would you like to test software for me for a few weeks and I'll work on the Bend eating and drinking circuit? I'd be cool with that, just let me know.

I don't have any wake up naked stories...but I did "nap" on the floor of the dorm bathroom once.

Patrick Alan said...

"You like how I just slipped that in there?"

That's what I said.

Mary said...

Post title alone is enough to get me to read that one. Poor you--jammies on the couch with a fire's my favorite way to spend a night, even when the food & drink's free! Cheers!

Tina Moss said...

Invite me to that swanky dinner and wine party, and I'll tell you my waking up naked story. ;)

Congrats on the soon-to-be-released, but-we-must-be-quiet-about-it book!

Julie Glover said...

Wonderful news! Something else by you I can read. :)

Though not yet published, I get to stay home and write. How cool is that! (Thanks, hubs.) But that means it's hard to complain about having so much to do, when my deadlines are really self-imposed and I don't have to write on the side like so many FT employed people. I'm amazed when I hear that someone gets up at 4 a.m. to write until 7 a.m. when they go to work, or something like that.

Neurotic Workaholic said...

I'm not complaining about the fact that Christmas season means gingerbread men and other yummy cookies that I only get to eat once a year. I'm also not complaining about the sappy Christmas movies they show on TV, because I secretly like them. (On the other hand, I like that Christmas Story movie, but I don't really want to watch it over and over again on Christmas Day.)