The first couple of weeks at my new job were a little frustrating. I wasn’t getting a ton of work assigned to me, which wouldn’t be so bad if we weren’t expected to religiously track time. Working for an agency whose bread and butter is client hours, TobacCo is all about the time clock.
I learned the expectation is that we track 35 hours each week. I was averaging 12.
I mean, you can’t track work you aren’t doing, right? I jokingly wondered if Facebook might count as “personal development.” More likely personal regression, so I didn’t push the issue.
It’s a non-issue now anyway, because the tide has turned in a big way. My coworkers are getting used to having a copywriter to lean on now (they haven’t had a dedicated full-time writer in the past), and they’re leaning hard. In the past two weeks I have written about piano tuning, scaffolding, criminal defense law, liquid filling machines, guns, wire rope, braces pain, and waste oil heaters. If that sounds like a crazy eclectic mix, trust me: it is! That’s what happens when the company you work for designs websites for clients in every industry under the sun. I’m turning into a modern-day Cliff Clavin, full of random, useless knowledge (but minus the Bahston accent). I could probably kill it at trivia.
Last week, I tracked 34.98 hours. And there wasn’t a single Facebook hour in the bunch.
That, my friends, is progress.
I hope you aren’t getting sick of fall foliage pics yet. If so, this next section should come with a trigger warning.
Yesterday, Tara and I drove into Milwaukee to take advantage of some truly glorious weather. After last week’s bitter cold – we even had a few snow flurries on Monday – summer has returned with a vengeance. It was 77º yesterday. What?!
But the calendar doesn’t care about the thermometer. Our destination was the Seven Bridges Trail in Grant Park, where the fall foliage was at its absolute peak.
Even on the shore of Lake Michigan.
The Seven Bridges Trail drops down into a ravine and winds its way across – you guessed it – seven bridges. Presumably, anyway. I didn’t stop to count them; I was simply in awe of all those stunning colors.
My eyes hurt just looking at all the reds, oranges, and yellows. In the best way possible.
I promise I’ll stop posting all these great autumn colors. In another couple of weeks all the trees are going to be bare anyway, so the clock is ticking.
After killing a couple of hours in Grant Park, we went into the city. Checked out a vintage store Tara has been following on Instagram for years (never imagining we would one day actually visit). Ducked into a 120-year-old German restaurant in the Third Ward for cocktails and food. Wandered around the riverfront for a bit before driving home. Milwaukee is about an hour away, so we were back at a reasonable time.
So, if I’m Cliff Clavin, which TV character are you…and why?
Mark My Words 
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