Nerves

I am posting this entry from the Dunn Bros in the North Loop neighborhood. I am a half hour early for an appointment I made with a woman from Lola Red PR agency. I am nervous. I am meeting this woman to discuss her PR agency for a report that's due on Monday. Alexis started her own PR firm 6 years ago. She was just a year out of college and had $1500 from a severance package from being laid off from some big PR agency. Lola Red is small and independent and making it big. Who am I? Some aging chick with an assignment. And yet Alexis agreed to meet me for coffee and a discussion. I dressed up. I'm even wearing makeup and I never wear makeup. What if she hates me? What if I make a fool out of myself? What if I've been "out of it" so long I don't know what to talk about? I don't know what's cool or what's hot. I'm the biggest duffus I know. I don't know what I'm so nervous about. It's not like this is a job interview. I'm just talking to her about her company, which is something I am sure she loves to talk about. Just like parents love to talk about their children. Right? Why am I so nervous? At least I have a yummy latte to take the edge off.

This morning I drove Bob to our friend's chiropractic clinic so he could get his back worked on. While he was doing that, I drove down the street and had my nails done. I haven't had a manicure since our wedding day. Four and a half years is a long time to have raggedy nails, people. Bob doesn't so much like it when I spend money on personal grooming. I think it's because he grew up so poor and it seems like such an indulgence. I understand where he's coming from which is why I color my own hair and only schedule hair appointments every 6 months or so. But a girl can't meet a PR mogul with raggedy nails, now can she? Bob said next time; he will do my nails for me. Ha! I said I don't know when there will be a next time. It's not something I do with any kind of frequency. We just happen to have a little extra in the bank account and $15 is not going to break the bank.

After the nails and the chiropractic appointment, we drove to my co-worker's house. She lives just down the way from where we happened to be. This winter a stray cat adopted her and moved in under the steps in her garage. Three weeks ago, the stray had kittens. She wants me to design a poster with photos so she can give the kittens away. So we went out there so I could take some photos. Unfortunately, most of them are too blurry to use, but MAN are those kittens CUTE! Their little eyes just opened last weekend and they aren't too ambulatory yet, but the cuteness factor of those little kitties is overboard. That's them at the top of this post.

After that, it was time to go home where I did some prep for my meeting with Alexis. Now I am just wasting time until she gets here. Man, I'm nervous! She is all young, downtown, urban hipness and I am all aging, nontraditional student homemaker chick.

Oh, did I happen to mention that I applied for a job in the marketing department of Big Bank Co? This is the marketing department in the insurance department where my current department used to be. We are still in the same building with them, but are completely and totally separated from them now. The woman that would be my boss has been out of town all week. I don't even know if she's seen my resume/application yet. It's a long shot, especially since I don't have my degree yet, but it's what I would like to do, so we'll see. I hate interviewing. I hate changing jobs. But there is really nowhere for me to go in my current position, so here's hoping! I told my boss about it yesterday because I didn't want her to hear it from the grapevine or at the last minute. She seemed genuinely excited for me, so that was good.

Only 10 more minutes until my meeting. Better go over my notes. Wish me luck!