things that keep my sanity at work

1. bringing my dog to work

i have 2 dogs. this is tilly. i raised her from a tiny little puppy. she is my "onliest little baby." i also have susie, who i've had a little over a year. she's a rescue mutt (half dachshund, half pogo stick...i should have renamed her pogo). since i got susie 2 things have happend. 1. tilly has a new playmate and 2. tilly has vowed to never forgive me for ending her era as an only child. so sometimes tilly and i have our days away together. when i bring her to work she is loved by everyone. she especially likes it when i turn on my space heater.

2. bendy straws

3. our receptionist

this is a 2-in-1. there are few things that bring me joy around this place. one is bendy straws. nothing beats a bendy straw. i discovered them hidden in the back of a cabinet and i used them until they were no more. the day i used the last one, i told our receptionist, mimi, who declared a national state of emergency, and this morning she gave me my own, brand new pack of neon bendy straws. the day can't get much better.

mimi is also our personal ray of sunshine. i don't know how she deals with all the grumpy mcgrumpersons around here, but our old receptionist, berniece, probably handed down a few tricks. she went on vacation a few weeks ago and it only took me one day to realize what a difference a great receptionist makes. it felt like she was gone a year. awesome receptionists are a rare treat.

4. my ipod

seriously. if it weren't for a constant stream of music i would go insane. music can really improve your mood. my favorites lately have been: the format, mates of state, johnny cash and june carter, feist, the almost, bob marley, and ben folds/ben folds five (and when the time calls for it, i've also been known to listen to gangsta rap).