Trash Day

January 17, 2007

I mentioned that I work for an offbeat town, didn’t I? Well, let me just take a moment to clarify and let you know how offbeat it really is.

Yesterday afternoon I was called to participate in an impromptu meeting. You know the type—four people, gathered in a hallway, whispering about the whiny local who’s requesting a permit to build a glass-encased bathroom on his roof. You concur that the local has mental problems, you talk for a moment about his grandmother—who also had mental problems, and then you all giggle in unison as the building commissioner stamps a big, red REJECTED label on the permit application.

After the meeting had dissipated, I began to walk back to my desk as I overheard the following conversation:

Ann: Are you going to trash day in February?

Barbara: Oh, you mean naked trash day?

Walter: What’s that?

Ann: It’s when everyone gets together and picks up the trash on the beach.

Barbara: Naked.

Ann: Yeah, that’s right, they clean up the trash naked. It’s a fun event.

Walter: Is it in town?

Barbara: No, it’s in the next town over.

Walter: Can you get me the date on that? Maybe we can ride together.

Even though I snarfed V8 all over my favorite white sweater, I’m happy here. I really, really love this job.