random thoughts – Day 1,931 – (Monday) –portals and departures

Fairy door, 6-30-25.

The final walk from the garage to the office featured an unexpected sight and I have no idea how I even spotted it. At a building at John and Merrimack Streets, where the sidewalk meets the wall, there was a little fairy door. So cute! Is it the only one downtown or are there more? Did a human put it there, or was it a fairy? Is it a portal to a magical world? Answers please. 

Over at the Lazy Cat Lounge  I looked for the kitties. Instead, I saw a plastic nip bottle left by a littering human on a ledge at one of the windows. 

Like so many other days at the office, there was food. The bagels were fresh and plump, with sides of whipped cream cheese. The doughnuts were fresh and varied. We all stood around and a few delivered some words to the collective, sometimes with a catch in the throat and/or a moist eye. It was bittersweet. It was heavy and also light. Then we splintered off to our desks to do whatever it was we needed to do.

There was a steady flow of people into and through the department, and all I could think was “farewell tour.” Meanwhile, I was actually trying to work. I know, right? It definitely wasn’t my plan, just how it worked out.

As I ran through the project statuses in our request portal for the last time, I realized two ads hadn’t been delivered. Worse, I hadn’t even had them reviewed. Oops. Time to hustle. The ads were reviewed and delivered, because our team (may it rest in peace) is (was) amazing.

Then, as the clock was ticking towards the time on my calendar noted for returning my company laptop and turning in my access badge, I got answers to questions asked last week. Another review project was opened and the project was reviewed in record time, thanks to most of the reviewers having been involved in the earlier discussions. Updates were delivered to the parties handling the next step. I could finally log off with a clear conscience.

Goodbye, desk.

I left my desk in a hurry and only later realized I had left behind my mouse pad which was a gift from a former manager. There are probably more things I forgot, but I'm sure I'll live. 

There were hugs. In the department, in the hallways, in the parking lot. Whenever two colleagues approached each other, the conversation started and ended in a hug. It took a while getting out the door. Across the parking lot. Off campus.

Luckily, it took next to no time to get home, where it was time to get busy with real estate stuff. My realtor connected me with a real estate attorney for the closing and I missed the earlier call from his office. The legal office sent forms for my signature. My realtor and I had forms to review and things to discuss.

At 3:45, shocked at the time, I remembered the inspection sticker that expires today. Luckily, Hank’s Garage is only two streets away. The sign said inspections take place until 4:00 and I felt bad for being so late but another vehicle pulled in after me, and then another after that. It seems a few of us remembered the same thing around the same time. Anyway, it’s done now and I can forget about it for another year.

On tap for tomorrow – adventures in unemployment begin with combing the job listings for a new place to land and opening the magic portal to apply for unemployment benefits.