Let's do lunch!

Normally I live a pretty quiet existence, free to do as I please - after work of course! But in the last couple of days I've had appointments here and appointments there even a vet appointment for sweet Jazz (this afternoon). It's just so different for me, having to check my day book before I go to bed and first thing in the morning to make sure I don't forget something - I am just not used to that anymore!

JP laughs at me whenever I have a work appointment or when I talk about getting a job outside of home because he doesn't think I could handle the commute anymore. I still think I could handle it, since I did it all through my twenties including commuting from downtown to Burnaby or New Westminster, or from Vancouver to Coquitlam even - yes, I've lived in all those communities plus a few more. And I am a much calmer driver now. I would not like to commute because it's such a big waste of time which is one of the reasons I put up with the craziness of my job because when I walk away from my desk at quitting time, I can immediately start on whatever it is the I want - and that's a very good thing.

I do miss the lunch time shopping and being able to get some errands done at lunch, plus actually going out for lunch which when I think back, I'd do at least 2-3 times a week. Now, a lunch out may be 5 times a year and usually with my husband or girlfriends.

I remember when I first started working in downtown Vancouver - I think I spend an average of $50/day at lunchtime on clothes and other items. It was so much fun to be downtown! I think my family loved it too because I'd bring home very unique Christmas and birthday presents and also very unique bakery items for special occasions. Oh and all the great restaurants we had on speed dial - Joe Fortes, Le Crocodile, Alberto's, Cin Cin's and more! (sigh) back in the day... back in the day when our manager would take us out for a MONTH END lunch and drinking wine with lunch was acceptable and seemed to be encouraged, and we've have lunch for a couple of hours. At the company I work for now - we're lucky if we get a Christmas dinner once every three years - because we're all working from home offices. However, sometimes I'm glad I don't have to sit with work people and 'make conversation' because the only thing we have in common is our job and we don't want to talk about that. So I get questions like "how's your dog?" or "done any gardening lately" because that's all they really know about me. And then the boys start talking about fishing or hockey and I start flirting with the waiter or chit chatting with the waitress.

Is it still like that out there?