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Posts Tagged ‘colleagues’

Karin thanks her work family

Saturday, August 14th, 2010

kel and al

Today was my last day of work at Washington Life. It’s amazing to think that it’s been just shy of two years and today I put all my stuff in boxes and gave Kelly my emergency flashlight and stash of odd perfume. I will be starting a new job on Wednesday, which I’m thrilled about, but it is tough to say goodbye to the people who you spend more time with than your own family. Kelly and Ali are my work family (and probably legal spouses considering how close we sit) and I am going to miss them terribly.

I don’t know who in the journalism world declared it fine for everyone to sit on each other. Have you ever seen the newsroom of a major paper? You’re lucky enough to get a cubicle and even then, your neighbor is just a piece of plexiglass away. Well, Kelly, Ali and I were short a few pieces of plexiglass. We really should have just shared a chair and worked from one communal brain.

And that’s just part of the reason why I’m going to miss them so much. Today Ali told me that I should watch Jersey Shore to stay relevant and so that people don’t think I’m old. I grimaced at her when she said it, but it was probably some pretty good advice. I have been wondering why everyone is so intrigued by that pudgy girl in booty shorts who tans herself the color of a Halloween pumpkin.

Kelly is always reminding me to be a good human and loves to solve every single problem in the office. She probably sits around and rewires the place after work, that tech savvy gal, but when she’s there during the day, she really works her butt off.

The three of us started a fake sorority together. It’s called KAK (clever I know), and our symbol is the dove. We have bonded over bread binges, nights where we actually slept at the office, and bad theme parties. When I go out of town or to a meeting, Kel and Ali like to print enormous embarrassing pictures from my past and hide them in my drawers. The little dears. WIll anyone publicly humiliate me in such an adorable way at my next gig? I don’t know. But I do know that it has been amazing working with Kelly and Ali over the years and I know I will see them all the time. That’s why god invented happy hour after all.

: Kelly and I at a black tie shenanigan. How I will miss basically sharing a chair with Kelly in our tiny office.

Ali was my intern for a year before she joined the squad and I was so lucky to have her! She is one of the only people on earth who can read my "I'm doing an interview" handwriting.

Ali was my intern for a year before she joined the squad and I was so lucky to have her! She is one of the only people on earth who can read my "I'm doing an interview" handwriting.

Tags: cellmate, colleagues, cubicle, magazine, smelling nice, tiny office, Washington Life
Posted in Careers, Friends, Girl Talk, Work | 1 Comment »

Karin thanks the former man colleague

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

johnford

Today when I was making an attempt to clean out the 21,000 email messages in my Gmail inbox, I came across some of the world’s best email chains. Yes, that sounds a bit pompous, but I actually think they belong somewhere in the Library of Congress.

When Stacey and I worked together at Bisnow on Business, which is how we met, we also worked with a great guy named John Ford who wrote the legal column. He’s a rare hybrid of lawyer/great writer and left his high powered legal career to follow his passion for the pen. As I currently slave at a magazine that should really be renamed Estrogen Life, it’s funny to think I used to work very closely with so many guys. In fact, for a long time Stacey and I were the sole chicks at a company full of men. John, Stacey, and I got along like a house on fire and every couple of days we would write each other long crazy email chains about the weird things that had happened to us as we pounded out daily columns. And weird things they did happen. When you have to hurl yourself in strangers’ offices day after day and interrogate them about their personal and professional lives, the veneer really wears off.

But what is really amazing about John, besides the fact that he can write one hell of a hilarious email, is that while Stacey and I were drowning in our day jobs, John, who was also drowning, managed to write an amazing Young Adult novel called “The Morgue and Me” and have it published by Viking.

Now I just need him to pitch a book of email chains to his publisher. Cut out some of the expletives and I think “John, Stacey, and Karin: The Bisnow years,” has some staying power.

Many moons ago, Stacey and I plugged away together and had a blast with our favorite colleague John Ford, to my left. What's amazing is that while Stacey and I got pedicures in our spare time, John wrote a novel that was published by Viking. Love to hate you John!

Many moons ago, Stacey and I plugged away together and had a blast with our favorite colleague John Ford, to my left. What's amazing is that while Stacey and I got pedicures in our spare time, John wrote a novel that was published by Viking. Love to hate you John!

John's fabulous debut novel.

John's fabulous debut novel.

Tags: BIsnow on Business, colleagues, John C. Ford, The Morgue and Me, Washington Life magazine
Posted in Books, Careers, Work | No Comments »