My iPod is queeny

To keep me busy here in the 'burbs*, I have decided to get a job. Now, to be honest, my instinct was to keep myself busy at Oak Brook mall. I decided, instead, the mature thing to do would be to work to stay busy rather than spend to stay busy, a concept that I wish had occurred to me at 22 rather than 30. I am working at a trucking company with my mom. I have no idea what I am doing. I know that on some days I sort papers into separate piles. I put the originals in one pile and then the duplicates in another. Then I staple the piles together and put them in a stack and hand them to another person. I do a few other things too. I take these small cards and input data from them onto an Excel worksheet. Inevitably, one of the nice ladies working there will ask me something like "Did you get the Savannah pay sheets done" and I have to ask her to phrase her question using simple terminology, such as "Did you put the numeric information from the blue sheets and white sheets onto the beige machine with numbers and letters on it?" Then I am like, "Oh yes, they're right here."

It is mind numbing, and I am certain I am losing IQ points each day I sort papers into piles. They are paying me a fair wage, however, and the hours are flexible so I think I can spare a few IQ points. Frankly, I am losing no more than I would lose on the average Saturday night drinking binge. To pass the time, I listen to my iPod while I am doing my tasks. If I am just sorting documents into piles, I like to listen to the podcast of "This American Life", which I download every week. But if I am putting the numbers from the blue, pink or white sheets into the computer, I put my iPod on random because, although it is mind numbing work, I do need to pay attention at least a little while I do certain tasks; music can be good background noise, while Ira Glass' compelling stories of Americana simply cannot be tuned out. **In order to expose myself to all of my music, I try to listen to any song that comes up, even if it is one that I do not necessarily like very much. As it turns out, my iPod is a gay man with shitty taste in music. It picks Elton John, but only the bad songs like "Candle in the Wind". Or Queen, but only annoying songs like "Good Company." The other day the song "Let's Hear it for the Boy" from Footloose came on. I suddenly felt very embarrassed, and I immediately felt the need to switch it. I have this fear that just as, say, "Let's Hear it for the Boy" comes on, a news reporter is going to come up to me and ask me what I am listening to for some kind of story about people and iPods. I can imagine myself trying to justify having such a shitty song on my iPod and explain how it does not accurately represent my taste in music. "Wait! I should have been listening to Built to Spill! Or Pavement! Or the Flaming Lips! Or anything! ANYTHING BUT LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE BOY! " In fact, I am getting a little nervous just thinking about this unlikely situation.





* Yes, I have officially moved to my parents' home in the 'burbs. I am two days into it and already I am kind of losing my mind. Other than that, it's great.
** I have a lot of music on my iPod that I got from my ex-husband's collection. He has, let's call it electic tast in music, so there are hundreds of songs on there I have not listened to.