Outside Office

Panera needs to start charging me rent. I use two of their restaurants as my "office" when I'm away from home. I meet with clients, write articles, and totally abuse the free coffee refill privilege.

Why Panera? Free Wi-fi. I have to have e-mail and web access. Starbucks and Barnes & Nobles charge a monthly fee. Losers.  

These Panera workers have to wonder if I have a home. I'll come in on some mornings and work for a couple of hours, leave to attend an outside meeting for an hour, then come back and meet someone for coffee. That person will leave and 15 minutes later I'll be joined by someone else. I may spend up to 5 hours a day in a Panera. I wonder if it would be too much trouble to ask the counter help if they wouldn't mind acting as my admin assistants as well? "Ms. Harris is finishing a call but will be with you shortly. May I offer you some coffee? Yes? That will be $1.79, please."

 Some good news. That huge, monster project that spiraled out of control is finally done and the editor is thrilled with the end result. I'm thrilled just to have moved it off my plate. But it should be a great clip when it comes out in November--big cover story with glossy photos and lots of interviews.

I've accepted two new projects that promise to be time-consuming but a lot of fun. I'm not allowed to discuss one because I signed a confidentiality agreement, but it involves more dog writing and requires creativity and outside-the-box thinking and should provide a lot of laughs (when I'm not ripping my  hair out over deadlines).

Today and tomorrow are filled to the brim with work. However, the weather is supposed to turn cold and miserable which is always kind of fun for the first few days. It's the novelty of moving from warm weather to being snuggled up in sweaters and sipping warm drinks and working as cold winds blow outside.

RUNNING UPDATE: 7 miles in 70 minutes yesterday. Took advantage of the beautiful evening and had a great run. My running partner is signed up to run a 1/2 marathon this weekend in the 40 degree weather. Thank you, no. I'll be on the treadmill.