GERMS!

I don't know about any of you, but I feel that this obsession with being clean has gone a bit overboard.  Yes, germ-free is fantastic in a place that should be sterile, like your doctor's office.  But to me, a few germs isn't such a bad thing.  For instance, you will never catch me with hand sanitizer in my purse.  I've always held the belief that that which does not kill me, will only make me stronger.  Which apparently is Kanye West's motto also.

I was in a public restroom, though, that gave me the willies a little, and for a stupid reason - they had a soap dispenser with a pump.  Now at first, you'd probably think, "Oh, great!  At least it's not some disgusting BAR of soap!".  But think about it - where you put your hand to dispense the soap is where possibly hundred of others have also put their (unwashed!) hand to dispense.

And because this thought was so uncharacteristic of me, my mind began to wander about the other myriad places that may seem innocuous, but are more than likely teeming with millions of germies just waiting to get us.  So here is a short list of places and things that, unfortunately, will probably make me think twice now:

My gloves.  Or rather, the insides of my gloves.  We touch doorknobs, money, all kinds of dirty things - and then we stick our grimy mitts inside gloves.  Probably not a very clean place, when you think about it.  But now I'm thinking about it.  Ew.

Community newspapers at restaurants.  No, not "Your Hometown Newspaper Since 1870!"-type community newspaper -  "community", as in, everyone's read it.  Usually occurs at places like McDonald's and "family" restaurants, where older people tend to congregate (hence, the newspaper).  I just hope they washed their hands before they picked it up and read it (not likely).

Airports.  This one's a no-brainer.  I can't think of a place on earth that's germier than an airport - okay, maybe a bus terminal.  No - okay, I've changed my mind - a bus terminal would be worse.  Yep.  Oh yeah.  Definitely worse.

Clothes on the rack at the store.  Dang it!  Now WHY did I have to think about this one?  I already despise buying clothes; now I'm going to wonder whose B.O.-ridden pits have met the sweater I'm about to try on.  Grody!

Alright!  There you have it.  I hope I haven't ruined your day with my bizarre ramblings.  Perhaps you are a germophobe and these thoughts are old hat to you.  I actually hope this is the case.  If not, then maybe we all should start carrying sanitizer in our purses or pockets.  Or start bathing in it.

Part of the Team

I can't wait for next Tuesday! We're in the middle of our big move - our newspaper office is closing its downtown building and we're moving into newer digs with the local shopper across town. All of the entities involved are owned by Gannett, so it only makes sense. But for so long we were considered "separate but equal" (not quite true, since the Shopper and the print facility are our money-makers. They had better stuff than we did).

And because we were separate, it was 'us' and 'them'. I think we always fancied ourselves way more fun. We are definitely louder, without a doubt. And now that we're all together (although I don't technically move over until next week), I think we all feel differently about each other. Like now, we're all in this together. We're a team. We're one big happy, dysfunctional family.

And looking back at other jobs I've had in the past, I've felt part of the team at nearly every place I've worked. The first "real" job I ever had was at WBAY-TV, Channel 2 in Green Bay, where I met some of my oldest and dearest friends. In fact, at one point we all lived in the same house, on East Mason Street. Don't tell my mom, but one of us dubbed it, "The Home for Wayward Boys". EEP! Sad but true.

After 2 years, I got a job at WFRV Channel 5, where I met MORE of my oldest and dearest friends, and my first husband Dan. Now these years were truly horrible in terms of the work, at least for me. They put us part-timers on the split shifts, so there were many stretches where we'd work 4 different shifts each day, our day beginning at 5:30 a.m. and ending at 11:00 p.m. But the hours between 11 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. were all ours, and we definitely made the most of them! Nineteen Ninety-Two was a year in particular that I will forever cherish. Those were some of the best days of my life!

But because of the horrible work conditions, I eventually moved on. I did some temp work for a couple months but eventually landed a job at the Green Bay Press-Gazette. I met even MORE of my great friends there. I was there for three and a half years, and it was my favorite place I ever worked. My first husby got transferred to Fond du Lac so we moved here, and I was heartbroken. For a while I'd just take trips up to visit my work friends, but after a while you have to stop doing that because you realize that, although they're happy to see you, they have moved on and the world didn't end because you stopped working there (although, to their wonderful credit, they made my feel like it would at my going-away party).

I've had quite a few jobs in Fond du Lac, but none compare to the job I currently hold. And it's all because of the people, both at the Reporter and now including my extended 'family'. I'll be working somewhere again where it's loud. And fun. And exciting. And I hope, Lord willing, to be there for a long time. If that's not in the cards, I've made even more life-long friends, and that's worth everything.