Hi-Lites 2/19/2008

The doldrums of winter have affected me to the point where, yes, I wore a shirt today which was a color straight out of a pack of Hi-Lite highlighters – YELLOW. Yes, yellow. I didn't care, whatever.

The shirt must have had a direct correlation on the events that followed me throughout the day. Certainly, I will admit that on a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a 9.5. I'm all about appreciating the little things in life; I acquired some great trinkets, had a short jaw session with a political figure, and laughed with some first-rate co-workers/friends.
My job is advantageous in the fact that I am able to venture throughout my building, therefore, daily stops with great conversationalists are a must. With my preferred breakfast of champions, a strong cup of coffee, I first stop by the front desk. As of recently, Angie is at the helm. I can't say that she reminds me of anyone that I have ever met because she isn't. A genuine article with a flair for style and a vocabulary that competes with that of an English Ph.D. major, her dry sense of humor creeps up on me late at night after a couple of brews and I find myself laughing out loud. This morning, Angie has decided that the color of nail polish she just purchased is not quite right for her. Thus, yours truly has inherited it. Score 1. Dig it. Still standing at the front desk, not two minutes later, Nola walks by with an awesome frog pin on her lapel. Of course, I do not hesitate to comment. Oh, and score 2, the frog pin is now on my camel colored wool coat. Bitch'n.

Around the noon hour, I passed a store on State Street that at all times has flashy tights in the window. I noticed right away there was a store closing sign displayed on the front door. Now mind you, I am a connoisseur of flashy tights and this store has the lot. I picked up a pair for a decent value – score 3. Upon returning to Vilas Hall, I felt the need to share my find with Angie (who, as aforementioned, has a flair for style). We then began to discuss the scarf I picked up at a local second hand store over the weekend. A pleasant surprise – score 4; Angie was almost certain it was handmade and contained roughly $50 worth of yarn. Yeah, I paid only $2 – that's a George Constanza for you. I then walked back to my office and low and behold the hot pink dry erase board I ordered for my office door had arrived – score 5.

I fancy myself as a person with a high level of sass, and delight in any situation where another party will play along. I had this happen on several occasions today (as with most days); however, today I was able to have a brief conversation with Governor of Wisconsin where I was able to display my prowess. I went down to the third floor to visit my favorite Media Librarian Ann (another one of my daily stops). As I passed the satellite uplink room I noticed a very tall gentleman in a suit. The dialog, as much as I can recall, is as follows:

Disko: "You look official."
Suit: "Well yeah, I am. How official do you want me to be?"
At this point the man pulls a badge from his breast pocket and flashes it in my direction.
Disko: "What's the scoop?"
Suit: "The Governor is giving a satellite feed to MSNBC in the uplink room."
Disko: "No kidding! How long is he going to be? I've never seen the Gov in the flesh."
Suit: "Not much longer. I think he's got it about wrapped up."

For the next couple of minutes the suit and I exchanged pleasantries about our current employment. I would wager that it was an enjoyable exchange for both parties. Then the Governor opens the door and walks out. Now here is where my timing was crucial. I could either A. Be professional, introduce myself and shake his hand, B. Grill him on the content of the uplink and the current State of the State, or C. Pretend like I've known him for about 7 years and we've just happened to run into each other in passing. You would be correct if you wagered C.

Disko: "Hey! What's up? How are you doing?"
Governor: "Good, how are you?"
Disko: "Fantastic. Did the uplink go well?"
Governor: "Yes. I think it went well."
Disko: "Great, great. Have a good one."

At this point I believe he said, "You too." And I dare to say that there was a look of bewilderment on his face. I continued on my quest to the Media Library to see Ann with a sly smile; although it may seem like small potatoes, this was the highlight of my day.

Lastly, I did promise Leah Nell that I would mention her sleeping bag coat in my blog. It seems as if everyone around campus wears one. One day I was just itching to inquire about this style of jacket and, it just so happens that I ran into her while she was wearing one. Hence, we had a three minute discussion in the hallway about how warm the bag keeps you. Needless to say, it was so cold in Madison today, so she wore her sleeping bag continuously all afternoon. I don't blame her. I personally keep the heat in my office at a balmy 72 degrees, therefore, I fully understand the need to maintain warmth.