Well, That's Embarrassing

When I'm alone, I like to sing to myself with whatever music happens to be on my compulsive play-over and-over-again list. When I was a kid, it was Point of Grace and the Beach Boys. In middle school, Alison Krauss. When I was in high school, it was the Dixie Chicks, N Sync "Celebrity",  Caedmon's Call, and Norah Jones. In college, it was still the Dixie Chicks, but it was also Shane and Shane. There was Kelly Clarkson, who's "Breakaway" album knew all the pain of my recent break-up. There was also my man James Taylor and his "New Moon Shine" album. There was Joni Mitchell "Blue". There were others, but I just can't talk about them all.

Usually, my instances of singing along with my music take place in my car - it's a judgement free zone. They take place in my apartment, where I turn up my subwoofer and work on chores and just sing (that is, until my still unknown neighbor complained about the noise.) As if. At work, since our office is very isolated, if no one is around, sometimes I will do the same. It's a little creepy when no one is at work, so the music helps.

Yesterday was one of those such days. The people in our office had left to go somewhere in the building and had been gone for a while, so I decided to turn up my music. There are two songs that are both Alison Krauss/James Taylor duets that I really like, so I decided to play those two songs over and over.

So there I was in my office, repeating those songs, singing along without a care in the world, except being aware my peeps could return at any moment, so I tried to restrain myself at least a little. Working and singing. la la la. Are you with me? Then after about ten repeats, I decided to switch it up. New music, new task. I decided to put on some Joni Mitchell and file some music. That is the most thrilling part of my job. Not. Anyway, I went over to the filing cabinet with Joni and started filing.

Then I heard it.

A noise. From my boss's office.

Why would there be noise from there? He's not there. He's in the other part of the building.

But I knew. It was his chair. The only way the chair would move would be if someone was in it.

I mustered up my courage, "Jeff? Are you in there?"

Pause.

"Yep."

Cringe.

Party over.

Me: "Uhh.... I didn't think you were in there."

Jeff: "Oh you know, I've just been enjoying the concert."

My brain: Idiot. How is he in there? I know he wasn't in there. How long has he been in there? What have I been singing?  Oh yeah, the same two obnoxious songs for like an hour. Man, I'm cool.


Me: "Umm... usually I only do that when no one's here".

As if saying that made it better. Even more lame.

(Insert Debbie Downer music) I nonchalantly walked to my desk and turned down my girl Joni, who I was not happy with. She definitely had betrayed me. She should have told me we weren't alone.

So how did this happen? I later realized that some time in the middle of my personal concert I walked into the copy room for about 30 seconds to print something, and in that time, my boss returned, walked right past my desk and into his office, completely unbeknownst to me.

So what am I listening to this morning?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

~Kathryn