This morning, a co-worker and I were discussing our plans for tonight. While he is planning on hitting up a few dive bars with his buddies, I have decided to class it up a bit. Tonight is the premiere of the Sex and the City Movie and my girlfriends and I are going out for a nice dinner (with lots of wine, champagne and cosmos) and then going to see the movie at 10:45 p.m. (just in case you care what time I’m going to see the movie).

Happy Anniversary to me and my working life! We’ve been together for a year now and we couldn’t be more in love.

Summer has begun and I couldn’t be more excited to be lazy on the beach and read chick lit while tanning (or in my case, adding more freckles to my already freckle-infested skin). My recommendation for a must-have, perfect-for-the-beach summer read is Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison. This memoir combines all my favorite Working Girl things: office romance, gossip, and journalists. Have I mentioned I want to be a journalist? Well, surprise, I do!

Sundays in the Working Girl apartment usually consist of sitting on the couch, Chinese take-out, and Law & Order: SVU marathons. At one point, our DVR had over 40 unwatched episodes saved and we watch about 5 shows in one sitting. We’re big fans. The story-lines are captivating, the plot twists are surprising, Det. Elliot Stabler is a hot and Det. Olivia Benson is one of my Working Girl Idols. 

Det. Olivia Benson, played by Mariska Hargitay, is the only female detective in Manhattan’s Special Victims Unit. She’s surrounded by other strong Working Girls like crime lab Doctor Melinda Warner and Assistant District Attorney Casey Novak. But Olivia is my idol. She’s tough, she’s smart and she’s pretty damn good at her job. 

What I enjoy most about the show and about Olivia, is how they bring her rough past into her work as an SVU Detective. Olivia is a child of rape and she never knew her father. So, her job hits close to home. Very close. She has such a passion for her work that she gives up her social life and relationships to help victims and catch the perps. I envy the passion that she has for her job, it’s a passion that I could never muster for what I’m doing now. But if I did have that much passion for managing promotional listings in a magazine, something would be seriously wrong with me. My job is definitely not worth giving up my social life and relationships.

In addition to being great at her job, Olivia gets to work with Det. Elliot Stabler all day, every (work)day. Reason #1 why I want to be Det. Olivia Benson. Watching Law & Order: SVU makes me want to be a detective. Too bad I hate blood and am scared of the dark. 

According to WG2, Olivia is “just a kick ass mother fucker.” I have to agree. 

It’s the first vacation day of the summer. Go outside and enjoy it! We are. Ok, that’s a lie, we’re cleaning our apartment and staying out of the sun. WG2 and I both have awkward tan lines (and by tan lines, I mean sunburns) from the weekend and our pale Irish skin has had enough sun. 

It’s finally Memorial Day Weekend! WG2 left last night for the Jersey Shore and I leave tomorrow morning. And no, it is not like True Life: I’m a Jersey Shore Girl, at least not all the time.

Summer Fridays were announced yesterday which means I get four Friday’s off between Memorial Day and Labor Day. This morning I found out we get to leave at three o’clock today. While I was hoping for one o’clock, I’ll take three, it’s better than five. Much better than five.

The summer season is much more casual in the office. I can hang up my go-to black pants until fall and pull out my summer skirts and dresses. Here in New York it’s not quite warm enough to leave the apartment without a light jacket, but we’re getting there. Here is my perfect (early) summer Friday outfit.

Yesterday, I met Frederic Fekkai.

Ok, ok, I didn’t actually meet Frederic Fekkai. I was working at a big conference that my company puts on every year and I just merely stood next to him. As in, I could have been touching his arm if I wanted (or his beautiful locks). Inside, my body was screaming, ‘Tell him you love his ‘glossing’ line of shampoos!’. Instead, I stood there with my hair frizzing everywhere because of the sudden downpour that Al Roker hadn’t warned me about wishing I hadn’t skimped at the grocery store this month and bought Suave.

As I was thinking about my poofy hair and how Frederic was probably horrified with my grooming methods, I heard him talking to his PA (a.k.a. personal assistant) about his next meeting. Then I heard him introduce his personal assistant to one of my colleagues. “This is my personal assistant, Erica.”

And it got me thinking…was the “personal assistant” in front of her name really that necessary? Granted, in this case it might have been. I mean, it is what she does so it probably doesn’t bother her all that much. Obviously, I don’t have all the details.But I do know that it really, really, really bugs me when The Boss introduces me as her assistant.

Before I give you the background for why I really, really hate The Boss’s introductions, let me give a quick up-to-speed info session. My work friend Small Fry and I used to work in the same department. In fact, she used to be the Marketing Manager. During that time period, The Boss constantly compared the two of us to her two daughters. And I always got compared to her younger daughter, the one who was more laid-back, forgetful, and somewhat lazy. Small Fry was always compared to her older daughter who was responsible and all around awesome. Sucky, right?

Ok, back to the story. Last year, I worked an event for my company and The Boss introduced me and Small Fry to some of her family members who had attended the event. She introduced Small Fry as being wonderful, capable, and used the word beloved more than once. Then, The Boss turned to me and said, “And this is my competent assistant WG2.” Yep, that’s all I got. Needless to say, I was livid…and quite frankly hurt. Yes, I’ll admit I shed a tear.

Since then things have obviously gotten better. Small Fry was transferred to another department because The Boss found out she wasn’t really all that great at her job, and I became the wonderful, capable and all around awesome Marketing Coordinator.

I had dropped the assistant out of my title. I was a new woman. Until, that is, I went to this conference (where I got to breathe the same air as Frederic Fekkai) and it’s like I stepped into a time warp. The Boss introduced me over and over and over again as her assistant. This conference was filled with big whigs, so I’m sure The Boss just wanted to look cool and be like, ‘Look this is a person who will fetch me coffee if I ask…and I don’t even need to tell her that I like three sugars’. Meaning, I’m big time and thereby have my own assistant.

Here’s the catch though – I’m technically not her assistant anymore, which is why this really irked me. I guess this just made me realize that to The Boss I am always going to be an assistant no matter what title changes or salary increases I get.

That ‘ass’ in my title ain’t going nowhere. On a positive note, my ass did get to stand next to Frederic Fekkai.

Friday evening I received this e-mail:

Oscar: Well this is what happened. Uh, Ryan’s big project was the website. Which wasn’t doing so well. So Ryan, to give the impression of sales, recorded them twice. Once as offices and once in the website sales, which is what we refer to in the business as misleading the shareholders. Another good term is fraud. The real crime, I think, was the beard.

Last night was The Office season finale and while I, like most people, was disappointed by the Jim and Pam anti-climatic ending, I do have to admit that the writing was back to its old milk-coming-out-of-my-nose funny. WG1 and I were literally laughing out loud the entire time, which I think cancels out the fact that Jim didn’t end up proposing to Pam last night.

It was Toby’s last day in the office and of course Michael was estatic. I guess I never really understood why Michael hated Toby so much, but I do know that it’s hilarious. For Toby’s going away party, Angela has only budgeted for a butter cream cake and a slideshow “with just two pictures of Toby.”

Michael suggests that instead of this lame party they throw Toby a bash that resembles a New Orleans funeral with his “shoe money”. Michael apparently gets a check for about $50 for his birthday from his grandmother every year, but since she is now quite old she sends him about eight-nine checks a year. Michael has been keeping this money for a rainy day…in his shoe. So, he busts out this money to celebrate Toby moving to Costa Rica.

The showering of money leads to what I think was the best subplot: Phyllis vs. Angela in the battle for the best party planner of the office. Angela refuses to plan this elaborate party that Michael wants thrown (anti-gravity machine anyone?) and Phyllis steps in to plan it instead.

This episode also welcome Toby’s replacement Holly, the new human resources representative, who Michael and Dwight decide to induct into Dunder Mifflin with some old fashioned hazing, which Dwight defines as “a way to show a new employee that she is not welcome or wanted.” Dwight is the only person to go along with this joke however, telling Holly that Kevin is “slow…like, in the mind”. So she is super nice to him and now he thinks she has a crush on him. Poor Kevin! Guy never gets a break.

I think Holly might be just what this show needed, someone for Michael to love! I don’t know why – but I just want Michael to find someone to love. Is that weird? Anyway, Holly and Michael are a match made in heaven. So what does Michael do to declare his love at first sight (or hear as he says)? Make each other awesome mix CD’s and exchange yoda talk, of course.

On to the more pressing issues of the episode. Ryan got arrested! Yes! I so knew this was coming, but I have to admit I really thoguht it would be for his cocaine addiction. And it’s just a hunch, but I think Jim is the one who figured out that Ryan was entering the sales twice since they had that phone call early on in the show about how he needed to enter the sale on the website too. If Jim turned him in and told corporate, I think he might just get Ryan’s job next season. Which would work perfectly because Pam got into the Pratt School of Design and has to move to New York for three months. Fingers crossed because Jim didn’t get to propose during Toby’s farwell funeral!

No, instead Andy stole the perfect fireworks moment and proposed to Angela, which I have to admit was hilarious. Can I even imagine the hilarity that this wedding will bring? No. I can’t even fathom it. Andy’s overly preppy parents. Hilarious. Kelly asking to be a bridesmaid. Hilarious. “Mr. Andrew Bernard. Has a nice ring to it.” Hilarious.

Angela & Dwight doing it in the office and Phyllis walking in on them. Priceless.

And finally, Jan is pregnant! But Michael is not the father. Yikes, bikes. Instead, Jan got sperm from a sperm bank, which resulted in one of my favorite quotes from the evening: “If I was 22 and I had lots of time…to have lots of children, then sure let’s let Michael have a shot at one of them, but honestly I have to make this one count.” Now Michael thinks he’s going to be a Daddy. All I have to say is wow.

One last side comment, for the majority of this episode Jim was looking a little greasy and scraggly. Producers of The Office, Jim needs a shower or a hair cut. Pick one and do it Jim Halpert.

I have big expectations for next season. My predictions: Dwight will stop Angela’s wedding, Michael & Holly are going to elope (at Sandals in Jamaica), and Pam & Jim will be together forever.

Oh, and Jim will finally wash his hair.