There are many things that I loathe about the New Kid (I have even started to keep a list of things that irk me so that I can share them here with you all).

They include:

1. The way he plays “I Kissed a Girl” on repeat and even though he has on earphones I can hear it blasting through my little cubicle walls.
2. The way he sings along to “I Kissed a Girl” on repeat all day long.
3. The way he taps his foot along to “I Kissed a Girl” on repeat all day long.

I mean, I love Katy Perry (“Hot ‘N Cold” is my new fave song) but the New Kid’s love of Katy Perry is out of control. But of all the things that the New Kid does to annoy me, the biggest one of all is his love of talking about political agendas at work.

Let me set the scene. It is a rainy Tuesday morning about a month ago. I am soaking wet and not a happy camper because I left my rain boots under my desk…about a year ago…and never remember to bring them home. I’m cold, cranky, and I want to be snuggled in my covers watching Sex and the City movie for the 5th time since I bought it for $9.99 at Blockbuster this weekend. Instead, I step into a whirlwind of politics.

He and a few of the other online marketing team are discussing Sarah Palin and how she actually sounded like she knew how to put two sentences together at a debate she was at the night before. Which I responded to with a guffaw. Yes, a guffaw. I’m not going to repeat the whole conversation that was had here because it was heated. And mainly it was heated because what the New Kid is incapable of is listening to other opinions. He loves to insert himself into conversations and then take them over. And he lurves to talk over people. Making it impossible to get a word in edge wise. And he has to be right. All the freaking time. The funny thing is? We both are voting for Obama. But the New Kid brings out the bitch in me. I can’t help but fight him on anything and everything.

So since then I have refrained from talking politics at work. Because really some subjects just shouldn’t be talked about with people you need to have good relationships with in the future (and who you already want to strangle on a daily basis).

Then yesterday, I came to work and the New Kid had put up a huge “Vote Obama/Biden” campaign poster in his cubicle. I’m talking ginormous. He was immediately told to take it down because our office does not condone politicking in the work space.

Apparently it is distracting and takes away from the day-to-day tasks that we need to get done. Of course, this reason only made the New Kid angry so he busted out some Obama pins and stuck those to his cubicle. Which were quickly OK’ed because The Boss was wearing an identical one.

But it hit me that I had once agreed with the New Kid. While I did think it was excessive that he had a ginormous campaign poster in his cubicle, a few buttons urging people to vote isn’t hurting the office. As long as the New Kid keeps his trap shut about his own political agenda, I think we can continue to agree that while campaigning for a certain candidate might not be work-friendly, urging your fellow employees to get out there and vote for the future of our country is noble.

And it made me like the New Kid for a hot sec. Until he started singing “I Kissed a Girl” again.

Have a work-related question? Blog-related question? Or want to know something random about one of us? Ask! Send your questions to WorkingGirlOne@gmail.com or WorkingGirlTwo@gmail.com or just post a comment here. Now, onto this week’s questions…

Diane asked: Why is it so hard to find office supplies in the office? Do they really think they are going to save money by not giving me a notebook?

WG1 answered: We have a designated office supply orderer and lately he hasn’t been letting anyone order the supplies they want. They all must be Office Depot brand and we can’t even get tissues. I hate it. So, I go to an office supply store, purchase what I want and expense it. No questions asked.

Mary de Bastos asked: How can you afford to live in the city on assistant salaries? How much is an assistant salary?

WG1 answered: Let me answer your second question first and before I do, let me point out that this is solely based on an informal survey of my friends who all happen to work in publishing in Manhattan. On average, sales assistants make $30,000 – $37,000 a year. Some get overtime and others get three weeks vacation a year. It all depends. Either way, it’s a tough salary to live in Manhattan on. Which is why WG2 and I started our post-college lives in Hoboken, NJ and why a number of our friends are living at home to save money.

For those of us living in the city (and in Hoboken because it’s only a teensy bit cheaper), we get by paycheck to paycheck. Everything from tampons to rent is expensive in New York City. I try my best to save some money after paying all my bills but I also like to shop, dine out and go out with my friends. So it’s really a crap shoot because one week you have extra money to shop and the next your rent is due (and cable, and electric, and your credit card bill).

Mich (from Canada, where everyone takes their shoes off at the door) asked: I always see people on TV and in movies wearing their shoes in the house (on American shows). Is it true or is it just on TV?

WG1 answered: I always take my shoes off when I get home. But growing up in Minnesota, I was trained well to take of my shoes in the mud room. My boyfriend, who is from Massachusetts, keeps his shoes on and doesn’t know what a mud room is. Does that help?

WG1′s Mom asked: Are you still hungover, sweetie?

WG1 answered: No.

I am no stranger to getting into trouble…though I have to admit that this trouble I speak of isn’t the kind that led to any arrests, jail time or even a grounding from the ‘rents. 

With the 2008 Elections around the corner, we are all racing to figure out who to vote for. McCain? Obama? So much research to do, so many platforms to read up on, so many SNL skits to watch!

I work at a health-obsessed company (which I actually think is funny since I’m more of a hamburger and a beer kinda girl than granola and water kinda girl). I think the best example of this health obsession was our company-wide Biggest Loser contest that we had last winter (that I am still bitter that I lost). 

So since our company loves wellness as a whole, they like to put on lectures and seminars from time to time to educate their employees about health-related issues. In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our company had a local radiologist and medical director of a women’s center come to speak to our female (and some male) employees about the preventive measures women can take to avoid getting breast cancer. 

It was a very informative meeting (and I got free lunch!) where I learned some important stats that I would like to share with you: 

• About 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. 
• Self breast exams should be conducted monthly. The best time to do a self-breast exam is at the end of your period. 
• Besides lumps look for skin irritation or dimpling, any nipple discharge other than breast milk, redness or scaliness. These are indicators that you could have breast cancer. Get it checked. You can never be too sure!
• If you have a history of breast cancer in your family (direct relatives only such as sister or mother), you should start getting digital mammograms 5 years before your mother or sister was diagnosed. For example if your sister got breast cancer at age 25, you should start getting mammograms at age 20.

One of our readers sent us a link earlier in the month to a website called Save Second Base. The term was developed back in 2005 by Kelly Rooney, a mother of 5 with breast cancer. When she passed, Rooney’s sister and best friend started selling “Save Second Base” t-shirts, fleece blankets, and sweatshirts – a phrase coined by Rooney herself. The clothing line is fun, sassy, and brings a little bit of humor to a serious subject. 

As the women of Save Second Base say though, “Breast cancer is no laughing matter, but we can fight it with humor!” I urge all our readers to peruse their online store and support this wonderful cause. 

And don’t forget to regularly check yourself for breast cancer! We can fight this disease with knowledge! 

Don’t get too excited about my blog post title, I did not snag a job in Chicago and saying ‘farewell’ to my current job. Which means I’m going to be blogging from NYC for a little while yet while some of my recent opportunities play out.

My post title is in reference to the fact that one of my best work friends got a new job today. Her official last day will be Halloween. And I could not be more bummed.

I should probably back up a little, because I don’t really talk a lot about my work friends. I do talk about my work bff/gay husband, but besides him I do hang out with a little group of people, a clique if you will. There are four of us and we go to lunch every day together, call each other incessantly, send each other inapproriate e-mails, and in general are good work friends.

We each work in different departments, love to complain about our company, our benefits, how much we don’t get paid, hot office gossip, and of course things like girlfriends or boyfriends or annoying roommate situations.

Of all three of my work friends, Small Fry is my best friend at work. She used to work in my department as the Marketing Manager and at first we really didn’t get along. In fact, I hated her. And I’m pretty sure she thought I was an idiot. In fact, she confirmed this a few months ago when she brought up an old Excel sheet I did when I first started at my job that was sub-par. She gave me two months until I quit. In my defense, I think I might have still been drunk from Senior Week festitivies because I had graduated three days before. My voicemail message that I recorded on my first day sounds like I swallowed marbles because I barely had a voice. Well jokes on her, because I’m still here.

Anyway, after Small Fry and I worked on a huge event together almost a year ago (read: we worked long, long hours together), we became bff. I introduced her to Forever 21, she made me obsessed with $5 foot-longs at Subway. We have inside jokes. She tells me secrets before she tells her best friends and I tell her things that I never thought I would share with a co-worker. I can truthfully say that she and I have gone beyond the work friends barrier.

Small Fry is one of my best friends and not just at work. I will miss her more than I can say – because the one great thing about my job is the people. I like coming to work and knowing that if I need to bitch about The Boss that Small Fry will be there to listen to me. Or knowing that if I want skip that horrible looking Lean Cuisine I brought for lunch that someone will go and grab Hale & Hearty with me.

So today I am just sad.

And tomorrow I will start planning a kick-ass going away party for her.

There is this guy in Digital that I talk to almost everyday. I have to work with him on all of my digital marketing related projects, which is basically everything I do. He’s one of those dorky guys who acts causal and jokes with you the day you meet him. For example he calls me “Working Girl One-ski” or by my last name. He writes lots of smileys in his emails and tells me that if I get a project to him on-time, we can be best friends. At first I thought he was creepy but I decided to just go with it. However, since I started working with him, I’ve always gotten this vibe that he’s flirting with me. No big deal, some people are just always flirting.

Today, Digital Boy made a surprise visit to my floor. He called my extension from the lobby, “Hey WG1, It’s Digital Boy”

“Are you stalking me? Do you really need the Project materials that bad?” I asked him.

“Haha, no. Are you busy?” He asked.

Of course I’m busy! Our biggest event of the year is next week and I haven’t left the office before 7:30PM all week!!! “Uh, a little. Why?” I said.

“Oh nothing, just wanted to see how Project works? What’s the hold up?” I should point out that Project materials were due to Digital Boy on Monday. Typically I get emails saying “Where is Project? I guess you hate me and we can be friends anymore.” Today, I got a visitor. I should also point out that Digital Boy already knows the answers to these questions (Advertisers send materials, we design the project and send for their approval. The hold up is that they take forever to approve it. It’s the same story every month).

“Uh, ok. I’ll come let you in.” I let Digital Boy onto the floor and he waltzes in and starts walking to my desk. Uh, ok?

We got to my desk and I teach Digital Boy Project 101. He makes weird jokes and small talk and all the while I feel like hes “office flirting” with me. My coworkers (who also work with him, think he’s a little creepy and I’ve told that I get the flirting vibe from him) are at their desks, turning around and laughing to themselves. I get awkward very easily. I can feel myself turning red in embarrassment because my coworkers are laughing and I start to sweat. Then, I think “oh god, I hope he doesn’t notice my blushing and think I like him!”

He asks me about a picture of a woman that I have on my desk and asks if it’s a friend. Turns out it was an invite for an event. Damnit, I think, I should have said it was my girlfriend. I then realize that I don’t have a single picture of my boyfriend on my desk. I’m note a horrible girlfriend, I did have a picture up but everyone kept asking if he was my brother. That’s almost as awkward as this Digital Boy situation. Perhaps Digital Boy noticed that IM on the corner of my screen between Boyfriend and I. Boyfriend said, “I have to go, I love you!” I said, “I LOVE YOU TOO!”

More Project 101 and more awkward conversation about Project. Digital Boy leaves, finally, and he’s barely 5 feet away before I IM a coworker and then start laughing out loud.

“What was he doing here!?!?!” she turned around and asked. I shrugged. “He likes you!!!!” My look of disgust summed up my feelings for him. However, we were more intrigued by him than ever before now. So we did what any tech-savvy Working Girl would do: we Googled him. His Linkedin profile was one of the first hits. No Facebook, which surprised me because my guess was that Digital Boy is in his early to mid-20′s, like me.

Clicked the Linkedin link. Scrolled down to find his college graduation and determine his age. Digital Boy graduated COLLEGE in 1995. He. Is. Thirty. Five. Years. Old. 35!

Now, I do not think 35 is old at all. But I thought he was my age, 23. He looked young and ok his hairline is receding a little but so is my younger brother’s. He acts like guys my age too.

Thank you everyone for your questions!