Monday, December 18, 2006

free pop

So even though I just spent the last hour up to my nose in my student loans (something I do not enjoy) and made the perhaps silly decision to NOT pay the full $697 payment I currently owe, I would like to shed the worry and consternation for a moment and mention the glory of the downtown Chicago skyline and the delightfully modern and sleek-ass building I am currently temping in.

With a name that belies it's granduer, let me introduce you to 311 South Wacker. Also known as "Gavin's Favorite Building" this 65-story skyscraper is one of the most notable of its cronies, and on a clear Chicago evening, it's castle-like twinkling turret rivals the starlight and begs observation from many adoring eye. Ok shut up, Leslie. Done and done.

Seriously though, check out the website, the photos don't quite do it justice, but you get an idea. I am personally tickled by the fact that the building, like many downtown, contains several banks of elevators, none of which go to the same floors. Bank one has six elevators that go to floors 1-17. Bank two has six elevators that go to floors 18-35. (I have yet to check if this building has an spooky floor 13 or not) Bank three has six elevators, all of which take you to the 46th floor, otherwise known as the "Sky Lobby." From there you must get off the elevator, walk through the lobby, which looks out over Lake Michigan-it's beautiful, of course, and go to one of two more sets of elevators. The first set of elevators takes you to floors 47-65. The other set takes you to floors 36-45. I work on floor 42.

Think about it. No matter where I am going, to work or from work, I have to go up to go down. Up to go down. I also have to wave a fancy electronic card at significant places in the building to get around. Security personnel is ever so numerous, and unobtrusively friendly, I might add. But the clencher, the raison d'etre, the thing that makes my job that only pays half as much as I used to make pleasant to be at, is the FREE POP MACHINE. The company I am currently working for occupies some 3 to 4 floors in the 311 Wacker building. It also has offices in New York, London, Tokoyo, Los Angeles...you get the idea. And companies like that don't make it's employees feel guilty for consuming 'company' food too quickly. In fact, they do things like install a pop machine with both Pepsi AND Coke products and then they don't make you pay for it. It's unreal. Positively.

In other news, my interview did not get scheduled yet and after trying to pay some bills tonight I am feeling a bit weepy. Hire me already. I'm awesome.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

i heard this rumor that education and medical debt doesn't count against your credit rating... which i mean, i know no one wants their studen loans hanging over their head forever... but it would be worth looking into that rumor.

kari

Ingrid said...

u aint lying about this building. beautiful! kinda nice with the free soda and all. (i just wish it was free fruit juice and water---better yet---free jamba juice with boosters!)

ElleG77 said...

oh but there is juice! just yesterday i discovered apple juice for the taking in the fridge, and of course I forgot to mentioned the filtered water machine by my cubicle. Also, there is coffee, several kinds of tea, and crystal light, hot cider and hot chocolate packets as well....but sadly no ojamba juice....sigh.

Anonymous said...

what about free lattes? that's what i'm rooting for at my office, although i might have to supply the espresso machine... but honestly that thing would pay for itself in a couple of weeks.

kari

Ingrid said...

kari, that's priceless. if i ever hear of full barista service in media services, ya'll better hook a sista up with a corbi card:-)

Sholeh said...

oh man I love that building. Seriously.

And free drinks are the best.

hope you're doing well, m'dear!