strange sounds & things

One of the hardest things about quitting my job was having to tell the people I've enjoyed working with the last three years. Had it not been the absolute peace and certainty that this was in the best of interest of our family, I don't think I could have gone through with it. And God has blessed me with great friends who have prayed with me for this last year (even though I didn't tell them what they were praying for!) that God would give me direction. A part of me dreads tomorrow as I say good-bye and pack up my office. And the craziest thing of all, is the things I thought about today that I'll miss.

• clocking in and out - Now, I won't miss seeing how early/late I am, but MBC has a really cool machine that stamps your timecard and it makes the coolest sound. Plus I just find it gratifying to hear that "ca-chunk" every morning and afternoon. It's like a piece of you (or your time) is being encapsulated in ink and is there to be seen.
• the large format printer - Several people have commented lately that the ink smell of the large printer bothers them. It always takes me by surprise. I seldom smell it. I don't know if I've just grown accustomed to its wet ink/new plastic smell, or if my sniffer just doesn't work right. But I will miss it's quiet hum as it kicks into gear moving the paper and then it's "eeeeeerrrrrrrr" as it scans across the roll. It's like listening to a non-deafening airplane take off.
• Duplexed card-stock on the color printer...Can you tell I like rhythmic things? There's something satisfying about hearing the "thunk, thunk" of the paper as it changes roller to roller and then to the catch tray. Maybe I like it because another project is close to be highlighted on my to do list. Either way, this is one of my favorite parts about a project...the almost finished project!
• Linda sighing....my coworker is the prototype for the energizer bunny. She exhales often, and sometimes I can almost see her letting off steam like the locomotive she imitates.
• Keith singing his wacky songs while he cleans.

I'm sure there's many other things I'll miss as the days go on, but these are the sounds I seem to hear the most often. Yet as much as I like and will miss them, I don't think I'll take a tape recorder to work tomorrow.