Spring 2006
Freaky Friday

Turnover in most small businesses is just another day at the office. But in our small family, it's typically stuffed with some sort of smoked cheese. That's why when Abby announced she'd be leaving Rock Paper Scissors late Spring to go off to the big apple to join the good fight of public service—er, make that Communications Director for a candidate trying to win the race to fight the good fight of public service—well, we had to let her go. (Despite Sara's crying jags and Kathryn's attempts at dissuasion through ghoulish tales of political candidates actually slapping around their measly campaign workers—mostly on the face in front of reporters, typically as well as Tracy's offer to happen to accidentally rearrange a few spark plugs, Amy caved. Heck, she may have even given Abby a good recommendation—who can say for sure things were so out of control.) But after the initial shock wore down, a strange thing happened, and as far as anyone can recall, there wasn't any particularly walloping lightening storm or even an accidental backpack exchange: Katie came to visit that week from that very same big apple where she was living, lobbying to come back to Rock Paper Scissors.

EXT - FADE TO BLACK
[Eerie laughter heard in echoes with flickers of lightning somewhere in the distance]

INT - ROCK PAPER SCISSORS - DAWN - FLASHBACK
[The sun rises a warm glow over our homey red brick building]
Both grand girls worked part-time at RPS during their fourth years at the University of Virginia and we loved that they made time for a job during their final semesters. But growing restless, when an opportunity to move to Charleston, South Carolina fell through, Katie happily lopped one leg over into the first bandwagon headed toward NYC with friends. We all stayed on the phone as she maneuvered her way through the woes of temping to the first full-time-I-didn't-think-I-was-hired-to-answer- the-phones job at a law firm; purely a cruel twist of fate for a girl burdened with full-blown phone-a-phobia. We continued to stay on the phone through the long cold blocks to and fro apartment to work to apartment to work--but to be honest, that was the fun part of Katie's travails; she worked in Rockefeller Center, so she waltzed through the crowd of the Today Show every morning. (It is for this reason alone Alissa was secretly volleying for Katie to stay in NYC—luckily for Katie's sake Katie Couric announced her departure from the show, right around the same time the firm decided to move two blocks over. "OK, you can come home now," Alissa was overheard saying.) Besides, you should have seen Katie's eyes light up every time she came back to Virginia and RPS for a visit.

Meanwhile, Abby and her Golden Retriever, Charley, stayed in Charlottesville after graduation and settled into a sweet summer life of part-time dog sitting...

INT - SUDDEN INTERRUPTION - MIDDAY - FLASHBACK
[Abby splayed-out on the couch in the afternoon sun with a small dog beside her, both human and dog napping. CUT - Make that snoring]
...and working part-time at Rock Paper Scissors. As the retail and custom printing pace caught its usual speed in the early Fall, Abby came on full-time and nary a day passed without some stomach-holding laughter of her karaoke adventures from the previous night (see karaoke going away party photos for evidence) and her other unofficial part-time job: Minister of Fun at the nearby German pub, the Schnitzel house (just don't even ask.) And then came the campaign job opportunity we've already covered. Suffice to say, the yard sale was not far behind. (Charley would like to add here that he sold most of the household goods that afternoon at the sale, and don't even believe otherwise; Mom Abby was in the bathroom somewhat hung-over.)

INT - ROCK PAPER SCISSORS - PRESENT DAY
[Birds chirping in the distant sun. A choral group seems to be rehearsing nearby and, suddenly appears out of nowhere, smiling, swaying in unison. And choraling]
These days Katie is enamored of her walk to work involving much shorter blocks, well kempt tree-lined sidewalks, no NYC cross-town wind and no tiny 200 square foot (arg!) apartment sans two roommates to escape. Within weeks of Abby’s departure news, Abby and Katie had successfully pulled-off a Trading Spaces episode right before our eyes: Katie traded in her apartment on East 55th Street (and did we mention the two roommates) for a quaint cottage in Belmont (by herself thank you very much) and Abby traded in her cottage in Belmont for an apartment on 1st Avenue and 57th with two roommates. (Alright, these roommates happen to also be her parents, but you get the gist.)

At present, Abby is happy to report that all positions as communications directors in politics happen to involve a lot of talking, a skill at which she excels. But more importantly, she is happy to report that Charley, the amazing Golden Retriever going on thirteen, has successfully wooed Martina, the dog walker, both during his interview and since, with his well spent time charming the pants off all of New York City.