A Friday Chat About Dogs and Home Offices

Featuring Garli!

NICOLE: Happy Friday! How are you doing today?

GARLI: I’m great. Working at home is fantastic and a million times less stressful than office life. How about you?

NICOLE: I am also working at home and loving it. It is in fact a million times less stressful than office life! How did you get started working from home?

GARLI: Totally fell into my lap. I got recruited away from my office job to do the same job from home. I’m also a big sucker for my dogs and they’re sitting on either side of me while I prep for a meeting on Monday so when I’m annoyed I can just tell them about it and pet them and then I’m less annoyed. I recommend dogs for all. Basically you are much braver than I am, because you did it on purpose.

NICOLE: Important question: what kind of dogs?

GARLI: Mutts. Hold for 30 seconds while I find a cute photo.

Just mentally insert me in the middle of that mess.

NICOLE: They’re SO CUTE! I love that tongue! I also like that you have a pillow in the background that reads “no dogs.” I assume there’s other text there that’s obscured.

GARLI: Yes. In fact it says “No dogs allowed on this sofa.” I do believe that they can read it and show that pillow the respect it deserves.

NICOLE: That is the best sofa pillow ever. On the subject of “household stuff,” the Salvation Army showed up yesterday to remove my mattress foundation, so now my hallway is empty again, and it’s totally weird. But they did it, and they gave me a receipt to use on my taxes but they told me I’d have to fill in the amount with “whatever felt right.”

GARLI: That’s fantastic. Like, so many adulting points. Getting rid of something you don’t need, but had to like, make a plan to get rid of. Donating to charity. Making your space nicer to be in. Gold star start to your (theoretically) no spend weekend. I too have the potential for a low/ no spend weekend aside from gas, but I will also be in an area with a Target which does not exist in my town so the temptation is real. What if they have other pillows with dumb sayings that I don’t need?

NICOLE: I am very sure they will! Plus artwork and picture frames. Sayings galore. Plus they have that dollar rack right next to the entrance that is always filled with crap, but it’s funny crap or, like, a cool toy or something, and I always want that kind of stuff.

GARLI: Totally! I’m sure we’ll go there for AC. I’m playing field hockey in a warm spot tomorrow so sometimes big stores with central air call to me. But my hotel room is already paid for, the fees are covered and this one provides lunch, dinner and beer. So there’s no need to spend.

NICOLE: Do you mean that you paid for your hotel, or that the field hockey team did?

GARLI: Oh I did. I’m splitting the room with three other girls, so it’s super cheap. That’s one of those things where like, I can now easily afford my own room, but none of the other girls are in the same position (low paid vet tech, one starting grad school in the fall and one who just had a very expensive car repair) so I don’t mind sharing. Also it’s totally an adult slumber party so many giggles are in my future.

NICOLE: You are a more generous person than I would be in that situation! (I started getting my own room the minute I could barely afford it.) But I always hated slumber parties as a kid. Not the party part, but the lack of sleep part. I crumble fast.

GARLI: Yeah, I am like the extreme version of extrovert. I don’t mind being alone but the more people around usually the more fun I’m having. And I can totally sleep in any situation. I once took a nap at the warped tour, with zero drugs or booze in my system. Unless I’m on a plane, which is super tragic. Like, call Sarah McLachlan, this is ASPCA level sadness.

NICOLE: “You will find… fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind… no comfort here.”

GARLI: *single tear*

NICOLE: Well I hope your weekend is amazing and a lot of fun, and I kinda hope you go to Target and get one of those pictures that says “Friends” all around the frame and take a hotel room slumber party photo to put in it. But I also hope you don’t spend money that you don’t want to spend, because that is my professional job. To hope that.

GARLI: I too, hope that you have a fab weekend with no friends sleeping in your house and getting into your sleep time.

Want to participate in a Friday Chat? Email notes@thebillfold.com.

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.