I have some down time, like so many of us who are out of work during shelter at home orders. So, I thought I might go ahead and add a personal blog I have been meaning to add for a long time. And when I say a long time I mean like four years. I don’t think I was actually too busy to do this, but when you are living your regular non-lockdown life everything seems too busy. It’s easy to make excuses and find reasons not to do the extra things, like add a personal blog to the website, when you could probably just watch less Netflix and get it done.
So here we are. I am about to write a blog about The Office. Yeah, the tv show. That’s random, right? This blog right in the middle of a bunch of content about babies and smashed cake. I am working it out in my mind on the fly right now. And while I am having trouble seeing where it starts, I can see where it ends.
I think the problem is, I am struggling a bit to explain how much I love this show. I don’t want to go on and on about random facts or favorite episodes. Because it’s not just one thing or one character that makes me call myself a fan. I just feel some strange obligation to give it the proper credit for the place it holds in my heart. It is oddly an important part of my life. I will get to why in a bit. And if you think I am going overboard now, please just stop reading. Because you are really gonna hate me in a minute.
This show was something I began watching when our daughters were young. Something to look forward to after we put them to bed. There were no streaming services at the time, no Netflix, nothing on demand. We had to record it and make time to watch it. And I definitely didn’t want to be interrupted during that 22 minutes plus commercial breaks. So twin one toddlers needed to be sleeping before we pushed play.
As time moved on I distinctly remember watching my favorite paper company and feeling tiny kicks as my second set of twins wiggled around in my belly. Those same two babies decided to come a bit early and very unplanned, on a Thursday evening. I remember lying in labor in delivery and telling Kevin “Oh no, we are going to miss The Office and 30 Rock, is it being recorded?”
I began collecting memorabilia and buying it for my husband as well at any opportunity. I think the first thing I gave him as a nod to The Office was a bobblehead of himself for Valentine’s day. Angela give Dwight a bobblehead of himself in Season 2 Episode 16. And let me tell you, it was not as easy to find specialty items back then. Also, I cannot believe the amount I paid for a bobblehead. Do not tell my husband.
Our healthy obsession continued through the years. I even once bought an overpriced cat and named her Pam Beesly. I think she knew how much she cost me and she turned into more of an Angela Martin. Only shelter cats for this girl from now on, lesson learned.
If you see cars rolling around Kansas City with vanity plates that read MSCARN or BIGTUNA, that’s me and Kevin. I can’t tell you how thankful I was that he did not give me Big Tuna. I did have a brief moment of panic when he showed them to me.
We have all the Funko figurines, all of Jenna Fischer’s special edition tees, the mugs, wall art, random toys Michael keeps on his desk…I mean, all the things. I unapologetically love it all. Well, except the Live show: The Office a musical parody. That was an abomination.
I can watch every episode without cringing. The Office taught me comedy without a laugh track and that the best parts are the ones that give you second hand embarrassment. And no, I am not going to skip the episodes after Michael leaves (blasphemy!) And yeah nobody liked D’Angelo Vickers, but without him we would never have Pam’s invisible juggling scene. So totally worth it.
So, you get it. Big fans.
When the show came to an end I was sad to see it go, but I have to tell you, the finale is the most perfect final episode of any series I have every watched. It was funny, it was touching and it tied up all the character story lines in just the way I wanted them to be. Not in a cheesy way, but just a satisfying that’s the way I want my world to be kind of way.
And then there was Netflix (hooray!). If you go in my queue at any point in time you will see The Office listed under the “Continue watching for Anna” category. I just cycle through and start back up again. And this doesn’t mean I never watch anything else, I do. It’s just that I always have Dunder Mifflin on continuous rotation.
So when our 15th wedding anniversary I found myself trying to think of something big to do to commemorate it. We don’t really go on expensive trips together and we don’t exchange huge gifts. However, my husband would be really annoyed if I didn’t mention the earrings he gifted me for our 15th. So this is me mentioning them. They are beautiful and I love them. Please buy me more.
Okay, so being that I am a photographer I landed on the idea of a photo shoot. Perfect. We have never done that. But then I started thinking, what if I could come up with something unique instead me and him standing in a field together (side note, I love photos of couples in fields). So after some deliberation I landed on an Office themed shoot.
Well, everything I thought of initially would be themed and cheesy (also, I really like cheesy) I especially didn’t want to wear corporate casual in these photos. That’s when I remembered a photo shoot I had seen long ago in Entertainment Weekly. It was a special spread they shot to tease Pam and Jim’s wedding episode (spoiler). So, I got to work and emailed and eventually called EW until I was able to order a copy of that issue (luckily these were not the bobble head days). In case you are wondering it’s this issue. And here is a one of the little clips we watched before the shoot.
Next up I booked my photographer, my friend Abby Glenn, of Abby Glenn Photography (guys, isn’t she adorable?). She is so talented and I knew I would only have to show her the magazine spread and she would create something perfect for us. She lives in Texas and agreed to fly to Kansas City to shoot for me in my studio. I got to work gathering props. My friend, Angie made the replica cake.
Since it was a wedding shoot I dressed my kids as the bridal party and they got to participate. It was probably the most fun I have ever had at a session of my own. I mean, my friend was shooting and my husband was there too. Oh, yeah and cake. Everything is more fun with cake. Check out just a few of the inspiration and resulting images below. I have to admit there are more, but I cannot find that magazine that I worked so hard to get my hands on so you guys can see all the original images. I lose things. That is just the way I operate. I am not surprised by this at all. Like I said, I should have blogged this four years ago.
We aren’t magazine perfect but this guy is definitely my Jim. And Abby went above and beyond to deliver the images I wanted for this day.
EW Cover
Issue 1068
October 2, 2009
The Office (Jim and Pam)
Honestly this television show just became the theme song of our life. It is always playing in the background. We throw out “That’s what she said” any chance we get. We watch it alone. We watch with our kids (we have a tradition to watch all the Christmas episodes on Christmas morning), I watch it when I have had a bad day with a glass of wine and I turn it on when I am sad or feeling stressed. I really don’t know how to explain the comfort it brings. It is just like my little family grew up with it and I really can’t separate the two anymore.
Like Andy said, “You know how you wish some one would tell you that you were in the good old days before you left them?” Well, I am lucky because I know where I am. These days while my kids are young and we are all under the same roof, sharing the same jokes, watching the same shows and being together everyday…these are my good old days.
It’s hard to feel that right now, for sure. My small business is struggling. There are so many unknowns and I worry a lot. I think we all do. But for me this show about a paper company is were I can find a little peace during chaos. I hope you have a place like that too.
Stay well Kansas City.
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