Seriously, people. It’s my job.

I love editing a magazine for teens. But sometimes, I can’t help but feel a little embarrassed about the tasks my daily grind sometimes requires. Examples, you ask? Here you go:

• I just spent 15 minutes researching the Jonas Brothers. Word! The day I start singing Miley Cyrus songs—please, just put me out of my misery if I get to that point!

• I’m currently wearing a pair of pink plastic sunglasses made for children. I got them in a meeting and they’re meant to remind me to remember to think differently and look at my work in different ways. I keep them around my desk and sometimes wear them when I need to think creatively. They don’t help, but looking stupid makes me laugh. Out loud. (Here’s a pic!)

• I just spent five minutes yelling, “Impacting is not a verb!” This happens at least once a day. And I may be old-fashioned in my desire to not use impacting in this way. The point is, there are much better, more concise, exact ways to say what people mean when they use impacting as a verb. Example: Digital downloads are impacting the music industry. Wouldn’t it be more precise and better to say: Digital downloads have had a lasting effect on the music industry or have had an impact on, are affecting, have devastated. Impact as a verb denotes collision, a forcible crashing together of two objects. It’s vague, imprecise, and weak when used as a verb to mean “affected” or “influenced.” I’m just saying!

• I just received a Barbie-sized copy of the company’s tax exempt form to keep in my wallet and supposedly submit to Tennessee restaurants and businesses for work-related expenses. You can’t read it; it’s about the size of a credit card; and when Barbie becomes a lawyer, she’ll love to carry it around in her briefcase.

• I just begged a Salvador CD off a coworker because I used to think Nic Gonzales was cute and actually kind of like Salvador. Turns out, there’s a pre-release copy in my mailbox already. Anyone want a CD?

• I have to make a decision about using a pic of the International Space Station, the Jonas Brothers, thermometers, or Six Flags cheerleaders (err, Thrilleaders) on the blog post I’m working on for the magazine. When did my life’s work come to this?

• I love the e-mails we get every month telling us to make sure our “Time Reporter” reports are up to date. Yes, I have to log each task I do every moment of the day. And the more tasks I can apply to a project number, the better!

• Earlier this morning, I had a long gripe fest with a fellow employee about the online reservation system we are forced to use to make travel arrangements for work. Seriously, I think I could get better rates on travelocity!