This post brought to you by the letter 'O'

As most of you know, it has been a lifelong dream of mine to one day work for or simply be involved with the Henson Company and/or the Sesame Workshop (which produces Sesame Street). However, with Disney’s requisition of the ‘Muppet Show’ characters a few years ago – which is why you see Miss Piggy promoting Pizza Hut and Kermit the Frog doing Ford commercials – it seemed like the magical world created by Jim Henson was slowly deteriorating. But just yesterday I got an incredible opportunity to visit the Sesame Workshop, and see that the magic and creativity of the Muppet characters is still alive and well.

This entire opportunity is due to the fact that Todd’s mom Linda seems to know just about everyone on the planet – no joke. You can play ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon’ with her and she’s connected (in six degrees or less) to everyone from John F. Kennedy to Jason Bateman. It’s a testament to her warm and caring personality that she’s built relationships with so many people through the years, and it’s because of her that I had lunch with another Kristin – who just so happens to work in the toy department of the Sesame Workshop.

It’s hard to describe the feelings that began to run through me Wednesday as I prepared to go to the Sesame Workshop on Thursday. It’s always been firmly rooted in the ‘dreams’ section of my life and psyche, and so when confronted with the reality that I was actually going to go there and meet someone (which is huge in and of itself because it’s a bit of an employment fortress – e.g. once people get a job with Sesame Workshop, they seldom leave), slight panic ensued. Actually, panic perhaps isn’t the right word. More like all my Type-A quirks decide to rear their ugly head, and I became the dreaded Overthinker.

It all started innocently enough. On Wednesday I sent an email to Kristin confirming our lunch meeting, and asked for the address of the building and any protocols I need to be aware of to enter. It wasn’t until I sent the email that I realized I had, in short, sent her an email that said, “Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?” All I needed were some smiling kids in bellbottoms standing beside Mr. Hooper and the effect would have been complete. Nice. Slapping my hand against my forehead, I start wondering how often she gets that line on a daily basis. All I can do from that point is hope that she didn’t notice or care.

As Wednesday night rolls on, I try to decide what I should wear for my meeting with Kristin. Since it isn’t a job interview, a suit doesn’t feel appropriate. On the other hand, neither do jeans. However, the folks at Sesame Workshop seem like a fairly creative and artistic bunch, so maybe a more casual dress code is in order, and I shouldn’t overdress. I finally decide on a well-tailored, green empire waist blouse that Todd says only slightly reminds him of Kermit the Frog, as well as a pair of crisp white slacks -- hoping to strike the right blend of office appropriate and effortless style. I go to put the pants on (which I have not worn in several months) and start to get nervous. This is the first – and only – time in my life that I have been unhappy about losing weight. Because of the extensive walking we did while in Europe, I dropped a few pounds, which was the source of much jubilation and dancing around in my underwear. However, I realized that now only one pair of pants still fits me properly – the suit pants I have been wearing in interviews, which six months ago I could barely fit into.

Normally losing weight gives one the perfect excuse to go out and buy new clothes…except I have that whole unemployed problem. Looks like I’ll have to make do for a while longer and try to get creative. As fate would have it, in our move cross-country I felt the need to shed myself of most things I do not regularly wear. This meant I donated all but three of my belts – two of which are casual at best, and more appropriate for a rock concert than a lunch meeting. I try using my remaining belt to cinch the white pants up, only to find in doing so I have recreated the much maligned ‘hammer pant.’ The whiteness of the pants also seems to evoke a certain Don Johnson, ‘Miami Vice’ look that I am not too sure I want to resurrect – even if this is a more ‘creative’ office. Ultimately I tell myself “Screw it,” try to stop this over-thinking nonsense, and hope she merely thinks the pants are my version of fall’s wide-leg trouser.

Upon arriving in Manhattan on Thursday, I am reminded of one of the many reasons I love New York. It’s a beautiful day with no humidity, and I can walk the 25 blocks from Grand Central Station to the Sesame Workshop quite comfortably. And when I arrive at the Sesame Workshop, it is everything I imagined it would be – colorful, lively, and even a little furry. With its mounds of toys, large play areas, and even a few ‘rides,’ I imagine that for the children of the staff of the Sesame Workshop it is nothing short of paradise. Even the wall sconces are done in the shapes of Bert, Ernie, Big Bird, Grover, and Elmo. Kristin is a friendly and delightful person, and we had a wonderful time talking over lunch and then touring the workshop, which even though it doesn’t house the film studio (which is in Queens), is pretty darn cool nonetheless. I found my inner three year-old fulfilled. And while I’m not looking to make a two-hour commute (each way) to NYC now, it’s nice to know that I have finally met someone from the Sesame Workshop and finally have experienced a slice of my dream.