hooray for ALA!
I made it through my first full week at my new job and have embarked on week two. So here are some factoids and first impressions of this new gig:
~ My new boss is sane, reasonable, and incredibly nice. It's incredible. And it's a delightful change!
~ My department/team is made up of smart and funny people who seem pretty happy to have me here and to teach me new things.
~ The office as a whole seems to be all very nice people, many of whom will stop by and visit me in my little 'glass cubicle' to see how I'm settling in.
~ Most of these very nice people are either gay men or middle aged married women. With a few exceptions, of course. But it means that there is no particular demographic into which I can easily fit, which is a new experience for me.
~ I have the most private office space (the aforementioned 'glass cubicle') than I've ever had at an office before. Although it doesn't have a door, and one wall is almost entirely glass, there are three sturdy walls that surround me. And I don't have to share the space with anyone -- which is the case with almost all of the regular offices.
~ I'm going to Dallas for a week at the end of the month for the National Staff Conference, and I'm very excited to travel for work for the first time in five years. I'm expecting it will be an overwhelming and educational experience.
~ I'm slowly getting substantive work to do, which I am enjoying very much, in part because it means that having done very little work at work for the last eight or so months may not have completely atrophied my brain.
~ I'm pleasantly surprised as to how much I remember about tobacco control from those good ol' days at TFK.
As a whole, I'm significantly happier than I was a few short weeks ago. My stomach has improved significantly (but I'm still taking OTC Prilosec, 'caise I'm not taking any chances) and I have yet to spend an evening, feeling like crying at the mere thought of going to work. I must admit that I seem to be suffering from a case of the Mondays -- either that or I'm just sick of wintertime already. Either way, I'm sure I'll feel like myself again soon. Things in general seem to be improving.
Oh, and I'm going to Europe at the end of March with my Boy and our friends! Spending 3 days in London, then a week or so in Madrid. I've never been, I can't speak more than a few words of Spanish, but I'm very excited.
That's all for now....
~ My new boss is sane, reasonable, and incredibly nice. It's incredible. And it's a delightful change!
~ My department/team is made up of smart and funny people who seem pretty happy to have me here and to teach me new things.
~ The office as a whole seems to be all very nice people, many of whom will stop by and visit me in my little 'glass cubicle' to see how I'm settling in.
~ Most of these very nice people are either gay men or middle aged married women. With a few exceptions, of course. But it means that there is no particular demographic into which I can easily fit, which is a new experience for me.
~ I have the most private office space (the aforementioned 'glass cubicle') than I've ever had at an office before. Although it doesn't have a door, and one wall is almost entirely glass, there are three sturdy walls that surround me. And I don't have to share the space with anyone -- which is the case with almost all of the regular offices.
~ I'm going to Dallas for a week at the end of the month for the National Staff Conference, and I'm very excited to travel for work for the first time in five years. I'm expecting it will be an overwhelming and educational experience.
~ I'm slowly getting substantive work to do, which I am enjoying very much, in part because it means that having done very little work at work for the last eight or so months may not have completely atrophied my brain.
~ I'm pleasantly surprised as to how much I remember about tobacco control from those good ol' days at TFK.
As a whole, I'm significantly happier than I was a few short weeks ago. My stomach has improved significantly (but I'm still taking OTC Prilosec, 'caise I'm not taking any chances) and I have yet to spend an evening, feeling like crying at the mere thought of going to work. I must admit that I seem to be suffering from a case of the Mondays -- either that or I'm just sick of wintertime already. Either way, I'm sure I'll feel like myself again soon. Things in general seem to be improving.
Oh, and I'm going to Europe at the end of March with my Boy and our friends! Spending 3 days in London, then a week or so in Madrid. I've never been, I can't speak more than a few words of Spanish, but I'm very excited.
That's all for now....