Out of the Loop

A definite negative of my new job is the lack of Internet access. I did manage to hear that Butch Davis resigned as head coach of the Cleveland Browns on my way to work this morning, but I left work today and found out on the radio that Bowling Green had accepted a big to the GMAC Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, and also that Notre Dame had fired head coach Tyrone Willingham. Normally I would have learned that information over the course of the day, and being unable to do that leaves me feeling very much out of the loop.

I did meet more people today, including everyone that works in the Marketing department with me. Remembering all of their names is another story, but I did at least meet everyone. I'm generally good with names, but there were a bunch of them thrown at me all at once. I did get most of them, and the remaining few will come. I also met a few people that work in the warehouse, just through random lunchtime conversation. One guy I met gave me some pretty good inside info--apparently a lot of people at work are related in some way to other people at work, so office gossip is generally not a good idea. That's good to know.

I was bored for a fair portion of the day. I thought that was over with when I took this new job, particularly when I found out that this is "crunch time," but apparently the admonition yesterday that I work too quickly was not just an offhand remark. I haven't been there nearly long enough to be able to take any sort of initiative and find stuff to do on my own, so I either have to bother someone to teach me something new or I have to just wait for something to show up in my inbox. Luckily, I did get a pretty significant packet toward the end of the day, so I should be able to keep pretty busy in the morning. I just have to remember to pace myself a little better, because getting things done quickly doesn't seem to do much good.

I don't know if I'll be able to continue my habit of reading on my lunch break. I only have half an hour, so most of the time I won't be able to get away from the office. There's actually a lunch room there, so I can't eat at my desk, and I don't want to go into a crowded lunchroom and appear antisocial by burying myself in a book. Then again, I don't want to fool anyone either. I am a little antisocial, and I don't want to force myself to talk to anyone/everyone when it's not really in my nature. If I happen to make friends, fine, but it's not why I'm there.

I'm still trying to get a feel for how much I like this job. I definitely like the fact that I'm good at it, and it's good to be working again with words. Beyond that, I don't know. The creature comforts aren't quite what I'm used to. That shouldn't be a big deal, and hopefully it won't be as I get more used to it. I think I just feel weird because I'm out of my routine and trying to forge a new one. Right now everything is new, and not a minute goes by at work that I'm not acutely aware of my surroundings. As that fades and I grow more comfortable, I think I'll feel better about the whole thing.

I'm not going to talk about this job every day this week, by the way. You know, in case you were wondering.