Days 1-3 of Fancy New Job

An Ode to Penny Karma

Day One, 5 July 2006:

7 AM: Alarm goes off playing the only radio station I could find that might broadcast NPR. It was "The Early Show". Who knew you could listen to the TV on the radio?

7.10 AM: Take Jerry and Cassidy out for the morning constitutional. On leashes.

7.45 AM: Re-enter apartment thru window. I locked myself out of my really-far-off-the-ground-first-floor-windowed apartment. Thanks to all the watchful faeries for giving me 2nd floor neighbors with a canoe rack, and a canoe that I gently stepped on in order to hoist myself over a sill with a nail that ripped my t-shirt thru the no-screened Shaker window onto my couch.

8.32 AM: Arrive in my office 2 minutes late to the horror of an unlocked door, lights on, and a lovely canvas goodie bag from THE BOSS. How cool! I hope she doesn't know I was late. I have a thing for timeliness in the work place, especially on the first day.

8.35-8.55 AM: Attempt to log onto my work computer. Let's all remember, I attended meetings, etc. at the Fancy New Place in early June; log on has happened before.

8.55 AM: Finally stumble upon system password.

8.55-9.25 AM: Try to log onto Fancy New Job Email. Finally asked colleague, coincidental owner of aforementioned canoe, and discover Not-On-Site-Tech-Guy error, fix said error, and finally get into email program.

Please note: We're not even three full hours into my First Day of FNJ.

4 PM: Go back to unlocked first floor apartment. It's a temporary stay, so nothing is unpacked. There is no phone. No Internet access. No Tour. No World Cup. No Wimbledon. One channel on the TV. No AC. A LOT of humidity, and an active four-year-old living above me. In this historic Shaker building it's as though that loud little cherub lives with me, as well as the four other members of his canoe-owning family.

5 PM: Let Jerry out to meet larger-than-Jerry upstairs neighbor dog. Cassidy met him earlier, so I kept her on leash. Neighbor dog attacks Jerry. Repeatedly. Jerry goes back into the hallway, trying to get back into the apartment, neighbor dog corners him in hallway.

9.30 PM: Make great progress on my niece-to-be's MDK Kimono during "So You Think You Can Dance". Run out of yarn four (4) rows shy of cast off.

Day Two:

Highlight: Dare to check my Bloglines.

Lowlights: FNJ has a firewall that blocks photos and posting abilities on Blogspot. The same firewall blocked me from checking the standings of Le Tour. Left ear swollen to near elephant size. Bug bite, I think. Either that, or it's poison ivy, which I have on various other parts of my body. On my right arm it looks like leprosy at this point.

Day Three: FNJ Retreat, 8.30 - 2 PM.

8.07 AM: Wake up. I forgot to turn on alarm.

8.33 AM: Arrive at THE BOSSES' HOUSE a.k.a. retreat location. Three minutes late, but three others out of six total were later. Whew.

11.30 PM: My ear is a little smaller, and I am at my parents' writing this post. Thankfully, the three (3) hour drive was uneventful. I've successfully ordered more Kimono yarn.