Observations

Here are some random things I have learned about my new job this week:

- You are not allowed to view the calendar by double clicking the clock. I didn't realize how often I did this until I got a mean little message that told me I did not have the "rights" to make changes to the date and time. I don't want to make changes! I just want to SEE the calendar!

- No personalization of your computer allowed. I'm a photographer in my spare time and as a result I like to set my desktop photo to some pretty and seasonal picture I took myself. No can do sadly.

- The door. Once you swipe your badge, push IN first, then pull. I looked like a big dummy yanking on the door convinced my security badge didn't work

- Badge access at the main entry: hold, don't swipe your badge over the reader. Otherwise, you will never escape and will inevitably hold up a line of people forming behind you. Zero chance of not standing out as "the new girl" in this situation.

- Coffee in the kitchen. Nope. But you do have three places to buy your own. Looks like it's green tea for me!

- My phone was apparently previously associated with some random test account and as a result, I get about 10 calls a day from someone trying to verify something I don't understand. Hopefully these will stop soon.

Yes, the first week is all about learning - everything form my day to day responsibilities to how to open the door :) So far, so good.

Something new

I'm pretty averse to change. Even if my current situation is bad, I'm likely to hesitate about making a change. Even if I am successful in making the change, I somehow start coming up with a million reasons why the previous situation wasn't that bad. It's truly ridiculous behaviour. Very counter-productive. I think its because I'm a Libra. I'm too easily able to weigh pros and cons of situations which is great for being able to sympathize with people and see things from a variety of perspectives, but its crappy for making decisions.

Anyways, I made a change recently: I'll be starting a new job tomorrow and I'm pretty excited. Although saying goodbye to the old job was actually a lot harder than I anticipated, I'm ready for a new challenge. I'm excited about new coworkers, new work and a new atmosphere.

After returning from a last minute, sun-drenched trip to the sunny south, I'm ready for the change. Tanned, relaxed, de-stressed. The #1 reason I know I've totally relaxed: I stopped biting my nails. I didn't really mean to. It just happened. I have tried countless times in the past to stop. I've been biting my nails for more than two decades and all of sudden, I just stopped. I've always attributed my nail biting to stress so I'm taking this sudden change of behaviour as pure, undeniable evidence that I am de-stressed.

Yup. I'm ready for change. Bring it on.