I made it through Day One with nary a bump or bruise. Because a couple of the key people weren't available in the morning, I worked just the afternoon. My new work computer was ready for me and most of the administrative chores were in good order. My manager, George, introduced me to his team. The people are very nice. Day Two will be a challenge because I have to remember the names of all of the people. I will go around the office area this morning and check names on the cubicles. I spent most of yesterday afternoon reading, familiarizing myself with the company's policies, procedures, and standards. It will be another day or two before I'm expected to do real work. I have a laptop at work and may be able to work from home once in a while.

The most tiring part of the day was the commute home. It's been many months since I've driven in a Massachusetts rush hour. I'd forgotten, but quickly remembered, the tricks of the road. When I was commuting to Lexington, I would send a wackiness report to Sandra every morning. On this day, the wackiness was about average, but it was a lot for this guy.

You might detect my reserved attitude toward this job. Make no mistake. I'm very grateful for the opportunity and look forward to doing a good job. It's just that, well, knowing that this is temporary is quite a distraction. In many ways, though, this is a good next step. It gives me a chance to reacquaint myself with the work and technology, to sharpen my technical skills, to learn how to work again. I learned that my job was going away last September. I started looking for work full-time in February. In this business, that's a long time to be away. This job will make me ready for whatever is next.

I put the original web log in http://www.queenlake.com/blogs/roasterboy-original.html.