Oh, I know I didn’t have to…I just wanted to.
Because you are something special to me.
Here it is!
Open it! I can’t stand the anticipation!
Great! Do you like it? Is it too much?
I got you:
A warm, safe and joyous holiday!
A 2009 filled with both hope and prosperity
Humility, gratitude and appreciation for all you’ve done for me this year.
And
Love. Lots and lots of love.
Use it well! It’s just your size!
That approximates the exact sound I made at about 10:55 this morning.
I had a “meet and greet” with the boss of my boss, a high ranking and incredibly powerful woman.
I mean, she’s brilliant. Has a degree in chemistry and another in finance. Worked for an oil company in Houston for many years and then made her way west. The continuing upward steps in her career are admirable.
Her background is deep, diverse and amazing.
Let’s just say this: She is a force to be reckoned with.
And as a new employee in her organization, I got the chance to have an hour of her time so she could get to know me and so I could get to know her too.
I was told by my mentor that I should, “come with an agenda, don’t leave open air”. Her time if valuable, to be sure. And so I did. I came to the table with a print out of questions I jotted down and I noticed she took note that I had.
I asked her about her background, her management philosophy and what I can do to be effective here at the company. And she answered very candidly.
I even asked her what is her nitpick so that I can manage to that. She told me two.
That’s some managerial self-awareness!
So it was an intense hour, but good, meaningful and filled with useful information.
When it was over, I came out of her office pitted out (meaning, I needed a Right Guard moment, raise your hands if you’re Sure, etc).
So, for me, the life moments that cause me to get pitted out all get measured on the scale of completing the orals for my Master’s degree.
Wearing a suit, in front of my professor committee, at the marker board, explaining economic theory. Yeah, despite two coats of D.O., I was WAY pitted out that day. That was the worst.
So if we call “Master’s Orals” a 10, today’s moisture was about a three. So low, but still…
I musta been more nervous that I even thought going in.
When all was done, I came out of the boss lady’s office, went up two floors to my office, ripped off my cardigan, and uttered a long drawn out “haaawhoof!”
You know the sound. The one you make when you’ve finished your laborious taxes. The one you make when your shaky team is up by one with three seconds on the clock in a playoff game and they manage to win.
The one you make when you want very much to make a good impression on someone who could literally make or break you and your career.
Haaaaawhoooooof!
Whoo! Had quite the day at “work”. I put the air quotes around it, because even though I got up at the usual time and drove in to work, I didn’t do any *actual* work today.
It was the occasion of my group’s annual holiday offsite event. This is only my fourth week of employment.
We went to a new and very well managed Go Kart Racing facility. They are set up for corporate “team building” events. I dunno if talking smack and bumping your coworker ’round the curves is building a team, but it was a heck of a lot of fun.
We were broken up into two teams and each team got two goes at the race course. First was “warm up” laps, to learn the course. Then it got serious. I placed in the middle of the pack for times in the warm up laps.
Then we did a “qualifying round,” and from the results would be positioned for the final round.
So, while we waited for the qualifying round, oh did the smack talk begin. The “you’re going down!” comments started flying. And not from me. No, they came AT me. And I smiled. And I put on my pink helmet.
And I kicked everyone’s ass.
That’s right, I won the qualifying round, got the pole position, and never looked back.
Many of my new coworkers were like “wow, you were really…aggressive…out there.” Umm hmm…they wouldn’t have said that to a male driver. I’m just sayin’.
I was proud because another of my coworkers, one who took the MOST grief (they told her she drove like she was taking her kids to school. That ain’t right) came in second right behind me.
Girl Power!
After the racing then we played pool, ate and talked about the team and how we’ll approach next year.
So far, I’m really digging this job. Some of the best folks I’ve ever worked with. I just hope I can step up soon and be a fully functioning member of the group. They’ve been nothing but great to me.
Next up: the entire corporation has a holiday event Saturday. The Good Man gets to go too. It’s gonna be BIG fun!
I am ridiculously excited because, on the advice of a couple coworkers, I’ve found a different route to take to work. It’s actually a few miles longer in distance, but since traffic rolls and no stop-go, stop-go, it actually shaves 10 to 15 minutes off my commute.
TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES! That means that over the course of a week, I could get around two extra hours with my sweetie. Or sleeping. Or fast asleep next to my sweetie. All good options!
I’ve got the drive down to about 25 minutes each way, now. Commute to the old job was 45 to 50 minutes each way.
THIS is a victory for sanity!
I remember, lo these many years ago, one year when it was time to return to school, my mom packed up all the supplies she’d bought from the teacher’s list of requirements into a brown paper grocery bag. Then she sat me, dressed in my new school clothes, next to the bag on the carved wooden bench near the front door and took a picture.
It was a “first day of school” photo.
I searched high and low in all my photo albums for this photo to scan and post today, but sadly I could not find it (it’s there, but just didn’t dig far enough). I did, however, find my first communion photo, taken seated on that same bench in a fluffy white dress and little veil, but figured the effect was just not the same.
The reason for me recalling both that day and that photograph, is that today, I started my new job at a brand new company. And I felt as nervous and jittery as I did in second grade wondering if I would like the place, if the other kids would like me back, and if I was doomed to eating lunch all by myself for the duration.
Day One of the new place was not so bad. My mind is a bit blown with all the information handed out during the day. I’m working for a company that is smaller, less high profile, but more important to the “greater good”. I work for a company filled with PhD scientist types. Brilliant folks, all sharp as a whip and it takes work for me to keep up.
It’s a lot like my old employer in a lot of ways (most of them good). It’s also very different in a lot of ways.
But none of that matters. What matters is I spent nine and a half years at my last job. I’d built up friends, confidants, and credibility. I knew where the bodies and the land mines were buried. People knew me, knew I would do a good job, and trusted me.
Today, people don’t know me from Adam and I have zero credibility. All that must be built, and it’s a long process.
I have to learn the names of new and strange (and let’s face it, rather geeky) executives. I have to learn a bit of biology and a skosh of chemistry to keep up with the conversations. I have to be able to speak clinically about some big hairy scary human diseases, which is going to be a tough change for my sensitive soul.
But mainly, I have to survive. I need this job. Mr. Jones keeps stealing my money and while I was feeling ok about things a few weeks back, I’ve finally succumbed to the fear and horror this economy has sent our way. I like feeling comfortable about my financial situation and loathe worrying over something as ridiculous as money.
And yes, I’m quite grateful to have a good job in these troubled times.
I did make a friend today. She was very nice and agreed to be my “new hire” pal. I have a new hire pal from the old place. He and I are still friends and celebrated every work anniversary by saying to each other, “god, you still work here?” I expect the same from my new friend.
Tomorrow I’m plunged into the icy waters of my new team. I met a couple ladies today who will by my direct reports and they eyed me suspiciously, but were friendly enough.
Hopefully no one will steal my lunch money and someone will let me sit at the table with them at noontime.
And hopefully someone will tell me how to find my way to the bathroom. That’s essential.
Tuesday is going to be a really long day.