New job

Four days into my new job and so far I am enjoying myself.  Well, technically it is not a new job as I have the same title, simply in a different location.  Anyway, the “newness” might wear off in two-three months like always- I’ll just have to see if this place can keep my brain entertained and occupied.

My boss so far seems nice and happy that I am here.  Yesterday we had a meeting with a director and she called me a “subject matter expert.”  Ha!  I mean, I gave presentations about the subject in CT, but I wouldn’t call myself an SME by any means.  No matter because yesterday it was decided that I would sit on a panel at a two-day conference and speak in front of 200 people.  Yikes.  That makes me excited and nervous at the same time.  I hope I can live up the SME title!!

Can I just tell you how much I love working in a big city again?  The energy, the people walking around, the noises.  I love them all!  All of the “cities” in CT never really had that so I definitely have missed it.  Even though we didn’t want to move to downtown Chicago (CP more than me), at least I get to experience the city during the week.  It’s nice to have a bunch of lunch options.  It’s nice that I will get to walk 1/2 mile every morning from the train station to my office, and then back that afternoon.  I may not be so happy about the walk come January when it is freezing out, but I’m hoping that my North Face jacket makes it bearable!  I’m not that far from my parent’s office so I could have lunch with them if I felt like it one day.  

I think that living a train ride away from the city (without having to drive to the station) is going to provide a nice balance.  A yard for the dogs/our garden with some privacy from our neighbors and a big enough house for our stuff on the weekends/weeknights versus the busy, loud, and crowded city during the workday.  My total commute (even with the 1/2 mile walk) will be about 45 minutes.  Not the fantastic 10 minute commute I had in CT, but that is the price we are paying to be in the middle of our two jobs with a decent sized yard, good schools, etc.

My new office has a gym in the basement that for now is free (score!).  My building also allows people to walk the stairs so instead of taking the elevator up or down one or two flights, I have been hoofing it.  I am thinking about doing the Hustle up the Hancock race which is an awesome stair race (94 floors up the John Hancock building) that I did with friends back in 2005 when I lived here.  My mom even said that she might be willing to do it with me!  My office is on one of the top floors of my building so I could train during my lunch hour or after work.  :-)

So things are going well here, despite all of the chaos.  I’m ready for a busy day tomorrow dealing with the movers, along with the delivery of our new fridge and all new appliances.  The cooktop won’t get hooked up just yet because we need the counters in, but hopefully they can get installed sometime in the next few weeks.  In the meantime we will at least have an oven and a microwave.  Sunday we are going to be in UNPACKING H*LL.  Wish us luck.  :-)