Another day, another dollar

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Probably qualifies by the mundane standard…

I’ve now survived my first week as a corporado after 10+ years as an independent. Thoughts, dreams, reflections to follow.

What’d we find out, do, think?

Gawd, these people put away the sweets. I had my first exposure to Krispy Kreme this week (which included BS’ing w/a wireline rep who seemed happy enough to occupy our kitchen until it was time for his lunch date). Also got one dry hole down, we’re probably going to do another next week. Hurried exploration is rarely remunerative. I did manage to get a new project of my own on the books and going. I also found out that the pricey computer I ordered for myself has a fatally flawed mother board (any other dopers trying to use a 133 MHz bus system w/the Intel 840 chipset?) - could’ve been major egg-on-face, but I think it’s been spun right.

I lived through a weekly staff meeting, which is no big deal, because they’re apparently about as useful and critical as they’ve always been (yawn). I spent more time on composing my Conflict of Interest Certificate memo and ordering (with the help of our, I like her ((not a cutie thing - it’s because she’s one of those people who wants to make things work)), exploration secretary) office supplies and business cards than I did actually exploring; but I learned this week that they, excuse me, we don’t quite fight the battle down to the ramparts as often as little old me is used to.

None of the above are revelations; they’re more like flashbacks.

Direct deposit happens (whoo-hoo).

New to me:

Everybody’s out of there at 4:30 - they work, or report for, a 40 hour week. Yahoo! I can do that with my eyes closed. Wednesday I came back from lunch and parked in the garage next to my (sort of) superior’s vehicle and walked into the building; on the way I realized I had already acclimated - the garage, the parking spot, the smokers by the door all seemed familiar. I’m hard pressed to break my old habits and I really would like to have at least one of the maps we’re going to act on next week finished by Monday morning. But I know that is: a) not expected, b) going to piss off my co-workers if I raise the bar and c) probably impossible to pull off, because weekend access to the building is not part of the plan.

Bully-bully. I’ve got a job.

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Well, well, well, beatle. I didn’t know you had accepted the job even. The last I heard you were still considering it. Corporate life is much like anything else, there’s good and bad in it.

It sounds like you’re acclimating well though. Continued good luck to you.

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Thanks, UncaBrew (Oh, I just hate it when they call me Liz).

Actually, with a day off to reflect upon things, there’s another aspect to the experience. I hope I can present this without sounding too tooty. My previous corporate life started when I got out of college and was hired as a tech by an oil company that thought I had potential. The plan there was that I would be a “grow your own” geophysicist who would pursue additional university training alongside the company’s training. So, I started with my peers being the secretaries, mail room clerks, receptionist et al. As I rose in that company, I retained personal relationships with the unwashed. In the new deal, I’ve come in as (what? how do I even say it?) an established professional. The support staff does not recognize me as one of their own - I’m one of the folks to whom they must cater. I’m an unlikely candidate to abuse that set of privileges - I’ve been in their position - nevertheless, I feel that difference. I am reminded of George Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant.