These are a few of my favorite things about my new job:
1. My commute. I ride my bicycle there and back when the weather is tolerable and/or I don't have to carry a bunch of stuff. According to Google, it's about 1.8 miles each way, which is more than I thought. I seem to make it in about 15 minutes. I'm slow because I haven't exercised regularly since before my last job that I had to drive to every day.
2. Location, location, location! I'm near the Campers store, Café Madeliene, the Apple store, Macy's, Betsey Johnson, my bank, Walgreens AND Rite Aid, agnés b., Armani, Paperwhirl, Benetton, BART, Westfield mall - basically, everything.
3. My desk. It's just the right height and my lamp is nice. My chair could be a little higher, but I have yet to have back or shoulder problems except for on the first day when I was all nervous and excited.
4. My schedule. I work 5 hours a day, 4 days per week. This leaves me enough time to work on other projects, like helping out with Hi-Fructose and working on another site for a friend. I even have time to paint and draw. Amazing, I know!
5. The bathroom. It's nice! WAY nicer than my last work-bathroom experience.
6. The dress code. There isn't one. Hooray!
7. The content. Being in the know about loads of neat stuff going on and around town is kinda priceless.
8. My computer. It's fast and can handle many, many applications and files open at once.
9. The possibilities. There are going to be lots of changes and upgrades in the near future, and there aren't many people there with experience managing online content both from an editorial and a technical standpoint as well as a media and content producer. I'm psyched to be involved in organizing and setting up new protocols and systems. Templates, grouping like items, standards - love it. I love me some structure.
10. The pay. Nuff said.
Yep, all good. So far, of course, everyone has been really nice. I even ran into an old friend, so there's a familiar face. There's been no attitude, no machismo - let me say what a relief it is to work in a mostly feminine atmosphere. I'm sure there's some catty drama brewing in the shadows, but for now, everyone is still civil and on their good behavior. Judgment has yet to be passed, lines yet crossed, differences yet discovered. I'm still just the girl in the corner who sits by Hayley and has a weird name. I'm the girl who has quiche, mixed greens, and half-decaf coffee for lunch almost every day. The fellas act like PEOPLE rather than acting like they're the MEN and so they know everything and decide everything. I think the ratio of male to female is probably 40/60, but the environment is decidedly human, informal and modern. The big boss sits in the same room with all the rest of us. People bring their dogs to work. This morning when I went up to the 4th floor to retrieve something from the printer, the entire sales department was nodding along with (or at least tolerating) The Twist-inducing rumble of The Doors' "Break on Through." That's my favorite Doors song. It bodes well.