Reintegrating

Well, I expected to be back to a regular posting schedule, but I haven't gotten there yet. I started a new job three weeks ago. We're still in training, and it's pretty intense, more intense than I imagined it would be. The commute is a bit of a shock - 5-6 miles (depending on what path I take) and around 10 minutes, instead of 33-36 miles (it increased by three miles over the twenty years I worked there) and anywhere from 45 to infinity-minus-one minutes.

It's weird having "afternoons" again. When I was on salary these really didn't exist, though I would sometimes stop at a store on the way home. When I was working a twelve-hour schedule these didn't exist either, but that was offset by the four days off - though one was always a recovery day. (Eventually I expect to be put on an afternoon-into-evening schedule, so my "afternoons" will be before work.)

It's also weird having weekends. You might imagine that being unemployed is one long weekend, but it isn't. Your time is not your own, and you must be prepared to account for every minute (of the workweek, at least) to the government. You were sick? Very sorry to hear that, but since you weren't available to work, you weren't eligible for unemployment. You were off somewhere having fun? Again, ineligible. You weren't applying to n jobs each week, despite the fact that the only jobs available are ones that pay a fraction of what you were making before, actually pay less than unemployment, and have prerequisites that you don't have? Tough. No unemployment for you.

But I do value my weekends. I treasure my time with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writers' Collective every Saturday from 12:30 - 2:30, and I wish I could spend more time with them. Perhaps I'll be able to rearrange some things to make that possible. I also need to find the time to write more - I haven't written any new fiction or poetry in weeks. Yesterday I read my blog post from September 11, 2008, complete with a multimedia component courtesy of another member. It was a little...intense. I think I may read another older (but less intense) piece next week.

One weird side effect of working so close to home: When I worked very far from home, I never went out with friends after work because of the long haul I would face when it was time to go home. Now that I work close to home, I never go out after work because anywhere we might go would increase the distance I would have to travel home! I'm hoping for lousy weather so I have less reason to head straight home after work.

The arc of my work life so far:

1989: Graduated with B.S. in Physics, second major in Philosophy, minor in Math
1990-1991: Solar Cell manufacturing
1992: CD Plater
1993-1995: Statistical Process Control Coordinator, CD manufacturing and pre-production
1996-1999: Statistician, Data Analyst, CD manufacturing and pre-production
1999-2007: DVD Asset Manager
2007-2010: DVD Mold/Bond Operator
2011-2012: DVD Mold/Bond Operator (temporary, part-time)
2012-?: Travel Agent

And where to next...?