For those concerned, I've beaten back the onslaught of cardboard. It's isolated to one holding pen, known as room #2 or more descriptively, the middle room.
That means that I now have some sense of how my junk fits into my space. The score: space 1, junk 0. Perhaps that's not a fair evaluation but it's Saturday night and I'm typing a blog entry. My junk has really stepped it up and filled a lot of square footage. My junk is the man.
The real news is that I found my camera. Literally the last box I opened. Of course I had a special box within a box that had all the stuff from my table including my camera. It's still charged up and I'll take it out tomorrow and snap some pics of Medford, my apartment and post something poetic and lovely.
I've been working now for two weeks. I like them; they seem to like me. I'm enjoying learning new systems and processes within a new industry. I will at some point be able to call myself a supply chain professional. I can call myself anything really. Specs will probably do for most of you.
The surprise for me is everything is going as planned. To a startling degree, in fact. No big surprises, good or bad. The one thing that I underestimated was my commute. Not its length. But that it is not consequential. Five minutes, honest, and I'm at work. Since we're encouraged to keep holy the 5pm end of the day, I often find myself home at 5:10, without any commuting effect. Sweet.
You might be wondering about my emotional life. I'd normally indulge in some histrionics about the wonders of my emotional life but not right now, thanks. I have been on a pretty even keel. Meditating helps and I've started at the gym again. Now that many pieces are in place, I expect to get writing, drawing, all of those arty things.
In the category of things that I can't believe, I will be buying curtains for one of my windows. I think. It's strange that I'd want to do this not under any duress of a team of design martinets. Or at least a posse from Pottery Barn. But I am going to do such a thing in my bedroom. There's something satisfying about imagining a tidy little machine precision geared for my deep sleep. The kind of precision only voile or or velvet can bring.
You started reading this with visions of roiling cardboard and you've been sullied by a man telling you about drapery. That's one thing about the blog: you know that such depravity is possible but you just don't think it will reach into your world. Please forgive me.
One of the silly-ass things I'll miss about Seattle is the Vern Fonk commercial with the pitchman who calls Al Gore's series of tubes, "the intermet." But that's not why I'm writing.
I'm writing because I can. The intermet is up and running here in Medford. You might argue that I don't need the internet to write a nice little thingie. The chosen dear diary format has made me what I am today. It's a manageable size which has kept me writing.
My purpose today is to check in and report on my first week, which went very well. The one thing I've noticed with this job versus the job at the Times of Seattle: Here, I'm enduring training and I'm itching (or is it scratching) to get to the actual work. Reversed at the Times: the best part of my day was the training. I hope that's a positive indicator. Maybe the most positive sign is that I am interested and engaged.
As each person in my world runs through another system, procedure or hunk of info, I've been able to find something that needs attention. That might mean that there's a lot that needs attention or that I like the problems in front of me. A bit of both probably. I like to think of myself as attentive and starting to control my universe.
I've gotten myself into what I thought I was getting myself into: a dynamic company with growing pains; an intelligent, warm, professional group of co-workers. It feels like I'll undergo a skills upgrade since the general level of systems competence is so high here. That I welcome. Overall, I couldn't ask for much more. That's good news indeed. Yup, it's still early in the game but I'm hoping for a long tenure here.
Medford itself still isn't on my map. I have a thin little slice of perception centered around my main drag, Biddle Road. Biddle gives me what I need: groceries (Fred Meyer), coffee & books (Starbucks and Barnes & Noble), and Oz Fitness (for a less creaky me). Just up the way, Costco provides gas at good prices which must be pumped by Trained Oregonians. It's the law. Really.
I'm typing from my middle bedroom. Typical apartment: living room box, 2nd bedroom box, master bedroom box in a tidy row. The middle room is the stillest of the three so that's where the books and the 'puter live. As I get settled in, I hope to be in here daily, piling words on words. For now, I'm happy to be in a room that isn't wild with corrugation.
Just a brief note: I've arrived in Medford in one piece.
The new pad is enormous and I'll adjust to its sizeness eventually. That's one thing that I've trained assiduously for as an American. The movers haven't shown yet so tonight I'm going to stay in a hotel rather than sleep on the floor. About the move, it's amazing that I've amassed nearly 2400 lbs of crap, according to the movers. I suppose it's mostly weighty Ikea composite woods, books and as some can attest, too many carefully cultivated rocks from area beaches.
But that's given me time to explore the hood a bit. I am within a city block of a Barnes & Noble/Starbucks. In the same path, you'll find the DMV, Marie Calendar's and a Castle Adult Entertainment Superstore. Now that's a fine selection of services!
Not much more to say tonight. I'm off to bed, got a schedule to keep! Hope your dreams are sweet ones.
