Inside the Salt Mines: Day 1

I've spent most of today trying to remember the last time I felt this awkward and useless. Then I remembered my first day at my last job and felt better.

Of course it all seems weird on your first day -- it's your first day. If it didn't feel weird, it would be your 483rd day.

Unlike college, I was pretty immediately pushed in the deep end here. Releases to write, reporters to contact, assignments, assignments, assignments.

Luckily, none of it has been so hard that I can't handle it. Or at least I don't think it is -- I don't know, because it's my first day.

Bob chatted me up and wanted to know what it's like, so here it is: It's work. There are places I'd rather be, certainly, but that's almost always true, unless I'm at home with my wife. The people are polite, but they're not afraid to put me to work, which is almost like respect. There's a lot to do, or at least a lot of advance planning, but I don't feel terribly overwhelmed just yet.

Oh, and they took me out to lunch. Like a fancy lunch. I had a cloth napkin. Also food, but the napkin seemed important for some reason. Two forks, as well.

The funniest thing about it is that I came from a section full of women to another section full of women. My boss is a guy, but everybody else is ladies and when we went to lunch, the boss didn't come, so it was just me and four very agreeable women who clearly don't know that I should be shunned immediately.

So, it's work. I'm sure I'll have more for you tomorrow, but for now, I'm just going to try to do something halfway productive until 5 o'clock comes.