The New Job

So I have started my new job. I got there early and had to stand in the elevator bank until someone walked by and saw me out there. I was put into the wrong office that didn't even have a desk in it. I was slightly worried. But when the partner who hired me came in, he showed me to my actual office, which has a desk, a credenza, two bookshelves, and a bunch of crap piled up everywhere. It's like an old dumping ground. WTF? Margaret can attest to the pristine condition I left my old office in. I did that so the next attorney will be able to unpack and get settled immediately. Why don't others do that for me? The world may never know. I'll eventually find someone to get this crap out of here. But one thing I HATE: it's hot as hell in here. Sucks. The office manager told me that he may move me to the other side of the office... that window faces south instead of east. I'd be on board if it's cooler. Otherwise, I like this one. The hallway is quiet, though I'm not fond of the guy in the office next door. He's already bitching and moaning about how many cases he has to handle and trying to pawn his work off on me.

So driving to work yesterday sucked. I was about to get on a freeway when I heard on the radio that there was a high speed chase going on and that the suspect was on the freeway I was entering right where I was entering it. OMG! So I slowed down and carefully navigated as two or three dozen cop cars flew by. No lie. Then I heard that he had exited and gone on another freeway. I was happy to be breathing again. I continued on my way, and eventually got to my exit. Then I heard he had driven to that part of town. Bastard. Just what I need on my first day - to have my car hit by some lunatic running from the law. Or worse, being hit by a stray bullet. Not that I'm one to overreact. I was sitting at a stoplight, about 5 or 6 cars back, and Lunatic Criminal drove by along with his entourage of cops. I heard sirens for literally the next 15 minutes while I continued to my building. I felt like I was listening to the chase scene from The Blues Brothers.

I tried my best to get settled yesterday morning. I had the usual paperwork to fill out. And then I had to figure out my passwords, etc. I was kinda worried about pumping at work. At my old job, pumping was easy. Margaret had paved the way, doing it after her daughter was born. I came back to work after my maternity leave and quietly closed my door three times a day. My secretary wondered for about 10 seconds why, but then she realized what I was doing, and that was the end of it. Here, people have barely heard that I have a kid, let alone that I'm still nursing. I let the office manager know, just in case. And I closed my door and did my business. Yesterday was fine. This morning, however, the office runner came by the move my computer from my credenza to my desk, and he knocked on the door. I had just closed it, so I opened it up and told him to come back in 20 minutes. He's probably wondering what that's all about. He can keep wondering. Or he'll ask the office manger. I suppose eventually it will get around, and I won't have to worry anymore. This isn't exactly something you announce company-wide so that there are no questions. "Hey everyone, when my door is closed, I'm using my BREAST PUMP!"

[Seriously, the heat is unbearable in here.]

There was a meeting of attorneys yesterday afternoon. Gruff Old Boss asked questions of the associates, and I was puzzled when some of them didn't answer him. He was like, "Hello, McFly?" Are they that afraid of him? What he was asking was not unreasonable. I think I really like the guy. Afterwards, I was getting some coffee, when the office manager asked me what I thought of my first meeting. I replied, "I really like him!" I like that he doesn't take crap. I asked why the young associates were so reluctant to say anything and why they seemed so scared. He replied that its their first job out of law school and that they're scared. I'm not. But I've been practicing for three years. Maybe I'm used to it. My former boss was not gruff, but he expected certain things, and I delivered. (That is, before I became lazy and knew I wanted to switch jobs. Then I stopped delivering the billable hours like I was supposed to.)

Today, I was called by the receptionist at about 11: "[Gruff Old Boss] would like to invite you to lunch at [Italian Restaurant*] at 12:30." Okay. What if I would have had lunch plans? I guess they would have been cancelled.

So I drove to Italian Restaurant and ended up meeting three men who are clients of the firm. At first I was dreading the lunch, because I hate meeting with clients. But by the end of it, one of the men and I were talking about how he wanted to be a surgeon (like Big D did at one point), but how he changed his mind because of the lifestyle (as did Big D). There were about 6 other associates at the lunch, and only one other spoke to the clients (other than the usual niceties). I hope I won some points today with Gruff Old Boss.

During the lunch, he posed a question to me. He and another associate apparently disagree on the answer. He asked me to find out who was right. I did. (The boss was right, by the way.) And I drafted a memo to him. So do I send it to him at the risk of looking like a kissass? Or do I give it to him tomorrow when we meet in the morning? I'll probably send it to show up the younger associates. I don't want to do it to be mean, but I gotta make a name for myself and secure my future raises and bonuses. I might be a gunner. Or the whole thing will bite me in the ass, and I'll look like a big idiot.

Also at lunch, Gruff Old Boss asked me where I lived and how long my commute was. Suburb, 1 hour. "One hour?!?!" he exclaimed. (He lives near the office.) Then he asked how I expected to get my work done spending 10 hours on the road a week. I answered, "Efficiently." He smiled and said to talk to him tomorrow so we can work out alternate hours for me. Nice. I hope that actually happens. I'd love to work 7:30 to 4.

* Italian Restaurant, by the way, has a private back room. Above the doorway into the room is a gold name plate with Gruff Old Boss' name on it. Impressive. They also have a salad on the menu named after him. Apparently he (and therefore his attorneys) eat there a lot.

Here are a few pictures of my new office. They're with my camera phone, so they're not all that great. And obviously, I don't have 90% of my stuff here yet, so it's dull and boring looking.

Here's a view of my desk from the door of my office. Shelves are out of sight to the left. Windows to the right.

Here are my guest chairs and a POS filing cabinet thingy that I've designated as the official picture place. Windows to the left; office door to the right. This is a view from my desk.
Here is a view of the crap left behind by the previous tenant. The view is limited by the screen size of my cell phone. Multiply it in your head by two.