I have now completed six weeks at my new job! And it's still slow :( I finally felt that it would be best to bring it up to my boss. I had been trying not to trouble him, as the impression I had gotten was that I would report more to my predecessor, who would tell me what I was supposed to do in support of the main boss, as well as dole out some of her overload of work.
What I came to realize was that in her opinion, I was there to take over the "in support of the main boss" role so that she could better juggle her overload of work, and none was coming my way once the initial few example tasks were completed. I do think I will get one continuous task, but otherwise the days have tended to drag, and for now all that needs to be done has been done. After my talk with the boss, he did try to throw me a few projects here and there so I've managed to pass the time most days and I also know busier times are ahead, as the first round of board meetings is on the near horizon. And changes are in the air which will alter my job in ways that have yet to unravel.
In my daily job log, I even saw one that almost had me tempted to apply. It was a high level assistant job at a major firm only half an hour from my home. I wrestled with the decision, started writing cover letters and revising my resume, and just couldn't come up with the right approach. Why do I say I am applying, so soon after starting a job? Do I say I have started the job? I leaned towards not, but then I'm unemployed for six months in their eyes. I shut it all down and decided not to bother. I thought it best to stick with this one to see how the changes evolve, as I am happy with the company and very much like my boss. I will never find a time-off package as generous as the one I have now, and I'm happy with the pay. So the only real negative is the hour drive in moderate traffic. And the boredom; but that will pass. At least I think it will.
Anyway, the next day I went to click the link again, and the new job was gone! So that was a relief. The decision was made for me, and it was the same one I had made the day before anyway. I have decided that I need a year. If in a year things are unchanged, then perhaps I have to look. But I hope not, as I know that the whole age factor is only going to weigh more heavily against me.
In terms of travel, I'm learning the patterns of the drive. I have come to despise when people ride in the left lane at the same speed as those in the right, especially when they sit right next to the back half of my car and do it while I"m trying to pass them. I have noticed that the people with Jesus fish on their cars are for some reason some of the slowest and most inconsiderate drivers on the road (I call them pokes); often they are the ones cruising in the left lane and causing major backups with the frustrated cars behind them. Not as many people talk on their phones on the roads in the morning, but I can always spot the ones who do. And if there's a gigantic, filthy, rock-throwing exhaust-spewing monstrosity on the road, it will always pull in front of me. And finally, if by some miracle I find a faster route or traffic is mysteriously absent on one leg of my journey, there's sure to be an accident, a poke, or a monstrosity in front of me on a later leg, just to be sure that it always takes me the full hour to get from one end of the commute to the other.
The other big news is M's return home! Kevin went up and got her and brought her home on Thursday. She has already spent her first night out of the house with friends from college. They're going into NYC today. After that she should be around for a while and will have to tend to personal business (and my business: driving B around!) before her job starts up around the end of June. I'm relieved to hear that gas prices will be dropping. I'd been considering looking for a smaller car that would guzzle less gas and not have to be filled as frequently as the gas guzzling V8 in the Explorer she's been driving (and B will drive to school next year.)
And in other news, B continues to try to bring his grades back up but unfortunately his slips of the past couple of months have put him at a big disadvantage. He has gotten decent grades but the low averages bear too much weight and creep up only slowly. Getting a 46 on a test because he didn't know he had it (the study guide was posted on the teacher's web page) in a class in which he had an A average was a major blow, both to the class and to his general GPA. So that and the upcoming SAT (round 3 but the first round since taking the prep sessions) are our main focus with him. And - he is going to his prom! That is in two weeks. Other than that and a couple of days at tennis camp in the summer and one week in California before a few days in Cape May, we don't have a plan for him for the summer yet.
