My day

So, I had to travel to Hillside, NJ, which is near Newark, today, to meet with my new boss, and get all signed up and everything.

It has been raining all day. Horrible sheets of rain mixed with sleet, never fun to drive in, and especially not fun on the NJ Turnpike. I have to get off on Exit 14*, and I'm not familiar at all with the area, but the directions my new boss gave me were pretty good, so I'm hopeful. I have to find a road called 22West, and there are two signs pointing to about fourteen hundred streets, and it's raining, and then BOOM! I hit a pothole. Hard.

And I hear the sound no motorist wants to hear during a winter rainstorm on an unfamiliar highway.

The sound of a seriously flat tire.

Arugh.

Distracted by the sudden flat and the horrible noise it was making, I missed my turn and wound up on Route 21, which I think took me into Newark. Turns out this was a blessing, despite my rising panic, because there was this tire place a little ways down the road, and they waved me in and fixed my tire in about 10 minutes. I say 'fixed'. I mean 'replaced' because driving on the blown tire for a mile didn't do it any favors. It only cost $30, too, which is really not bad at all. Had to pay in cash, though, so I wound up running down this street in the rain to get to this little grocery story that had an ATM in it.

Then I got back on the right road, missed another turn, got directions from the nice guy at the gas station, and finally made it to my appointment.

And now I'm home. And gainfully, if not full-time employed. This working from home thing is going to be interesting. He's just given me a few assignments to start with, and hopefully it will grow, and I won't suck, and it will all be swell.

*Yes, I know the joke about New Jersey. "I'm from New Jersey." "Oh, what exit do you live off of?"

My day

So, I had to travel to Hillside, NJ, which is near Newark, today, to meet with my new boss, and get all signed up and everything.

It has been raining all day. Horrible sheets of rain mixed with sleet, never fun to drive in, and especially not fun on the NJ Turnpike. I have to get off on Exit 14*, and I'm not familiar at all with the area, but the directions my new boss gave me were pretty good, so I'm hopeful. I have to find a road called 22West, and there are two signs pointing to about fourteen hundred streets, and it's raining, and then BOOM! I hit a pothole. Hard.

And I hear the sound no motorist wants to hear during a winter rainstorm on an unfamiliar highway.

The sound of a seriously flat tire.

Arugh.

Distracted by the sudden flat and the horrible noise it was making, I missed my turn and wound up on Route 21, which I think took me into Newark. Turns out this was a blessing, despite my rising panic, because there was this tire place a little ways down the road, and they waved me in and fixed my tire in about 10 minutes. I say 'fixed'. I mean 'replaced' because driving on the blown tire for a mile didn't do it any favors. It only cost $30, too, which is really not bad at all. Had to pay in cash, though, so I wound up running down this street in the rain to get to this little grocery story that had an ATM in it.

Then I got back on the right road, missed another turn, got directions from the nice guy at the gas station, and finally made it to my appointment.

And now I'm home. And gainfully, if not full-time employed. This working from home thing is going to be interesting. He's just given me a few assignments to start with, and hopefully it will grow, and I won't suck, and it will all be swell.

*Yes, I know the joke about New Jersey. "I'm from New Jersey." "Oh, what exit do you live off of?"

Are they the lemmings or are you Cliff...or are you, Cliff?*

In the spirit of New Year's Resolutions, I suppose, I joined the gym where Charlie has his karate. It's monthly, which is swell, and it was only $25 for the first month, and I used a gift card from my mom. If I choose to continue it is $35 a month which isn't so bad, I guess. I just figured while I was hanging around waiting for Charlie, I should do something.

If life were fair, one would notice a difference immediately, but that is just not going to happen. I'll probably be feeling it tomorrow, though.

I would like to point out, to all you hotbaldies fans, there was quite a nice looking bald guy at the gym. Pleasant to look at while I walked the treadmill and tried to figure out how to use the weight machines without killing myself.


*Virtual cookies to anyone who gets that reference.

Are they the lemmings or are you Cliff...or are you, Cliff?*

In the spirit of New Year's Resolutions, I suppose, I joined the gym where Charlie has his karate. It's monthly, which is swell, and it was only $25 for the first month, and I used a gift card from my mom. If I choose to continue it is $35 a month which isn't so bad, I guess. I just figured while I was hanging around waiting for Charlie, I should do something.

If life were fair, one would notice a difference immediately, but that is just not going to happen. I'll probably be feeling it tomorrow, though.

I would like to point out, to all you hotbaldies fans, there was quite a nice looking bald guy at the gym. Pleasant to look at while I walked the treadmill and tried to figure out how to use the weight machines without killing myself.


*Virtual cookies to anyone who gets that reference.