First day on the job? with a rewind

Okay, I want to tell you about my first day on the job but let me do a quick recap of yesterday. Inquiring minds want to know. I forgot to mention that because I ran late the leasing office was closed (they close at 5:00 on Sundays) but one of the girls, Chai (pronounced Shay, not Chi) gave me her cell phone number so I could call when I got in and she brought me the keys. How sweet, huh!


By now you all realize that if there is going to be a mishap, I'm going to be in the middle of it. I blew up my Aero bed (Todd, it has a pump so I didn't hyperventilate) and got it all made up. Using one of the cardboard boxes upended for a nightstand. In the middle of the night I woke up and I was sinking in the bed. It seems to have a slow leak. Great! When I spoke to Carol later she said to put it in a tub of water to find the leak. It's a queen-size bed! There's no flippin' way I'm going to put that thing in the tub ... especially by myself. I have an 800 number to call. *sigh*


Johnnie (the mover) arrived about 8:30. He was by himself. He was unable to get anyone to help him. He gave me the checkoff sheets. There were 12 boxes packed by the other 2 guys and 24 items (not all boxes) packed by him. As he'd haul them up the stairs (30 stairs) he'd shout out the number of the item/box and I'd check it off. I think there are 4 or 5 boxes of books. Those suckers are heavy!! But not as heavy as the armoire.

He'd taken it apart, so the shelves were easy (of course!). The desk was a little heavy but he managed. The bottom cabinet is light and he just 'rolled' it end over end ... piece of cake. The cornice on the top cabinet was removable and he took it off. He said he'd been worried about that part because it angles out and has sharp corners. The top cabinet is a son-of-a-gun. He was panting and moaning, but he got it to the first landing. He couldn't get it around the corner though. Said he needed to lift it straight up and turn it a little. Then decided to remove the doors and that might give him the extra space he needed. He was removing the screws from the hinges but I showed him that these are self-releasing hinges (he was impressed!) so we took the doors off lickity-split. Still couldn't move the darned thing. It is HEAVY.

I suggested maybe he could find someone walking around outside that we could pay to help him. I'm in the kitchen area unpacking boxes while all this is going on. Then I hear him talking to someone and the next thing I know some guy is helping him bring it up the stairs and up to the next level! Cool! It made it through all that relatively unscathed. The bottom left-hand door has about a 3" scratch where the paint is off. I think I'll write to the guy who made it and ask what paint he used.

Johnnie was done by 11:30 and the cable guy had called to say he was running late so he'd be by about 12:00. He came and left in about an hour. Hooked up cable and internet. I brought the modem upstairs so I could set up my laptop in my room, using my Farmers conference room table as my computer desk. It's perfect! A few of you have said you want to see pictures. As soon as I find all my cables I'll post some pictures.

I spent most of the day making a mess. I had Johnnie put all my boxes in Carol's room so I could move around in mine. I did go to the store and get some basic supplies, and now that my boxes are here I have more. We have enough toilet paper stocked up to have company!! So come on up!

Carol and I have the same size closets, but hers has two sets of doors so she can access it better. Once the clothes hang in mine, I can't get to the far ends. In her bathroom (she has the master bedroom) she has a double sink which is no biggie, but she has double the cupboard space AND a drawer! I have no drawer. I have a 2 door cupboard and a washer/dryer. And a tub with shower. Not crazy about my bathroom. The things I do for scrapbooking.

I told Carol that I commandeered one of her bathroom cabinets to store the extra toilet paper and hand soap. There's very little storage upstairs. It's all in the kitchen!

So on to today. I got to the new Service Point about 7:15, signed in and asked the guard if he knew where the telecom dept is. Nope. Several construction type workers busily putting together work stations, or chairs or something. The two that I asked had no clue. I found a door with a big sign saying NO ADMITTANCE and warning the room had some kind of chemical safeguard or something. I didn't really read it. But I knew I'd found the server room. Walked around to the other side of the building (the place is HUGE) and asked someone else if he knew where the telecom group would be and he said to ask the electrician. Found him and asked him the same thing. He took me to the IBM room. *sigh* No sign of Carlos, my new coworker.

I called Peggy in Austin and she gave me Carlos's phone number. Also relayed a message from Adrian that we were both to go to Tigard and check in with Annette and also HR to make sure all our paperwork is done. I called Carlos and he was in Portland picking up his car. We agreed to meet in Tigard. Again .. thank goodness Magellan was over her mad and working!

Carlos is really nice! We hit it off right away. He's originally from Guatemala, but grew up in Los Angeles so we shared horror stories of So. Cal. He said he was going to his apartment complex this afternoon to see the unit they have available for him. I told him we'd found a place right away. Turns out we're in the same complex!! How funny is that.

After we were released from Tigard, we went to lunch (at Panera's!!) and spent some time getting to know one another. He has a 10 yr old son, but is divorced. His youngest sister may come up and live with him. He's more than willing to train me and get me set up with some online classes. I think I'll enjoy working with him. The best part is he has to take care of some business on Thursday and Friday and without him, there's nothing for me to do. So I'll use those days to get my car registered and call about my mattress.

Oh! I forgot to mention that when I found the box with the TV (small 13" one of the boys won in high school, so it's OLD) I set it up and the darn power button broke off! I can't turn it on. I don't think the remote got packed or if it did, I haven't found it yet. Haven't found my dishes either. All the remaining boxes say books or crafts. I'm hoping the dishes are there somewhere.

Carlos and I were done about 2:30 so he went to the leasing office to take care of his apartment business and I went looking for the library. It's closer to my house than I thought (I drove all around the outskirts yesterday, looking) because when Tami and Heather took me there, we were coming from the other side of town. I'm not yet familiar enough with my surroundings to figure out where the heck I am.

Anyway, I found it and THEY WERE HAVING A BOOK SALE! Now is that fate, or what. I found a couple books to fill in some series that I'm reading. Woo hoo. I also got a library card. They do something really cool here. They buy passes for local attractions called Culture Passes, and you can check them out and get in free! You can get passes for the Children's Museum, the Chinese Classical Garden, Japanese Gardens, Pittock Mansion, Portland Art Museum and the Rice N Museum of Rocks and Minerals. Each pass is good for multiple people -- usually 2 adults and 1 or 2 children, but it varies with each place. I love this idea!

On the way home from the library, I found Costco. Also close to our place! YAY I bought a few things, always keeping in mind that I would have to unload the car by myself and cart the stuff into the house and up the stairs by myself. I did get some bottled water, but I left it downstairs in the hall closet and I'll bring it up as needed. This Costco is really big. It has several floor displays of furniture. At least 3 beds and two living room sets. No samples though. I also found a Winco Foods on the same street. I might go there tomorrow to pick up a few things that I didn't need a lot of.

So basically this first day was a good day. I got a lot of things done and I like the idea that Costco is close enough for me to buy my gas there.

I'm really tired right now so I'm going to close. I have another restless night ahead of me with a slowly deflating mattress. I have GOT to get that fixed!!

You take care and keep in touch. I really miss you guys, but I'm keeping busy and enjoying the peace and quiet. I just heard Carol laugh at that.

Toodles!