Parking in Another Town: $160... Headache Relief: $ .22... First Week Back: Priceless

This was my first week back to work. Oh boy was it interesting. In terms of the usual questions and answers you are looking for:

• I'm doing fine.
• No, I didn't cry.
• Yes, that surprised me too.
• L is doing great.
• No, she doesn't notice I'm gone.
• Yes, she does smile when she sees me, when I get home.
• Unfortunately, she'd smile if I walked in and out of the room. She'd smile if YOU walked in and out of the room. That's what she does. She smiles.
• Really, I'm fine.
  

Here are a few highlights:

• Even though I was told I would have a parking spot by December... I do not. Instead, I leave the house each morning with a pit in my stomach. I have to hunt for a spot each morning and hope for the best. Most of the time I follow random people to their car, like it's the holidays at the mall and hope there isn't someone else lurking and waiting for an illegal spot all their own. This means I am either following random people, and they aren't even going to a car and that's just weird OR I am finding an illegal parking spot outside the building so I could get ticketed or towed. I am told this is rare, if at ever- but if you know me the odds are not on my side. They did work out to give me a spot not in the building but "across the street" at the hotel near work. Truth is, it turns out the spot is ACTUALLY at the freaking mall. If you don't know what that means, let's just say it isn't close and my thoughts are 'Thanks... why not give me a parking spot in the flippin North End.' That being said, the promises were made by staff of yore and my girl who has to endure my complaints, pleas and sarcastic wit is doing all she can. Yadda yadda. I can still complain. It's my jam.
• I hate being censored.
• There is someone that charges 22 cents an Advil pill - so bring your own. There are several things I don't understand about this. They include: why 22? Why not 25? And while you want to cover the cost of the pills, why not go for a slight profit- a convenience charge? And finally, there are free pills in the first aid kits on every floor. Free.
• I am sitting in the larger area team room. I'm getting to know those around me, making new friends, keeping the old, one is silver and the others gold- but the quiet folk around me are not loving it as much as one might think. It used to be the quiet side. This means everything I say, it can be heard.
• I hate being censored. It's clearly not one of my strengths.
• The pump room gives me agita. What is pump room etiquette? Someone is in there- do you stay? Do you go? Do you make small talk? Going in there makes me nervous- more nervous than leaving the baby. Being in there makes me nervous. I hate going topless. Always have, always will. I know I should feel lucky that I have a room to go to. Apparently before this the only option was the handicap stall or your car (if you had a parking spot in the building). So it could be worse, I could be trekking over to the mall to get the job done, or sitting with a battery pack and my pump back pack.

The truth is, it's great to be back. I'll figure out where to park, who to get affordable pills from, how to keep the volume down and what to do with the masses of lactating co-workers I have and how to interact with them.


(on move news... I got nothing and I'm not moving this blog unless I'm loving our new home, so I'll keep you posted. Sorry for jumping the gun on that... you all know how much I love to move but the next move is for keeps, much like this address. I'm thinking too much about it and until I can make a decision I'm not budging.)