First day at work. Woke up several times last night, I think I was just too excited and couldn't sleep. Finally got out of bed at 5:00 a.m. Sat silently until 5:30 a.m. in meditation. Went downstairs and ate some instant oatmeal with brown sugar. 5:45 a.m. I went back upstairs and put on dress pants and a sweater. By 6:00 a.m. I was in the bathroom fixing my hair and makeup. 6:15 a.m. I was ready to leave the house. I drove Pippa to Kopplin's to meet Bryce; I did order an apple cider as a treat to start my day. I drove down to Cretin then to 94 E. Traffic was light (due to the early nature of the day) and I arrived outside my work at 6:45 a.m, fifteen minutes early. I went inside and saw Sam and Al right away. I was shown where I could hang up my coat, then Al gave me a tour around the space. It is actually quite a large space; there is a training facility attached, that is for the four-year apprenticeship program (the "school" year is Saturdays Sept–Feb).
I learned about timecards today (union members have to send them in each week in order to track/get credit for their pensions). Tina and I spent several hours working on the newsletter, folding and compiling stacks of letters, then preparing them to be mailed. Evidently this happens at the beginning of every month. A newsletter goes out with important notices, assessment letters are sent out requesting mortuary payments if the member is a participant in the fund... If time cards are missing/overdue, reminders are sent. If members fail to submit their information after a length of time, they are assessed fines. Everyone in the office is pleasant and hard working, even a bit playful. I did encounter one member who was a little rough on the phone, but I was forewarned that their members do not have the best etiquette.
At 3:30 p.m. it was time to go home. Tina and I have the option of working four 10 hour days or five 8 hour days. This week it will be five 8s. We will see how this works out and make adjustments as we deem necessary. I learned that they ARE looking to hire us on after the probationary period; they are using the temp. agency to conduct the background checks, etc. because their last office person evidently made some very poor choices that were caught "just in time." Not exactly sure to what this alludes, but they said "if the department of labor comes in to check on things, we would be fine because we were hired after-the-fact."
Daily Practice: Did 5 Sun As and 5 Sun Bs, very sore today after yesterday's practice, especially in my neck, upper arms, shoulders and abs.
Daily Yoga Meal: Made Quinoa Chili with Pippa. It was VERY spicy (but like she said, eat spicy food, keep sickness at bay)! We did watch an episode of Big Bang Theory, which was fun since I hadn't seen that show in a while. I know we are not supposed to engage in distractions during yoga meals but on the plus side at work I ate alone and focused just on my meal during my lunch break (no distractions; one bite at a time). I'm just trying to expand my yoga meal practice into more than one meal a day. It is nice to eat with others and it is fun to take the time to watch occasional entertainment, we don't do it every day, or even every week for that matter. During dinner I had a decent portion, at most 2/3 cup of chili (it had diced tomatoes from our garden), garlic, green chilies, yellow onion, coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, ground pepper, quinoa, black beans, kidney beans, a hint of lime juice, canned corn. If anything, I would have enjoyed some milk, cheese or sour cream with this dish (as I stated earlier it was just a bit too spicy for me).
Gratitude: Very pleased to have gone to work today. I enjoyed every aspect of it; waking up early in this quiet world when the traffic is hushed, neighbors aren't yet moving around... Cradling a bowl of hot oatmeal in the chill of morning. I feel like I was able to create a little sacred space for myself today. I enjoyed my commute and arriving early at the office. It was nice to not be rushed and to watch the sun rise. I am grateful for the cup of coffee I had at work, Al was nice enough to offer it to me, so I enjoyed it mid-day and it was very flavorful. I enjoyed sorting letters and greeting members. I am thankful for the group being so welcoming and understanding that I am new (I must remind myself/remember I can only accomplish so much in a day and I should be proud of my accomplishments–their measurability will surely be different than at Juut). I am thankful for the time I have had this evening. Already it is 9:15 p.m. and I need to be thinking about sleep/preparing for tomorrow.
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