BACK IN THE OFFICE

After 365 days out of the office, I've hung the shingle up at 4548 Market Street once again. Last night and this morning, I felt like I was getting ready for my first day of school: I set my alarm for an ungodly hour, laid out my clothes for the next day, got to bed at a decent time, had fitful sleep, woke up slightly dreading and slightly delighting in the day ahead, and made myself lunch while I ate breakfast.

I got into the office around 8, and immediately started making my little corner of it (I share a lab area with four co-workers and 30+ teen participants) feel more like home. Maps on the wall, files from home now organized in the file cabinet, laptop plugged in. By 9, I was done, and twiddling my thumbs.

Only slighly kidding. It is slow around here, as our after-school program doesn't kick off for another thirty days, and a mass mailer we were scheduled to collate today had to be delayed a day. But I did have some administrative things to tend to, like making travel arrangements for a business trip later on in the month or outlining lecture topics for our fall classes.

The biggest adjustment so far has been being here all day. My last meeting today is at 5:30, so I will have been here from 8ish to 6ish. And this after a year of "working at home," when even on days I am really at home working all day (i.e. not on the road, no meeting or errand to run), work time is interspersed with laundry, pushups, cooking, and ESPN.com. Plus my office has no windows, so even when I'm cooped up at home, at least I can turn around from my desk and see . . . the side of my neighbor's house.

But it has been nice reuniting with my co-workers. Being with them is what I've missed the most, so it's assuring to know I'll be settling into a work routine with them. We've got an exciting year ahead, and today's just the first day.