Week 93 - Office
- I started my new job this week. But first was the third and final May bank holiday. As a final hurrah before I returned to gainful employment, we all had lunch at the local Lytton Arms. The boys enjoyed their burgers (apparently not as good as McDonalds’ though) while I had what was incorrectly described as a pie but was a dish with a pastry lid.
- And so to my new job at Altium. My office is in the Science Park to the north of Cambridge, which is a reasonable 55-minute drive from home. I have queued up many podcasts for the commute. The office is nice-and-shiny, the team only having moved into it recently, with sit-stand desks, expensive coffee machines and plenty of light.
- My team have all been very welcoming. I’ve been proactive in setting up intro chats and calls, plus saying hello to many people on Slack. I’m gradually absorbing the org structure and adjusting to the timezone calculations for some of my colleagues. The company is headquartered in the US and I’m planning a trip over to San Diego soon.
- One surprise was that they’ve given me a private office. I’m not sure how I feel about it. It’s useful being able to shut the door for calls, but I do feel cut off from my team. I last had an office six years ago and I enjoyed the quiet when needing focus time, but in today’s hybrid office model it doesn’t seem so necessary. I might start squatting in the main office.
- This week was half-term for L and the boys. She drove them over to her parents’ in Wiltshire for a few nights to a) give me some peace for my first few days, and b) help entertain the children. It left the house strangely quiet, but also meant I could have a week of interrupted sleep. And watch loud Pearl Jam documentaries in the evenings. Back to normal next week.
- My parents came to ours on Sunday. I had decided to do a barbecue earlier in the week - our first of the year - so wheeled it out this morning in preparation. Barry from last year hadn’t cleaned the grill before packing it away, so I had to spend time scrubbing his lunch off. Nevertheless, the sun shone, the food was well-received and it capped a strong week.