Climate Change

I've been back at the daily grind for over 2 weeks now (yes today was the first day of week 3, but still-more than 2 weeks) and I'd say that the new job has already made a big impact on my day-to-day life. I thought that since today marks the official end of my hobo-dom (I got off the Employment Insurance teat today), it was as good a day as any to discuss said changes.

Anyone else feel like use of the word "changes" in most circumstances feels like its going to be followed up with talk about your body? No? Just me. Let's carry on then.

Even though I have yet to actually get paid, I feel like I'm not quite destitute anymore. Like I said to The Boyfriend, even though I haven't got a paycheque yet I'm spending money like I have. Its Christmas guys, what can I do? It was just nice not to have to agonize about every little expenditure and be able to give some much needed donations to the food bank and toy drives.

There's more money coming in (OK, there's the promise of more money coming in) but there is decidedly less sleep. I have to be at work at 7.45 (even though I only get paid starting at 8...someone will be hearing about that at some point soon) and because it takes about 50 minutes to get downtown (40 minutes if traffic is excellent) I'm leaving my house about 6.45 (taking into account walking-to-the-bus-stop time). I'm up at 6, I spend the day around people (which is exhausting when you're out of practice) and I spend a good chunk of my day bored out of my skull. All of this boils down to the fact that by 9.30 I'm begging to be allowed to go to bed.

All this time spent working means a lot less time for Real Housewives. The Record keeps telling me that she had a lot more respect for me before she knew about my reality TV addiction. What can I say? NeNe appeals to the inner black woman in me, the Jersey housewives dazzle me with their bling and D.C? They try to keep sh*t classy in between their cat fights. But the working has seriously cut into my Housewives time and my life is the poorer for it.

I'm getting yelled at a lot more than I was when I was spending my days watching other people yell at each other. I mean, occasionally The Boyfriend would call me an a$$hole (with love y'all [yup, I'm Southern]) but he never yelled at me about couriers. I don't know if its because I'm blonde and they think my life's ambition is to be a Receptionist or if its because my predecessors were idiots, but people talk to me like I'm spending my days licking windows. Hopefully this wears off soon because it is wearing thin.

If you can imagine how much less time there is for Housewives (which I had to fit around The Boyfriend because God forbid he was in the same room as an episode) can you imagine how much less time there is for reading? I was getting through like 4 books a week while I was living off the government. Now I only have about 2 hours a day and I feel like I've been reading The Unruly Queen for months! Its partly that I'm having a lot of trouble just getting into it but its also that the ride into work has me so sleepy that its all I can do to hold the book up, let alone read and retain anything!

Which brings me to my last point: more Starbucks. I need it. I need more than I did before (upgraded to a venti). I am not a morning person and my days are starting early now, so a venti vanilla earl grey tea latte is all that' standing between me and mass murder. And even though one time the barista totally gave me attitude about my card not working (apparently my debit card has an expiration date and it won't work there but it works everywhere else) I go back every morning begging for a caffeine drip.

So there you have it. A comprehensive look at how my life has changed now that I'm no longer a drain on society.