The alarm went off at 6:45am this morning, which is never the most pleasant start to the working week. That’s what this week is – my first back at work after over a month off. It’s time to start earning my keep again and I’ve been looking forward to this, just not the alarm call.
It’s been a frustrating month to take off. Normally August is dead for news but in the space of four weeks Steve Jobs has resigned, Google’s seemingly gone mad and bought Motorola and there have been a host of other stories that have had my fingers itching to hit a keyboard. It’s going to be good to get back into the swing of things.
That said it’s always a little scary. What if I’ve forgotten how to do it, or if the stories are crap, or if I’m just not good enough? I know in my heart that these are foolish concerns, but the black dog that prowls the back of my central cortex still barks from time to time and he’s a persistent beast. One day I’ll get him put down, but he’s an elusive wraith and slips his muzzle once in a blue moon.
As it turns out he was back in the doghouse pretty early on. Once I’d got a cup of tea in me, found out where the kitchen and toilet was and settled down to build a newslist it all came back, as 20 years of training kicked in. Hammered out a few stories, got to know everyone a little better and before I knew it the day was done. I suspect I’m going to like this job a lot – it’s a good crew in the office and the editorial style is nice and snarky.
In the evening there was another treat, as an old friend was in town for a catch-up. He and his wife are doing a road trip down the West Coast and we went out for a drink, an excellent Chinese at the House of Nanking (yes, it’s a tourist trap but it’s one of the few good places to eat in Chinatown proper) and then a few more drinks for the road. S has been working in the Middle East for the last four years and needed to make up for lost time – or at least it’s as good an excuse as any.
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