Update 2

It took a day or two longer than I thought it would to get back here and post this, but I'm here now. "Here" is Microsoft, specifically the cafeteria near my office. I figured that now that my time is so limited, I should take advantage of the fact that I have a laptop (provided by MS) and a wireless connection pretty much anywhere on the premises. The end result is that I'm typing this while finishing off a tasty piece of grilled cajun chicken.

As I stated in the previous post, I returned to Seattle on the night of Monday, July 9th and started work on Tuesday. I thought I'd dive right into sitting at a desk and computer, doing . . . something. But instead I found that I didn't have a computer, or a desk, or really anything to do. First, I had to get into their email system, which I couldn't do until I had a computer from which to log in. So, Tuesday I met with the woman I'm filling in for, talked about the fact that I needed a computer and a place to sit, and then she sent me home to read some emails she sent me that containted some Website addresses with which to familiarize myself. So, I did that and agreed to meet her on Wednesday for a meeting.

I came back Wednesday. Still no desk. Still no computer. Oh, and still needing to park in "visitor parking" because I can't get a parking permit until I'm in the system. And I have to register with the receptionist every time I come in because I don't have an ID, which I can't get until I'm in the system, which means that I can't walk around on my own; someone has to escort me. Anyway, I get in and have my meetings, then go home again to do research online and read some materials I was given.

Thursday. Still no ID, no parking permit, no computer, no desk. You get the picture. I have some meetings, then go home.

Friday. Same old, same old. Nothing changes, although I find out that they're working on a computer for me, but the tech responsible for it was called away due to some VP's computer self-destructing. I also find out that I can get my badge on Monday morning because my email and everything will be active then. I have my meetings, then go home.

Monday morning I check my email at home (which is where all of my work emails have been going until my address at MS is active) and find out that they have a computer for me. Hooray! I go in, pick it up . . . and don't have a desk. So I set up in a nearby lounge and try to get online, but find I can't connect until I log in through a hard-wired LAN line (which no one told me). I finally get that taken care of after some meetings and one of the other women in the department tells me I can use her desk for the rest of the week because she'll be gone. As a nice bonus, her desk is in the office next to the woman I'm filling in for, so that's handy.

I forgot to mention that Monday morning I went to get my ID badge, so I can finally get into and around the building withuot an escort. Which is nice.

I also register my car, so I can park in the parking lot, as opposed to taking up a visitor spot. And wouldn't you know, I can't do it because I have to download a patch to the program from the MS security site, which they send me by Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning I regsiter my car, but the receptionist doesn't have any permits for me, but swears everything will be okay as long as I'm registered in the system. So far she's right about that.

I spent all day Monday, Tuesday, and until lunch today in the office, at a desk, with a computer, and with my car safely parked in the lot across from the office. It looks like I'm pretty solidly settled in here and can finally concentrate on learning what the hell I'm doing here. It seems fairly understandable and doable, although they use some pretty arcane language to talk about things, so I'm stymied a bit by that. I'm slowly picking up the meanings of the various acronyms and bits of both marketing-speak and Microsoft-speak.

And there you go. That's what I've been up to at work for the last week. The real saving grace of the whole experience is that I now have a regular paycheck. Which is nice.

I re-read some of the above and it sort of sounds like I'm not enjoying myself. That's not true. The people and the company both seem very good and I'm interested in the challenge I'm presented with. But I was really amazed by the bureaucratic crap I had to deal with to finally make it inside and get to work.

More soon. I hope you enjoyed hearing about all that.