Back to Work

I've been back to work for about three weeks now. I got my first full paycheck from the new company yesterday. Florida doesn't take a state tax out of people's payroll, so it was a nice check. Today I'm off, so I think I'll treat myself to a haircut and maybe a manicure. It's nice to be employed again, but work is only a slim buffer against depression.

I've gotten into this weird rut where I feel melancholy at home, but happy at work. Maybe it's the music. Every hotel I've worked in has had it's own special mix, but this place has the most eclectic selection of all of them. It's a mixture of some current pop, classical jazz and a lot of ambient dance stuff. Right now they're playing John Mayer, but during this shift I've heard DJ Shadow, Zero 7, Lusine, Yeasayer, Thievery Corporation and a slew of other electronic artists. In between all the downtempo club stuff I get snatches of hard bop that wouldn't sound out of place in a Yoko Kanno-scored anime. It's all so mellow; it's almost impossible to feel down about anything wrapped up in the sounds of this place. Maybe I need to buy an MP3 player and download some of this stuff, so I can carry it around with me. Maybe.

On a positive note, I forgot to take my studs out last night before I came in. I started to take them out, but the Front Office Manager told me they looked professional, so I could leave them in. After the flap at my last job, this was a tremendous relief. Small victories, right?