Growth and Learning (or "the wretched flu")

No, this isn't a section of Monty Python's The Meaning of Life. Rather, it's just a summary of one or two lessons that I've learnt having not worked for a while and now being back.

1. If you've just started a new job and it turns out that you happen to know a number of the people who work there from elsewhere/previous lives, and those in your training group insist that you know everybody, don't deny it. Experience shows that if you do, within 15 seconds, somebody else who recognises you will approach you and say something to the effect of, 'I haven't seen you in ages!'

2. If you've been off work because of difficulty leaving home for whatever reason, resulting in your isolation from normal day-to-day life and interaction with other people for an extended period of time, then you can reasonably expect your immune system to have stormed off due to feeling neglected. After the first week, you will have contracted the influenza, a cold, rabies or some other unpleasant ailment (a tautology?).

3. Be certain that, whatever your experiences at previous jobs, the payroll department of your new employer will strive to attain unto new heights of incompetence, humorous to all but the poor soul who hasn't been paid because his salary was paid into a bank account of one digit's difference from his own.

More seriously, things are actually going rather well. I don't have much cause to complain and I'm quite looking forward to the coming week. I'm glad I survived week 1. Although I was feeling good about myself for having got this far, I wasn't sure how I'd actually handle getting back into a routine after so long and restoring regular interaction with people but it has gone well, even if I am exhausted and suffering from some virus or other. My body will soon grow accustomed to this sort of thing again, no doubt.

Thanks, again, for all of your support.