This blog is my attempt to reconnect with the world of chemistry. I have a PhD in Inorganic Chemistry and make a living doing research for a large company in Michigan. As times have changed, that company has changed its focus and I no longer have as much chance to do the basic, fundamental research which I most enjoy. Through this blog, I am hoping to recapture the magic which I felt during my graduate (and undergraduate) days in college. Expect topics on chemistry and alchemy along with some non-chemistry related items which I think might be interesting.

"The chymists are a strange class of mortals, impelled by an almost insane impulse to seek their pleasure among smoke and vapour, soot and flame, poisons and poverty; yet among all these evils I seem to live so sweetly that may I die if I would change places with the Persian King."

Johann Joachim Becher (phlogistonist)
Acta Laboratorii Chymica Monacensis, seu Physica Subterranea, (1669).

Monday, February 16, 2009

First Week Back At Work

Well, I'm a week into my new job and things are beginning to settle down.

A little.

Even though I'm working for the same company as before, I'm working at a totally different location on a totally different project under a whole new set of rules and regulations. Although I know I'm working on fuel cells, my specific duties have yet to be fully determined. One of my initial assignments is to get the various testing facilities up and running, but I can see that I'm going to be needed in many different areas. The manager of the project has apparently decided to let me decide where I should be focusing my efforts. Hopefully I don't disappoint. I'm certainly not going to be bored. Here are the pros and cons so far:

Pros
--I'm getting paid. Yeah!!!!!!!! (Come on, what did you expect?)
--The project looks like fun. There's a lot of interesting chemistry happening here.
--Sorry, that's all I've got.

Cons
--Long commute. It's a 55 minute commute each way now, but it could be worse, so I won't complain too much. Some of my coworkers have even longer commutes. Such is your fate when you work for a company in the midst of a significant downsizing.
--No phone number, computer logon ID, email address, or computer! I have to request these things and the response time is yet to be determined. I'm currently borrowing a computer for making notes and browsing the net, but someone else has to log me in on their account every day for this to work. The lack of ID means I can't be the first person to arrive in the morning or the last person out at night, else I'll be setting off alarms.
--There are no vending machines here! Not even for soda! Not enough people here to support them I suppose, but I was under the impression that OSHA regulations required their presence at all work facilities. ;)

I previously wrote that I needed more structure in my life in order to keep up with this blog. Beware of what you wish for! I definitely have structure in my life now, but at the expense of free time. We'll see how this translates into blog entries.
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1 comment:

Katie Collette said...

Yay, money! I'm glad everything seems good so far. :)

February 17, 2009 at 9:18 AM

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