This is the close of my third week at my new/old job at The Paper. I suppose I should let you know how it’s going.

Basically, I seriously lucked out.

Not only did I have a job waiting for me when I arrived in Seattle, it’s a job that I’m familiar with. My head has been all a-spin with moving and adjusting and transitioning into living in Seattle again, and the job has been like butter: I know the responsibilities, I know the procedures (oh god, I love the procedures. There are project managers here! It’s so nice!). I know what’s expected of me. I know the people. I know my way around the building. All this familiarity has made this the perfect “Welcome Home!” job.

It’s also the perfect counterbalance to my former job. Without getting into it too much, let’s just say that despite all my free-spirited creative juices, I am a structure junky when it comes to pay-for-play projects. When I’m whoring myself, I like to know exactly what’s expected, exactly when it’s expected, and exactly who’s expecting it. This sort of structure helps me hone my whoring with near surgical accuracy, and allows me to do my work with minimal stress and hand-wringing. I punch in, I do my writing, and I punch out.

When I’m working on my own projects, I like to have total control. When I’m doing my word mercenary thing, I just want to be a quiet little cog, spinning in my cube. The basement of The Paper is perfect for that.