One week down, 53 to go

I managed to survive my first full week still in fairly high spirits. There was a lot of time spent on the factory floor, probably an equal amount of time spent in the various labs, and a small fraction of my time spent at my desk. This is definitely the way my jobs should all be. I do find it amusing that i spent 7 hours yesterday on the factory floor, around exploding light bulbs and molten glass, managing to escape unscathed, only to close my hand in the r&d lab door. I win!

Working in a factory is going to be an interesting experience. Every time i leave my office i have to go through a whole procedure:
a) Do I need to wear my glasses?
if yes, wear the large safety glasses
if no wear the comfy safety glasses
if no, do i need to take my glasses?
if yes, find glasses case and figure out how to attach it to self, securely.
if no, place in desk
b) How far am i going?
if not far, do i need earplugs?
HR = yes
Factory floor = yes
Glass lab = no
R&D = no
Simulator cage, varies
if going to the simulator cage for a long time, yes
if going to the simulator cage to run hot sand tests, one needed
if just going to grab something or change settings, no
if going far, take ear plugs. maybe put them in.
c) Am I going to be around glass?
if yes, take kevlar sleeves and one pair of gloves
d) Am I going to be around hot glass?
if yes, take a second pair of gloves
e) Do i want to look at hot glass?
if yes, take fire glasses

...and this is just assuming i'm not taking anything anywhere. as an aside pockets are useful. In addition to developing a protocol just to step out of my office, being in a factory is pretty cool. I can watch sand turn into light bulbs just by walking down the stairs. Every mechanism i learned about in that Mechanisms class not only is real, but is working for my amusement just outside my window. Cams, cranks, levers, sliders, clamps, gears, sprockets and more! There is very little sparky magic and a whole lot of mechanical intuition on the floor.

Outside of work, life is still a little Spartan. The furniture might come next week, if i'm lucky. I might get a paycheck next week, too, so i can buy groceries and stop subsisting off of peanut butter and honey. The young engineering types are being extremely friendly, but i really just don't have the hand-eye coordination to play racquetball. Or the height to play basketball. Or the money to go out to dinner. I hope they understand that I'm not trying to be antisocial.

Speaking of peanut butter and honey, i should eat dinner...