I overheard a conversation at church on Sunday. One fellow was talking to another about his job status.

Another: So, are you happy about your new job?

One: Oh, you know, it's just a job.

A: Yeah, I guess so.

O: Don't get me wrong, I'm happy to be getting a paycheck. Ha, ha!

Me: You

He had been looking for a job for months, and we'd talked casually here and there during that time about how tough the job market was, and about interviews that just didn't pan out, and finally about this potential opportunity where the first interview went just great and they were going to bring him back for the second interview but they had to push it back a week which hopefully wasn't ominous as long as the first interviewer had said some good things about him and I said I hoped that it would work out. That God would be gracious.

Me: Piece of

I didn't say anything. I pretended not to hear and walked away.

All this to say, I finished Franny and Zooey, the first pleasure read of my research years.

Today was the first day of the next two years, and it was predictably anticlimactic. I got a tour of the lab and went through a number of online orientation modules. I'm sure it'll take some time before I get settled, but I'm in no hurry.