Today I have learnt how to do reports. (You click on the tab that says, "Reports" and choose the things you want to include from the list provided.) Me big smart!

Then I combined a couple of spreadsheets that each listed a few hundred lines of competing suggestions, making them into a single list with recommendations for which ideas to adopt. Although this was not a difficult task, it garnered me an extraordinary number of brownie points.

(I'm still not a fan of Vista, but I'm honest enough to admit that when I realized that I could de-dupe a spreadsheet with two clicks of the mouse, I was just a teensy bit impressed.) (I still miss my customizable menu bar.)

I also taught Gidget the wonders of "search and replace" in Excel. I tried to be polite, but I can't bear watching someone work laboriously through some mechanical task. This, also, garnered me an inordinate number of brownie points.

For the past couple of days, I've been working on three of the first 20 accounts they have ready for me. Today, before she left for the day, Gidget handed over the other 17 accounts. A testament to how well I'm doing, I guess.

My job will require me to spend about 60% of my time on this basic process, so it's good to be getting familiar with it. Another 30% of my time will be spent on the "strategic thinking which is the "intermediate process." Gidget is going to teach me that on Monday--in between meetings. My remaining time will be divided between the "advanced" process (monthly reports), occasional email updates to people in the field, occasional calls from other people in the field and, yes, meetings.

Sigh.

Meetings have always been a thing I prefer to do without. I always say I can either spend my time talking about what needs to be done, or doing what needs to be done, but I don't have time for both. In my desire to turn over a new leaf, I'm going to try to adopt the attitude that it all pays the same, whether I'm doing anything productive or not.

Gidget scoffed at the idea of a 4-hour orientation session, though, and only scheduled me for 2 hours. She says she never went through any orientation and it hasn't slowed her down in the last three years. That's my kind of supervisor!

Actually, I was having so much fun today I forgot to watch the clock for quitting time! That's saying something, on a Friday afternoon.