Yesterday I started my shift at my new job. I was a bit nervous. Despite acing the training with a whooping 94% (you need at least 85% to go to the next stage) and rehearsing every possible scenario, I knew from previous experiences that being on the floor is very different from any training environment. I visualized the 20 of us marching towards the floor and translating it to the first 15 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. Yeah it's that vicious, but I also knew that once I got past that first call, everything would fall into place.

Well, actually it took the first half of my shift for everything to fall into place,but it's ok. The first call is always the most difficult and the others set the pace. Once I got past my lunchtime I felt more confident. Even took a customer compliment so that was good. The coaches saw that I handled it professionally so that was good. Today and tomorrow I'm off and I look forward to being back there on Wendesday. Some of my co-workers who haven't had the experience were a bit shaken, but I gave them encouragement. They are good people, but in unfamiliar territory. Blend that with the training and everything will be alright.

I didn't sleep at all because I came home to dub some stuff to Al. Some of it actually confirmed my views on Japanese art. Rigid stratified societies produce extreme art. Action, reaction. Causality.

Saw V. today. We always have a good time together. Whether we were shopping for books, paying video rental fees, lunch, a movie, dinner, eating ice cream. At ease in conversation and in silence. She feels strongly about us. So do I. She says I'm her soulmate. I agree in the aspect that we feel very comfortable together. It's really amazing. I haven't felt this way in ages. At complete and utter peace with her. While shopping for books, I somehow thought about us a bit older, sitting on a cafe, drinking coffee, reading, talking to each other. I mentioned this to her, and she agreed. She said "I thought about that. In Paris. I'd like to travel sometime." I'm thinking of working hard enough to save to travel to Europe in a year for my vacation. I want her to be there with me. In our conversations, I discover that we see a future together. This hasn't happened to me for a long time. For a long while in my personal relationships, after breaking up with Lana, I never thought past the moment, the present, that instant. Now I do. It's interesting that we think of plans and the future at this stage, but the usual alarms, bells and whistles don't go off here. Something is very right. We watched "Phone Booth" which was more fun and interesting than we thought. I think Kiefer Sutherland sounds like a young Hannibal Lecter there. Really good flick. We spent all afternoon together in each other's company. Pure bliss. I can't ask anything better than this. Thank you.