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Thursday, Sept. 12, 2002 - 7:43 p.m.

First Day

Look at me! I'm sitting at home, typing on the computer, watching TV! At night! And today's a work day!

That is, I worked today. 9:30-6. And now I'm done. Finished. All the sports on TV? Merely entertainment for me now. (CASEY: "Is there football on EVERY night?!?" ME: "Not Tuesday and Wednesday!")

Today wasn't bad, especially for a First Day. Some First Days can be pointless, as they were for Virginia, another newbie who didn't have much to do and spent most of the day reading magazines and talking with other editors. I felt sorry for her, actually. I, on the other hand, worked on four separate things, and one was sort of menial busywork: I clipped stories from a few magazines and newspapers for one of the deputy editors. But I didn't mind. It took up several hours and helped the day fly by. I also talked on the phone with a nutritionist for a story, tracked down some hotels for another, and looked into a third. I spent all day in front of a computer -- didn't even leave for lunch, which is OK -- and yet here I am, eager to log on at home.

I decided I wouldn't visit Diaryland on my first day. I figured checking my e-mail and browsing iWon were enough. That may change tomorrow, though.

Today felt like the first day of school, like the first day at a new school, like high school or something. I went in there knowing one person for sure, the managing editor with whom I had my first contact, and having met a few others but hardly remembering their names. I met many others, and I actually retained a few of their names. We had a meeting in the afternoon where I saw just about the entire magazine staff (if not the whole staff), but that lasted only 20 minutes or so.

I felt a little lost, particularly in the meeting when we went over the project flow for each issue of the magazine. But that's only because I'm new to the business. I didn't understand my way around the offices -- both figuratively and literally -- of The Observer in college when I first started. And although I had some feel for the nightly production of a newspaper when I started with the one after college, I wasn't used to FIRM deadlines and putting out a sports section the size of some entire issues of The Observer. And while putting out a nearly 100-page magazine each and every week will be daunting, there are some things I'll bring from my newspaper experience that will help me, and others I'll pick up quickly. But the fact that I did in fact hit the ground running is good.

The funniest part was when the assistant photo editor sitting near me called up a photo service and asked, "Do you have any photos of Penelope Cruz's new haircut?" I chuckled to myself.

I think the best part was the drive. A mere 10 minutes on the way in, about 15 on the way out because there was a little more traffic at 6:15 p.m. than at 9:15 a.m.And now, I get to watch the Mets or the Marshall-Virginia Tech football game for fun, if I want, except that Casey's luring me into the bedroom.

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