Hear that?

Here that sound? That is my sigh of relief and contentment.

I called a friend in Texas this evening as I drove home down the big road. (Blah, blah, no I could not find my headset and so I did the very bad, drive while on cell phone sans hands free unit.) She picked up, knowing it was me because she has that nifty caller ID thing working for her.

"And?" she asked instead of saying hello.

"Did you know there are offices where sane people work?" I asked her.

We chatted a little about our respective days with the normal and semi-normal people of the world. "I know," I added so as not to jinx myself, "it could all change and the freaks could begin to emerge from the wood work, but for now, I'm enjoying it."

She laughed in the way that told me she understood. "Really," she said settling into serious talk, "You just sound different today. You sound....can it be? You sound relaxed. You are in your car, on your way home from work and you sound relaxed."

I nodded and then remembered she wasn't next to me. "Yeah, I am. Of course it was just the first day."

And she reminded me that most people aren't nearly that relaxed a day in with the old bossman. True. She reminded me that not only did I sit through hours of overview and training but I also produced one sell sheet and the outline of a marketing plan. "You were productive," she told me.

Right. True. True.

"And," she said in a way that let me hear the grin spreading across her face. "And, it sounds like this new boss isn't going to be beating you over the head for years to come over packages two shippers lost."

Yes, I kid you not. The dual mishap a year ago was still an issue for the old bossman. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I heard "Everything better arrive this time." And each time I so very much wanted to say, "But I don't drive the big brown truck..."