Again I've got another "it will only happen to Chrissie" entry's, seems to be happening quite often.... considering the keys going down the toilet a few weeks ago. It might become a regular feature!
This time it was my first day on the job, Tuesday. I pulled up to my new place of employment at about the same time as two other women. One was younger than I and one older. I was happy not to be going in alone and together we walked in. There was a jolly looking fellow just inside the door who lead us right away from the main door, down a hall and into an auditorium type area. They had coffee and all sorts of yummy breakfast treats (donuts, sausage bisquits, fresh fruit). I found a seat quickly, after getting my much needed refill on the coffee I had bought on the way in. There were about six others there and we were apparently waiting until others arrived. I found it very interesting that everyone seemed awfully conversational with each other and lots of them seemed to know each other. Remembering that I'm back in a small southern town, not too surprising, actually kind of nice. After all, isn't that what being in a small town is all about? Isn't that one of the things I had missed about Virginia? 10 minutes later the man who had lead us into the auditorium began passing around a sign-in type clipboard. It went down the first row of people and then to myself, the first seated in row two. I filled in my name and the next column was asking for business/organization. This stumped me slightly, as I was unsure whether to put in my last job? Thinking to myself, "what exactally are they looking for here?" I looked to the people who had filled out the form above me and they all had wrote in "Allstate". Gee... thats interesting. The entire first row all used to work at Allstate? Then I started to look around. I actually sat quite stumped for what felt like 5 minutes..... Am I in the right place? Do I say something to someone? I'm suddenly feeling like I'm not in the right place at all..... so I looked over to my neighbor and said "is this your first day" and she said "yes" - well it was her first day - of corporate training. The entire room was full of Allstate employee's visiting for some special training, "we", my new employer was offering! No one was there for their first day of work! Except me that is..... I about died. I had to announce to the gentleman as he began introductions that I was most definitely in the wrong place and that I was here to begin my first day of work for them! He quickly escorted me out to the correct place. Both of us kind of giggling about it. Me, a little red faced as I walked into the actual training room that I was supposed to be in.
At least I had a good icebreaker story for everyone AND of course I got the coffee and free breakfast - no one else did!