And I'm Spent

Today was my first day at my new job, except that I was actually in orientation, so it wasn't like my new job at all. But still, I was there.

A few highlights:

• On a tour of the hospital we came upon Gapper (the Reds mascot) entertaining a roomful of children. Gapper proceeded to come out into the hallway, make some squeaking noises at us and then hugged and kissed the girl in front of me. I blushed and it didn't even happen to me.

• Children's Hospital started in 1883 as the Protestant Episcopal Free Hospital for Children. It was located at Park and Kemper (now Yale) in Walnut Hills, had 12 beds and 1 staff nurse. It now has an annual operating revenue of just over $1 billion, employs nearly 10,000 people and had 842,822 patient encounters in 2006.

• My badge doubles as a debit card, which I can use to buy lattes from Starbucks on the main campus. Ow!

• My colleague Steve came to find me at orientation to ask if I want the 17-inch or 15-inch MacBook Pro. Shockingly, I chose the 15-inch MacBook. Hey, I need to make sure I have lots of great bag options to carry it around in, and I know the 17-inch models are more bag-limited!

• Children's is ranked 7th in U.S. News and World Report as a hospital and has the fourth best pediatric program at a medical school. Which is OK. I guess. Buuut the research foundation, of which I am now the senior Web editor, is ranked second among all pediatric centers receiving grants from the National Institutes of Health. ($91 million in 2006.)

In horribly, horribly distressing news of the day:

• Dress code says no dangly or hoop earrings and no open-toed shoes. Um, what? (Me, shaking.) Excuse me, but I need to express myself (Chotchkies style) and wearing giant hoop earrings and fantastic sandals (in the summer) is how I do that.

Hmm... Maybe this job isn't right for me after all. Fortuntely it's nearing winter, guess that means I'll just have to buy some more boots to "fit in."

Tomorrow is another long day of orientation. Woo wee!