A Not-so-new Job

Today is my first day as a full-time employee since 1995.

Weird.

Weird because I've been doing the job at the same site, for the same company, as an independent contractor for the last 18 months, so the day-to-day really isn't going to change. Except that I'll have my own desk :-) And benefits. And get the hours I request instead of the leftovers.

Weird because I'll be working a lot more hours per week than I have in a few years. For the next month, I'll pretty much be working 5 days a week - I've really only been working 4 days a week (most of the time anyway) for the last several years, taking off one weekday for volunteer work, errands, etc.

A relief.

A relief because I'll have health insurance as of Feb. 1. So will Mary! They just started offering domestic partnership coverage as of Jan. 1. I haven't had health insurance for 3 years.

A relief because I will have employment-rate taxes taken out of my paycheck. No more quarterly tax payments. No more paying my half and the "employer half" as self-employed. Finally, a way out of the endless cycle of owing taxes at the end of the year.