Job Update

I have officially been at my new job for a week. It is different than my old one, but all is good.

I would say the hardest adjustment is just getting back into a routine. While I am grateful to get up and go to work everyday, I wish I had gotten to have another week off - the stress of what happened has caught up to me, and I am tired. I am trying very hard to get back into a routine - I find I am ready for bed much earlier these days!

I am commuting back downtown, and the commute is not bad. I am on a waiting list for a spot in the garage, but it will be awhile. There is a lot across the street, only $80 per month (much cheaper than the garages near the Deloitte building) When I get in the garage, it will be $30. My last stint of parking when I was still with Deloitte was free - AEP had 2 garages and was very generous in allowing us garage passes to get into the "tower of power" as we called it.

What have a learned to date, as the manager of internal audit with oversight responsibilities of the Columbia Distribution companies operations of gas storage, transmission and distribution businesses??? Well, here we go....

1. Natural gas is essentially decaying matter very near the earth's crust - which is why exploration is difficult and costly. Essentially, gas reserves are where the dead stuff is in the earth's crust. Who knew??
2. Methane is the most common form of natural gas - and in its purest form, is odorless. Sulfur like scent is injected to indicate gas leaks.
3. Natural gas is transmitted through pipelines underground. Gas typically moves "downstream" - meaning is moved via pressure in the pipelines toward the end of the distribution line. What is the end of the line? Our homes.
4. I do not receive a discount on my home heating bills.
5. We make no money on buying and selling gas - all that is regulated and varies by state. We make money moving gas (transmission) for other service providers.
6. The more rotten/dead the decaying matter is, the more potent the gas is. Methane gas is less potent than butane gas is - and thus, it takes more energy to increase the temperature of methane than butane.

Probably more facts about natural gas than anyone cares to know...but as I find interesting things, I will of course post them.

My beauty rest calls. Little Belle, of course, has gone to bed and the cat has come to bed as well. Let's hope there is some room for mom...um, I mean, I hope mom does not have to fling someone off the bed....