Trudging Into the City, with a more positive postscript

I had to go into the office for a meeting Thursday morning (9-12, that's three hours on kicking off 2018, shudder), and I hate having to make the trek into Boston, as you may recall. This time was slightly better, since we editors were told that we didn't have to stay in the office all day, and any time I don't have to carry my laptop is better than the times when I do have to. I was also happy to see, as the day came closer, that although the forecast was cold, it at least did not include any precipitation; even rain makes the commute so messy, let alone ice or snow.

Cons:

1. Getting up even earlier than usual
2. Wearing grown-up clothing*
3. Taking the T (sub-cons: the first lot I went to was full, at 7:20 AM; at one point the subway was so crowded that I had to try not to panic at the fact that I was in contact with four total strangers at once)
4. Really really cold
5. The three-hour meeting included about five minutes of something that directly impacts the editors' work, an hour or so of "not directly, but interesting," and the rest, well. Not targeted at us.
6. Extra aches and pains on Friday, certainly; since the ankle trouble I had starting last spring, I don't routinely walk very far, so the mile-and-a-half-plus was never going to be easy. 
7. The ankle itself was slightly sore on Friday, too, and quite puffy last night. Less problematic today, thankfully.

*With the thoughtful deliberation appropriate to a much bigger expedition, I contemplated what to wear that would be comfortable and professional, and since I have learned from past wardrobe mistakes, I tried on the whole shebang Tuesday night, so I could make sure it both looked and felt all right ahead of time, instead of at oh-dark-hundred on Thursday morning (or worse, on the way in). It ended up working out well, thankfully (though, given that my boss was wearing khakis that were fairly shredded at the back of the leg/heel area, I guess the standard isn't as high as I might think).

Pros:

1. Didn't have to carry the laptop in
2. Showing up and being sociable, work-style, is worth something for the work side of my life, silly as it seems to me
3. I walked over to the office from a different T stop than the one I have in the past, the one that I have always found so confusing to navigate, and that worked out much better, so at least if I have to go in again, I know to do that.
4. Free coffee drink, and a free donut
5. Not from the office, so very much not free, but I picked up a good sandwich on my way home (at a Cosi I passed on the walk), and that was really tasty. Sadly, they aren't in the suburbs (well, look, there's one in Mansfield, that's odd--why Mansfield? and Wareham? but nothing north of Boston), and the farthest south they seem to have locations is Virginia, so...

So there were pros, but if this is the last time I have to go in, that would be fine with me. (If I did work in the office, I would expect them to have something when it's time for me to move, go out for lunch or drinks or something, but I kind of doubt they will make me go in for that ... I guess we'll see.)

In summary, the trip went about as well as could be expected.

And in other company-related news, all good this time, I got confirmation this week that I get an extra week of vacation this year. Yay! I was fully expecting them to pull a fast one, in terms of what the employee guide says versus what they actually meant, but they didn't. I'm very happy about this.