My last day working as a yard-dog. I'm looking forward to getting back on the road next week. If nothing else, this week has shown me that I'm not cut out for a daily routine anymore. I don't much care for repeating the same pattern every day. I also lack the social skills (well, the will, actually) to engage in pointless small-talk. Niceties are no problem. But I really don't care about the details of my co-workers' lives.

Of course, these recent observations have been filtered through the knowledge that the job I've worked this week is temporary (and I wouldn't take it if they offered it). I might have tried being more involved with my co-workers in Concord if I was going to be sticking around. But I'm not, and we all know it. I haven't tried to be one of the guys because I'm not, and I'm not going to be. I might look at it, and approach my co-workers, differently under other circumstances.

So the answer to my nagging, unspoken question is “No. I'm not damaged.” Maybe I'm a little anti-social, but I'm not a sociopath. At least I don't think I am. I think the lesson learned here is that I can deal with about any situation. Just don't expect me to create an interpretive dance about it.