After working for five years as a litigation paralegal at a chemical company, I recently started a new job.  I am on my third week and I can’t lie, it is a tough adjustment.  I was so bored at my old place, tired of doing the same old tasks for so long (and of dealing with a certain co-worker, but we won’t go there).  I wanted something different, and I got it.  I am working at a pharmaceutical company as a contracts analyst.  I had a small amount of contracts experience at my old job, but this new role is completely different.  And I knew nothing at all about the pharma business and basically still don’t.  It is overwhelming to say the least, but I wanted something new and I got it. 

And yet- I want to know it all NOW.  I don’t want to be the new person anymore, I want to be the seasoned analyst who people go to with detailed questions to which I have all the answers.  I want to be able to rattle off all of these new foreign-sounding terms and acronyms like they are my second language.  But what I’m doing instead is trying to soak up information like a sponge even though my brain is basically mush by 11AM.  I can only absorb so much at a time.

I know, it takes time to acclimate to a new job.  There are so many things to get used to and it can be quite a painful process.  But patience has never been a virtue of mine and I am done.

Okay, I am not done.  I have to give this place a chance.  But in the meantime, I have been making myself stronger drinks these last three weeks.  I need and deserve them!

The other night we were on the third day of a heatwave here, so I thought I’d create a fruity, summertime drink that packed a punch.  I came up with the Fruity Tooty Iced Tea- I think you’ll like it!  It’s got a couple of the base ingredients of a Long Island Iced Tea, but I added some tropical liqueurs to make it fun.

Fruity Tooty Iced Tea