It's the little things.

Today I got a cubicle upgrade. My new digs are in the one room in this building that has a ton of natural light. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I feel much more creative and energetic when my surroundings are bright and sunny. Plus, I've moved away from my annoying cube neighbor who spends at least an hour each day taking personal calls, usually to communicate with her deadbeat son and his babymama. Oh, the stories I could tell about that family.

I've been in no-window/broom closet hell since late 2005, so this is a hugely exciting change. (No, really, my area in engineering had been converted from a storage closet to a really crowded, shitty office.) And I have a DOOR for the first time since coming to the university.

I still miss my State Capitol office. First of all, it was an actual office instead of a cubicle. I had windows from floor to ceiling -- probably close to 18 feet of pure window. Because I was on the 10th floor, I could see thunderstorms coming from a county away. I doubt I'll ever have an office that sweet again.

I realize how pathetic this sounds. You're probably thanking your lucky stars that you'll never experience cubicle hell. I'll admit that it can feel soul-sucking at times, which is why I'm a huge believer in natural light and surrounding myself with personal belongings in addition to the usual office trappings.