There is a point in the morning, after I arrive at work, before everyone else gets here and the phone starts ringing. There is a time, when I have checked e-mail and voice mail, when I have looked at overnight processing, and I have checked my todo list.

It is a quiet time, before I dive into the day. A time when I realize that nothing disastrous has happened, and that I can start getting work done. This is my time, as the eye of the storm passes overhead. I can sip coffee and relax a little.