Saturday, June 10, 2017

Crazy Week-Deconstructed

I wasn't meaning to be cryptic, nor suggest my life has moved in total stress and chaos again, but it was a rough week in terms of balancing work, home life, exercise, and making good eating choices. Let me deconstruct what is going on in my life right now. I apologize,as it is a long one.

Work: Changes that have to be implemented by July 1 are complex and have a ripple or domino effect. One thing has to happen before something else. The cast of characters involved is huge, with over 100 contracts that need to be amended, signed off on, and reloaded into our financial systems or none will be valid on July 1. Computer systems need to be modified, tested, and launched to accommodate the changes. Keep in mind that most of these changes couldn't even be planned for prior to May 26th, giving a mere six weeks to accomplish it all. All this is happening in addition to the annual year end close, as June 30 ends the fiscal year. 

Added to this week was a day and half meeting with one set of grantees (getting them up to date on the changes that will be in place July 1), plus a full day strategic planning meeting for a parallel project. I've been in the office early, staying late, and checking e-mails in between. At night, I am working through problems in my head, ready to implement what I came up with once in the office. It's how I work in a time crunch, but the sleeplessness builds up. On Tuesday I was walking to the half day meeting when suddenly a stack of documents slipped off my lap top. Trying to retrieve, I dropped them all, computer as well, bending back a finger nail to the point of drawing blood. My lap top met a violent death. I was without a computer from most of the day then, but our awesome IT folks were able to get me set up with a new one by the end of the work day! Mine was an ancient refurbished model and I was on the list for replacement anyway, but it was not convenient. In the full day meeting, we had a few argumentative moments with a couple grantees that challenged the decisions in very unprofessional manners. We had to do follow-up on Thursday with them, pointing them back to the terms of their grants, and a reminder to them that they could rescind their grant, as well as could we, should the work no longer fit. We received apologies for the negative behavior.

Home life: DD2 finished her sophomore year of high school on Thursday, but only after a day and 1/2 of intensive finals. She had four on Wednesday and her final three on Thursday. She also had an audition for a vocal Jazz ensemble on Monday, a two and 1/2 hour meeting and dress fitting for next years show choir on Tuesday plus her violin lesson, and a call back audition for the the ensemble on Wednesday. At one point on Tuesday night, she was in tears, trying to fit in studying, final homework, and the extra nerves. I do not understand why they added the auditions, historically done in the early fall, to finals week. Crazy-kids trying to focus on their studies and now nerves regarding auditions. I'm happy to say, she was selected to the co-ed vocal jazz group. I don't know her grades yet. DH took her our for a nice lunch on Thursday overlooking the river-she needed a chill moment and the weather was gorgeous. I squeezed in a grad party, a wake for a volleyball friends dad, and DH had yet another meeting on "cabin rules" with his mom and siblings. There's starting to be so many "rules" I wonder if there will be place for fun?

Health: I shared my walking plans with my friend V-need this in my life now! With the chaos of work and DD2's schedule, meals were sort of just cobbled together, so much room for improvement. I'm planning a big think and list making of healthy meals for me that the others will also enjoy. 

With that off my mind, I hope to get caught up this morning on the blogs I like to read. Later I am going to my friend M's funeral, or part of the funeral, as you may recall, per her culture, it stretches over multiple days. Later we are going to my sisters for a game/card night. My brother who lives in Florida is in town-it was his grandson's graduation, and he is staying at my sisters house for another week or so. Weather is forecasted in the 90's plus humidity and tomorrow storms are anticipated. DD2 has a violin recital and we have another  grad party to try and make, and weather permitting, my walking night with V. Then, work crazy begins again. Enjoy your weekend.

8 comments:

  1. Jeez Sam I need to lie down in a darkened room after reading this post lol.

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    1. Believe me, I needed a quick lie down with my eyes shut each night when I got home.

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  2. Goodness, so I'm not the only one working late and through lunch. Like I said, I don't actually mind it because I know it's coming but do you ever wonder how you will slow all that down once you retire? Seriously, I can go in 3 years and I do wonder how you suddenly stop when you have been used to being continually running. Well done on the walking. I haven't done much this week because of getting home so late from work but must get back to it before it gets unbearably hot. And well done on the weight loss. Anna

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    1. I will say, I have no boredom at work right now. I'm not concerned about retirement at all and how I will spend my time. I think it will be different kind of work, but I plan to be very busy. I bet you have things lurking on your life list that will keep you so busy you will wonder how you had time to have a job. Take care.

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  3. Life is complicated and sometimes it is much more complicated than others. Hope things smooth out after the July transition.

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    1. No one was promised a straight and narrow road and where would be the interest in that anyway. I am counting down the days until July but really more August but then,just a month before school starts.

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  4. Just in response to Anna (Treaders) I took early retirement 18 months ago or so and honestly I've had no prob not working although I wouldn't say I've stopped I'm just not doing what I was doing before at work. Im still really busy but doing stuff for me and my family and not someone else. Sam when you retire you will have so much fun and you Anna it's the best time I love it.

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    1. I believe that is how my on paid work life will be as well. I hope to fill my days with travel,reading. writing, volunteering, and maybe take a course or two on something that has always interested me.

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