I can’t remember what it felt like to be pain-free. Or to have a life.

Friday afternoon, we were able to finish up the most urgent of our work and I actually left the office by 5pm.  It was a tiny miracle so I felt I needed to take the opportunity to unwind a little and talked a coworker into going to the dive bar near work for a couple of drinks.  After that, I met my friend V at one of our fave little neighborhood bars for more drinks and to catch up. 

I just have to say that it was the perfect slice of heaven at that particular moment.  I was finally able to relax, laugh, and just generally feel human again.  And the added bonus is that I was able to sleep that night!  No insomnia, just crashing from sheer exhaustion!  The weeks of little to no sleep had finally caught up with me and the drinks managed to shut my brain off enough to allow me to finally get some much needed rest.

After getting to bed around 2am, I was up letting Loki out around 8…but then laid back down on the couch and slept until…SIX PM!!!  I would’ve felt guilty except for the fact that I KNEW I needed it!

Today, rather than stressing out over the audit and whatever else this week will throw at me, for this moment, this peaceful moment on my patio with my dog, I am relaxing and it feels great.

Turns out, I can! Its a little slow loading and not as easy to navigate, but it works!

So here I am. Its late and I really should be sleeping. Work is pretty chaotic and stressful lately. Lots of layoffs have taken place and, the big bombshell that got dropped on us recently is that HR has decided to combine my current department, Staffing, with my old department, Training. The manager over my old department has decided to take the voluntary retirement package that was offered last month. So with her departure, I guess the collective “they” have decided to use this opportunity to consolidate.

Everything is very hush-hush with the leadership team members as they try to hash out what the “new” organization will look like. Based on conversations with my boss and new responsibilities she has given me, I feel pretty safe for now. But there is no telling what the future will bring. We should know more in the coming weeks…

When I opened it, I found a card from my boss.  She thanked me for all the work I have been doing on reports lately (a key area that I have been tasked with improving) and emphasizing their “greatful”-ness that I joined the team.

Oh, and $100 worth of American Express Gift Cheques.  Score.

I’m beginning to think you have to be a morning person to get things done. The day is just not long enough. Although, my fleeting experience as a morning person simply meant that I got to work earlier, but still left just as late and just as exhausted. Maybe I need better vitamins. And less coffee. And more exercise.

On a happy note, did I mention my dad sold my Mazda?! For about $500 more than I ever thought I would get for it. I’m convinced part of that is the difference between Dallas and Beaumont. The other part? Tax refund season. The only downside is, they financed it. So here’s hoping they pay it off. At least I’ve gotten their downpayment applied to my balance on the Acura. Hooray for less debt!

This has been one hell of a long week. Between trying to get things handed off with the old boss, all the meetings the new boss had lined up, continuing to teach the training classes that I already had scheduled, and squeezing in time with the lady I’m replacing, who happens to only be working part time from home with two children, I felt like it should’ve been Friday by Wednesday!

I’m feeling better about things now. Finally have a true transition plan in place and have been able to start off-loading some of my former responsibilities. And am starting to get a grasp on all the (many, many, many) reports that I’ll be responsible for providing on weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis…I can definitely see why that is an area in need of an overhaul. Talk about a lot of duplicate work and manual effort. Yeeesh.

Tonight has been all about recouperating from the week. I have had training calls with the lady from work from 8-11pm every night this week….after working a full day in the office. I am just beat. But I’d rather do that and take advantage of getting as much knowledge from her as I can before her last day next week.

Nothing says relaxing like PJs, a good drink, and, what turned out to be, a pretty lame movie from Netflix. But it felt good to do nothing!

My brother, Duckie, closed on his house yesterday, so Dad drove up today and is planning to be in town for a week or so helping out with some minor repairs and stuff with Duckie, before he moves in. I’ll probably head over there tomorrow and see what I can do to help. I’m so excited for him that he got this house!

Meh. Can’t get into it here. Yesterday was orientation all day and I have far too many decisions to make in terms of benefits. Once that was over, I discovered my old email account had already been disabled and converted to my new employee ID. Only problem with that is that my laptop has not been through this conversion. So I have been unable to access or send any emails since yesterday morning. Kind of screwed my plans of working some old job items last night.

Today is my first actual day at my new office. Hopefully I can get the laptop/email issues resolved early because this afternoon I have to spend teaching a class (old job). Then there is the matter of getting my office configured the way I want (hopefully). I know they’ll adjust for my ergo assessment….now I’m just hoping I can shift everything around (don’t want my back to my door) and get it setup for my left-handedness.

It’s early, I need more coffee, and I have less than 30 minutes to get my butt in gear, dressed, and out the door. Mornings suck.

I went out for a smoke break at work this afternoon and didn’t take two puffs before I had to go back in.  The heat is hurting my lungs.   It’s completely miserable. 

I found out why my boss wanted me to keep the first week of November blocked off on my calendar.  Turns out he is sending me to Orlando for 4 days for a learning conference, with topics ranging from developing online content to LMS systems to global learning and a lot more.  He’s going, too, so as soon as the publish the schedule of sessions, we’ll have to figure out who is going to what and that sort of thing.  I’m kind of excited…I’ve never had to travel out of state for work before.

Since this will be after the big 8.9 upgrade, I may tack some travel days on before or after the conference for a little R&R while I’m there.  Not sure how exciting DisneyWorld will be by myself, but I’m willing to find out for the right price.  I need to figure that out soon because I have to get with my other boss to book travel and hotel.  Apparently the hotel tends to fill up fast for this thing.  And I have no idea how my company handles this type of expense.  Hopefully it’s not a reimbursement thing…surely not!

My parents are on an Alaskan cruise this week.  I’m still in shock that they actually did it, along with my mom’s brother, sister, and their spouses.  I hope they are having a blast and taking lots of pictures!

Anyway, so this afternoon I got to treat myself to a manicure and pedicure at the Red Door Spa.  I don’t think I would ever in my life spend that kind of money to do it again, but since this was a secret shopper thing, I’ll be reimbursed, so it was basically free.  Except for the time it took to fill out their survey online when I got home.  And the 4-5 weeks it will take to get repaid.

It was nice though.  I got their Sea Spa pedicure, complete with a tingly peppermint mask on my feet.  And a pretty dark burgandy color for my toenails that, after the first coat looked frighteningly hot pink.  But luckily the second coat cured that.

The lady talked a little too much for my liking….I just want to relax, not carry on a conversation.  She talked me into a french manicure for my fingernails.  I’ve never had one and since my nails are actually all relatively long right now, I agreed to it.  I’m not sure I like it though.  I just don’t see myself as a french manicure kind of girl.

I stopped by Kohls, too, and picked up a few of their little patio table things that were on clearance.  And….not one, but TWO new purses.  The most amazing part, however, is that I didn’t buy any shoes.  I didn’t even bother to look. 

I desperately need some time away from the computer.  I swear my eyeballs feel like they are on fire lately.  Hopefully this weekend I’ll get a real break and can stay away from it for a few days.  Knowing me, that’s highly unlikely.  Not that I won’t get a break but that I’ll stay off the computer.   

So I call her and talk through it and she insists it should’ve been fixed last week.  Critical, audit, blah, blah, blah.  And everyone on my team took the day off.  I can handle part of it, but need some stuff from others.  Several phone calls, emails, and hours later, around 10pm, I finally accept that I’m going to have to work today and call it a night for work. 

The really irritating part, aside from the fact that I badly needed those drinks with friends last night, is that these completion issues have been going on for far too long.  I keep saying we need to overhaul the whole process, but instead, one little thing gets fixed.  And probably ends up breaking something else…..which we realize when the next big issue gets escalated.  Ugh.

Anyway.  I just plopped my pajama-covered ass onto the couch and turned on the tv, accepting that this will be how I spend what is left of my day off.  Screw that list of errands.  I’m going to be a complete sloth this afternoon.

And as I’m flipping through the movie channels….JOY!  Rapture!  Pretty in Pink is on HBO (nevermind the fact that I own the dvd).  I love love love this movie.  I can’t possibly be grumpy while watching it. 

Like so many songs, this movie takes me back to my younger years.  I was so in love with Duckie and lamented the fact that I could never meet anyone like him.   My brother and I had the movie soundtrack (on cassette!!  lol) and used to listen to it endlessly.  That led to buying the Psychedelic Furs, and, my favorite band of all time, The Smiths.   I credit this movie for introducing me to them.

So here I lay, on the couch, watching Duckie Dale plant one on Iona.  And quoting every line, since there is no one here to be annoyed by it. 

Of course, I’ll change the channel before Andy goes back to the major appliance at the end.  I hate Blaine.  In MY version, she always stays with Duckie at the prom.