An Exercise in Pushing Water Uphill

That's what today feels like. You ever have a day like that? Where everything seems to be about ten times harder than it should be? That's my day.

I don't know why. It's not really all that different today than yesterday or the day before. You know that saying, 'same shit, different day' - that pretty well sums it up, only it's not. It's harder and I don't know why.

Just getting out of the house was a challenge. I got up in good time. Got the cat taken care of. Got my coffee made and MIL's pills put out. All the normal stuff, but then things just seemed to simultaneously expand and contract on me. Things that usually take three minutes suddenly took five, meaning that the five tasks I had to do took almost thirty minutes instead of "only" fifteen.

Then I got on the road, fifteen minutes later than I had hoped / wanted to, and everything seemed to be fine. I got here as expected, about when I expected based on departure time. Came in, fully expecting to get straight to work. Until I turned on my computer screens.

I have a laptop and two screens. Something happened overnight. I don't know what it was, but my left screen was suddenly behaving as my right screen and vice-versa. My icons and task bar that are usually on my right screen were suddenly on the left. To move my cursor from my right screen to my left, I suddenly had to go over there===> and keep going until the arrow showed up <=== over there. And if you don't think that's weird, try it sometime. My brain just doesn't function like that.

Then I joined battle with the Intel Wizard (evil bastard that he is). It kept insisting that I wanted this screen setup and resolution when that is NOT what I wanted. I finally woke up enough that I realized, 'DUH!! Use the control panel, stupid!' So I did and in short order got what I want. Mostly. Except the resolution on the two screens is about 20% smaller than my tired old eyes can cope with. Whatever. I'm so fed up and disgusted I'll risk eye-strain.

After thirty minutes of battle I suddenly realized, "oh crap! I forgot to sign in!" That was what I had intended to do when I discovered the wonky screens, and then I got sidetracked into monitor hell.

I finally got my morning started, but other things kept intruding. Like trying to get into the conference room to set up a conference call / web meeting by 8:30 and the new printer didn't want to print the log in information, and the phone rang, and the person calling to say they were going to be late to the meeting wanted to chat, oblivious to the fact that the meeting time was fast approaching and I still was at my desk. I don't think he knew that I was on the verge of screaming, "I GOTTA GO!!!" and hanging up on him. Fortunately, I was able to extricate myself politely and still get the meeting started on time.

Then the people who are responsible for the meeting, the directors who are key to running it, weren't there. They didn't call in. Crickets would have been louder. Not a happy time when I'm sitting there with five other people around the table and five on the phone and no one is directing. So I did. And then I sent a message about it to the meeting runner, and I'm expecting to take an incoming artillery barrage once the recipient's blood pressure decreases.

Not a good morning in other words. And it didn't improve with time.

See, I'm working on this thing. I sent off an e-mail saying 'no' to a request because I've been directed that we're saying 'no' to that request, then the person who said 'say no' asked, 'why is she sending that off?' of someone else who then called me and said that this person who said no wanted to know why I was saying no and...

Yeah. It's that bad. It's that messed up and confusing. So I called the person who originally said to say no and I said, if you ever want to know why I'm doing something please call me. Person X doesn't know why I did it. S/He's acting in faith that I know what I'm doing, but only I really know. Then, after we hung up I went down and spoke with them in person. Not because that was what I needed / wanted / intended. Just because they brought it up again. So, we talked it over. Probably about three times more than we needed to do, but that's how these things go, and now we're good. We agree that we'll talk together, when it's needed. Until the next time. And knowing how these dynamics work, there will more than likely be a next time. Whatever. This time is solved, so I'm satisfied.

Then I got back to my desk and my phone rang and a colleague needs help setting up a webinar now. As in right now. So I drop everything. I leap into my car because it's faster. I don't bother with the seatbelt because it's just down the street and... CRAP! There's a cop parked right across the street from where I left the driveway to pull into the roadway. Did he see me not wearing my seatbelt? I don't know. I pull it out and put it on.

No lights. No sirens. At least that went okay.

I get down the street and rush into the building and up the stairs and... he's got a different laptop. Of course I pay no attention to that. I do what I do with my laptop to get the projector to connect to the screen. Only his FN+F1 puts the laptop to sleep. DOH!!! Restart. Load the web program for the seminar and... five minutes later we've finally got lift off - ten minutes after the meeting was supposed to start.

And that's only the first half of my day.

I wonder what the second half will bring...

Cake. I do know that there's cake. I got an e-mail about it, so there's a happy note.

On the other hand, I've got an outside company screaming for attention, and I've got to attend to them, which won't be fun.

Did I mention the cake? I think that's going to go on a plate at the end of the rod I'll dangle over my head and in front of my nose to keep me going this afternoon. My reward. Because, man oh man, at this point I deserve one. Kind of like:

This too shall pass (like a kidney stone) and things will improve. I hope my day is worse than your day because then I'll have bragging rights.

Best~
Philippa

Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilippaStories

One of THOSE Days. Grr.

We all have them - those days where nothing is right, no matter how right it is.

See? See that!? I tried to get the title to italicize 'those', entered the wrong code and got the nasty buzzer that says "WRONG". I fixed the wrong thing and pressed Enter, thereby posting this post which consisted of one sentence.

It is one of THOSE days and I'm just starting it and I am not happy with it.

Last night was irritating. Hot, cold, hot, cold all damned night long. Blankets on, blankets off, comforter off, blanket on, blah, blah, blah until the alarm went off at 4:45 - as usual. Couldn't face it, needed more sleep, so turned it off and set the next one at 5:15. Juuust as I'm about to fall asleep, it's 5:15 and the alarm is going off. It's lucky it's a melodic tune or it would have flown across the room and out the window.

Instead, I dutifully got up and got my day started, taking care of myself before everyone else for a change. Showered, dressed and just about ready to walk out the door, I open the door to Sam's room (and, in case you're just dropping by and don't know, Sam is our 18+ year old cat whom we do not allow to maraud through the house at night - even if he wanted to - so we lock him in the spare bedroom).

Oh, yay. Yippity-skippity - Sam peed on the floor. Even though I just changed his box last night and, when I lifted the lid to scoop it, it had one tiny spot of pee in one corner. Apparently that was just too much for my fastidious cat. He'd rather pee on the floor and watch me clean it up.

Got that done. Then I had to stand at the sink so Sam could drink out of my hand. He's got arthritis in his neck and shoulders so can't stoop low enough to drink from the faucet himself and won't drink from a bowl of still water, so I hold my hand under the water and let him drink from my palm. Ten minutes shot. Got him watered, fed and re-locked in the spare room so hubby can sleep until whenever. Got my MIL's nutritional drink. Got my coffee and realized I had "nothing" for lunch. Great.

Throw a bunch of crap together - all solo items that are available. Cottage cheese, pre-mixed lettuce (carrots, cabbage, etc.), part of a can of refried beans. Nothing at all appealing or exciting, but at least it's filling. Out the door on time (for a change!).

Got here early because I need to leave a little early to do something I HATE doing. I have to get my hair cut. I like my hairdresser. He's a nice guy and we chat while he works but along with hating to spend money on nonsense like getting my hair cut, I hate making small talk. It's all empty and meaningless, forgotten two minutes after I pay and leave and it's a waste of energy, so I hate it. But it's normal and expected and part of the deal. Otherwise I sit the chair for thirty minutes.

The first item on my hit parade here is preparing a Purchase Order Requisition and filling out a bunch of forms. Next will be my weekly team meeting - which is fine, but we're going to have to hurry through it because of other obligations and no one really has time to spend.

This just is not promising to be a 'happy' day - but it's mine and I'll own it and get through it and tomorrow will be better. At least that's the carrot on which I'm counting.

In the meantime, I do hope your day is lovely!

Best~
Philippa

Follow me on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PhilippaStories