Stories from CrazyLark

I know, you're excited, right? Where does this Favorite Aunt go during the day? What are the people like? Why have we not heard stories about huge staplers or the score on who wants to be her friend more? Well, tonight is your lucky night. And I am going to attempt to do this story justice, although lately my blogging is flat and my storytelling abilities may be ... well... uh... tired, like the rest of me.

Thursday morning started like most others. I groaned when the alarm went off. I slept 10 minutes longer than I intended to. I made it out the door and to Mass (praise God!). I got to the office around 7:30 am, where B and C were already there. (I know, I desperately need code names for my new work peeps). B is an auditor, a couple years younger than me, hilarious, kindred spirit, and good fun to work with. C is mid-forties, the main estimator for the insulation side of the world. He's also a lot of fun, quieter, but fun. Anyway, the three of us typically arrive and try to get some work done before all the interruptions begin. And then, just before 8 am, Boss2 enters, beaming, with a toolbox in hand. We do these tests called CAZ (Combustion Appliance Zone) that require a smoke puffer or smoke stick. When we got some equipment stolen a few weeks back, one of the smoke puffers was also stolen. And then R was gone with the smoke devices we did have. So there was a scramble for a smoke making device the day before, which apparently got Boss2 thinking...

So he opens this tool box, where he's cut foam to hold all the specific tools. Grinning from ear to ear, he goes through them one by one. "Here's your pen, and your mini flashlight, and your maglight..." He pulls out the large maglight, turns it on, points it around the room. "And then..." He unscrews the lid on the large maglight, removes the bulb, and starts screwing in two wires, that are connected and have some kind of connectors on the ends. Hmmm.

Boss2 goes on, "What flavor smoke would you like? Sage? Rosemary? Cedar?" I'm already too amused to be trusted to speak. B calls for sage. Boss2 takes a piece of this sage chip he's got, sticks it between the contactors on top of the wire that are now sticking out of the top of the maglight. "Ehh???" More grinning. He turns it on. Seconds later, the sage begins to smoke and makes a perfect smoke stream that smells kind of like thanksgiving dinner. He was so excited, and the others of us couldn't help our amusement. Boss2 admitted he started the project at midnight. Oh boy.

A few minutes later, another coworker comes in... and he repeats the show. Starting again with the large maglight used as a flashlight. And then impressed the next guy with his brilliant invention. This time I couldn't help giggling. By the third show, B and I sat at our desks, laughing so hard we had tears streaming down our faces. Seriously? Boss2 didn't mind our amusement, but clearly didn't understand why it was so funny.

To be honest, the regular smoke puffers have all kinds of warning about cancer and the dangers of the smoke. And his puffer smoke does smell better. Is it a little far fetched? Absolutely. Will we use it? Sure. Did it provide a highly entertaining Thursday? No doubt about it.

Things that make me happy today

1. Daily Mass (even if the only one I can make it to is way early in the day).
2. A new swear word we made up at work (that isn't a swear word). And my seamless use use of it. Point for Reenie. And the fact that the actual swear words are being used less.
3. The homies.
4. The puppies. The one that likes to nest. And the one that climbed her whole heavy self onto my lap (can we say neglected?) I need to be home more.
5. A home to go home to at the end of a long day at work. (Is it only Monday?)
6. Slippers and sweatpants.
7. The new ice rink a couple blocks away -- I need to go buy ice skates and get out there!!
8. That January is half over...which means it is closer to spring... and it's flying by.
9. Drinking water.
10. The Christmas tree... that really needs to come down...but in the meantime, it's still really pretty and has tons of pretty lights on it. =

Middle of January already???

I love Sundays!!! As I sit here, by the light of my Christmas tree (still up), drinking my coffee and reveling in a few moments to just be before I get ready for Mass and the rest of the day, I find myself breathing deeply and profoundly grateful for so many blessings in my life.

Yesterday I spent the day at a wedding for two of my young friends (how on earth did they get old enough to get married?) Lauren M. married Mark S. Talk about a small town kind of wedding! As I looked out over the people at the wedding Mass, it was really fun to see all the connections, the intermarrying, the community connections. I was struck repeatedly at the wedding and reception at just how blessed I am to be part of such a unique and wonderful community of people. It was also exciting because I am FINALLY related to Cora, one of my closest friends for many years. Related? you ask. Why of course, it's simple. My brother (a Cous) married a Mishler, whose sister married a Sauter, whose brothers married Wagners. See? Related. So exciting. Even if it is 4 marriages removed :) ... pretty quickly you realize nearly everyone in that crowd is somehow related. Awesome. Oh small town CTK / community circles.

In other news, taking my life back week one was mildly successful. I still managed to work over 50 hours. But at least it wasn't 60! And in the past week, we finished out Christmas celebrations with my fam on Sunday. Monday I worked a long day and collapsed at home. Tuesday was the snowstorm, evening at home with homie and her boyfriend. Wednesday I managed to get my laptop repaired and have coffee with my girlfriends. Thursday was dinner and catching up with another friend. Friday I went shopping and then chilling with yet another friend. Saturday was the wedding. So... I was uber-social and felt much more connected to my people and my world than I have in the past couple months. But I am not quite to that spot of achieving balance. But I'm still applauding any progress, and have to consider this past week a success.

And finally, halfway through the month, I've finalized my January goals:
1. Work on getting my life back
2. Drink more water

We'll see what I can do with that. :)

baby steps

Right now I am recording my progress for myself more than you... but hey, I made some small progress so far!!

This is the week I decided to take my life back. This is the beginning of my eighth week at my new job. It feels like I've been there forever on the one hand and not long at all on the other hand. And I have got to find some equilibrium and balance in my life again, no matter how much work is dropping on my lap on a minute by minute basis.

Last week was my final involvement with my old job. I am just relieved to be done. I offered to help out in limited ways for about 6 weeks, but it was pretty frying for me because of adjusting to the new job and the holidays!! Anyway, I'm done. And I survived. Whew! Another step toward getting my life back.

Here's what happened so far this week:

Monday - work 12 hours. Get home late. Visit with my dad who stopped by for some paperwork and to deliver my awesome Christmas gift - a portable table saw!!!! So excited!

Tuesday - work 10 hours. Leave work only 45 minutes later than I intended (I was in a meeting). Arrive home, help homie shovel the drive, make dinner, have dinner with homie and her bf. Wait for friend to come fix computer (I blame the snow). Bake like a fiend. Get to bed at a reasonable hours.

See??? Progress!! Hooray! And I've got social plans Weds and Thurs... so I've got to leave work at set times.

Not to mention I had a good talk with my boss last week, just about my need to find some way to get everything done while being interrupted every 2 minutes. I think it sunk in, and though nothing has really changed, he is aware of how much more work people are trying to drop on me / involve me in, and he's better about asking before interrupting. Like I said, progress.

Things are good. I love my job. And look, I'm even making progress towards getting my life back!

Since I was last here...

Work continues to be good but insanely busy, especially with all the end of the year billing / tax credit / scheduling work craze. It has been difficult to find uninterrupted time to work on some of the clean up I need to do. One day at a time. I love it, but I'm exhausted. And I'm ready to find that balance in life again. I'm just not cut out for working 50-60 hours a week, especially during this very busy time of the year! We got Christmas eve and New Year's eve off, though I still went in to work for half a day on New Year's eve, just to get some of that uninterupted time. Anyway, things are good but I'm still not quite transitioned past the exhaustion just yet. Almost there...

Christmas!! Having a few Scrooges in my family makes me realize just how much I do love Christmas and all that surrounds it. The exhaustion factor this year made me slightly more wary of all the activity, but only because I am tired and have less reserves with which to handle the numerous events with huge crowds - no matter how fun they are. It has been a great Christmas, tiring to be sure, but wonderful. I love the reality of what we are celebrating- God becoming Man. Mmmmm. And I love the traditions, the celebrations, the gifts, the family, all of it.

We are mostly through the Christmas marathon- Christmas eve Mass. Christmas morning I slept late and was home with the dogs and one of the homies for awhile. Christmas dinner with my immediate family (missing the far away siblings and their families). The day after Christmas with the extended Cous crowd - always a blast! The housemates on Tuesday night. And my mom's extended family on Thursday. All that's left is Epiphany (when my parents give us our gifts from them) and we're putting that off a week. And then Owen's and Suzie's birthday (Jan 5th) which we'll also celebrate next weekend most likely.

New Year's eve was a small and fun affair with some friends. I managed to stay awake until 12:30 (greatly helped by the fact that we were playing games until just about midnight). Then we moved to the couches, toasted the new year, then there was a movie on so I snuggled under a blanket and fell asleep, managing to doze for awhile and then listen in on conversations in a tired haze for the next while. Good times. Welcome 2011.

I don't have New Year's resolutions yet. That's just too much on top of everything else. And as of today I'm getting sick-- so I'm drinking copious amounts of fluids, EmergenC, and spent a lot of today just chilling and doing some laundry. Some day I may get around to resolutions, right now I want to survive the rest of this job transition and work on balance in my life. That's all I got so far folks.

Happy 2011!

One of those days...

Today I laughed until I cried at work over the ridiculousness of the past week. Without giving incriminating details, I will try to share the mirth:

Tuesday was rough-- The crazy bookkeeper was in, not answering my questions, not making any sense, ugh. Then the accounting meeting, which was really really intense... not a good intense, like the partners at odds with each other intense over some really awful accounting errors made by crazy bookkeeper. Oh boy. I actually thought the most upset party handled it admirably (thought it would be worse really) and was glad it wasn't my accounting screw up- though it is my mess to help sort out now. Anyway, it was tense. Everything was tense. Then I had to return a dozen calls and head out for a relaxation massage with my sister in law. Awesome. She commented that I was tight. And I was.

I should interject here that in spite of a crazy intense week, working 60 hours a week, feeling like I may be going nuts there's so much to do... I leave work happy. Peaceful. Feeling like I am doing what I'm good at, solving problems, figuring things out, making progress... beautiful! So it is completely nuts, but still goood. It is so good to like my job. Soooo. good.

Anyway, Wednesday morning was no better. It is our busiest month of the year, the calls, emails, paperwork is endless. L was in working with me in the office, we were attempting to make progress and really just scheduling more work and putting out some fires. Mid-morning, the woman from the office we share comes in and says to L, "Is that your car?" Pointing out the window. We rush out. And here it is, the story of the week...

So this woman was at the building next door and got into a car accident up there. All the driveways slope downward into the parking lots and buildings. So she was up a hill, on the street, and apparently had finished dealing with that accident and went to turn around in the parking lot next door. Somehow her door wasn't all the way closed... she leaned on it and half fell out of the car, running herself over with her own car somehow (I think maybe just her foot). Then the car continues down the hill, smashing into L's parked car, making it swerve up onto the curb, and smashing it into the other parked car next to it.

Did you read that?? The woman half falls out of her car, runs herself over, is kind of hanging out of the car while it rolls down the hill and smashes two other cars. All with her grandkids in the backseat. L and I run out there and the woman is hysterical. Completely hysterical. L handles it beautifully, telling the lady not to worry, so long as no one is hurt, things will be fine. Then L comes over to me and breaks down crying on my shoulder. Oh boy. The police and fire department came. Insurance information was exchanged. Hysterical woman calmed down and was unhurt by the whole bizzare incident. The rest of the day L spent dealing with car details, while I continued putting out fires and working my way through the day.

For some reason every single this story was retold, it got funnier. Today L was telling it again (probably my 7th time around) and it just was unbelieveably awesome. I laughed so hard I was in tears. Feeling bad for laughing, but seriously! How freaking hilarious!! (Funnier because no one was actually hurt- although the cars were smashed). And a little disappointed that this happened right outside my window and I only saw the aftermath. Sigh.

Anyway, I hope you have something ridiculous to amuse you today.