When will this out-of-control merry-go-round ride end???

Okay, so I can be a little dramatic at times. But this is the first time I have gone over a week without blogging and its all because of this often hectic, usually crazy life of mine. I'm sorry to this blog's readers (both of you) who've been wondering what's up with me.

As I mentioned before, my job is always busy and frequently stressful. The small, independently owned company I used to work for was purchased several months ago by another small company that was bigger than us. You know who won that game. Since then I have been given more and more things to do in what seems like less and less time. I often work right through lunch. Sometimes I run out to grab a quick bite at the absolute best McDonald's in the world. I'm telling you these people know how to run a fast food restaurant! Other times a sympathetic colleague will offer to pick me up some lunch while they're out, as they did yesterday and today.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. In an email exchange with my new boss, I lamented that I really wanted to be able to contribute to shared goals and projects within their timelines, but that my ever-increasing workload often caused me to struggle to get them submitted just under the wire. This lead to a conversation in which I shared a bulleted summary of my current responsibilities and offered suggestions for transitioning tasks that were not directly related to my job title and description. My new boss agreed with all of my recommendations and at a big manager's meeting submitted the tasks to be transitioned to the directors of the groups who would logically receive the tasks. Those directors agreed that the tasks belonged in their groups, so my plan was approved. I felt both relieved and validated at the same time.

Now comes the hard part: finding the time to be away from my office to train the people who will be receiving the work. They want me to go to Richmond for a week. Yuck. The 'main' office is in Richmond, and unfortunately most of the people who work there are from Richmond, which means they are used to a different culture than me. They send emails without using spell-check. They still wear stirrup pants and big shirts to work. On 'casual Fridays' they wear jeans with a T-shirt that reads "My friend went to Mexico and all I got was this lousy T-shirt". Need I go on? I thought not.

But, in order to accomplish the original task of transitioning the work to them, I must go and be among them. For five f*cking days. (Sigh.) This too shall pass.