So it's T-minus 44 days or so until I depart on my employer-granted eight-week sabbatical. Sounds lovely, but after 8.5 years of some really intense work, surviving layoff rounds (including one layoff from which I was pulled back), some truly toxic interpersonal situations and horrible corporate politics, I feel like I'm clawing my way toward the light. Definitely need a break, bigtime. And then there's the matter of me finally doing work right now that I really enjoy, which is not always the case. I almost don't want to leave - will the fun stuff still be there when I return?
But - it is a job. It's a really good one most of the time, and I'm so aware of so many friends and neighbors who don't have that luxury.
Please pause for station identification:
WYFP is our community's Saturday evening gathering to talk about our problems, empathize with one another, and share advice, pootie pictures, favorite adult beverages, and anything else that we think might help. Everyone and all sorts of troubles are welcome. May we find peace and healing here. Won't you please share the joy of WYFP by recommending?
I know I need this time off. I'm mentally, emotionally, and spiritually burnt out. But first - I need to get through the next 44 days. Let's see... where to begin?
Kid Pax's going through a rough patch at school and with friends. Need to sort that out and evaluate whether some changes need to happen around school, after school care, or...? Also need to be more proactive about playdates; my introvert self doesn't find that all so easy at all, but it's gotta happen.
There's a mountain of work I need to get done so the person covering me at work won't be left with disasters on his hands. He leaves on his sabbatical right before I'm back, and payback could really be a bitch.
Then there's the lovely nastygram from the IRS yelling at me for not filing taxes in 2002 (wrong - I did file) and demanding $12,000 (ha ha ha) - which must be from the "take just about everything you made and send it to us" department. Thank goodness for Oregon income taxes; I had to file my 1040 with them, and I can get a copy of it from them, too. Just have to make a phone call, but even that's seemed like too much sometimes.
My ballot arrived. For once, I am NOT going to be voting at the last minute and rushing it to a dropoff point. Kid Pax and I will walk through it a little later this evening, and I'll mail it tomorrow. Yeah, it's exciting that Oregon's votes count for once, but right now I just want the primaries to be over. (C'mon Oregon! Let's end this!)
There's a new computer at My Little Parish(TM) - running Microsoft Vista. I need to do file migration and set it up as a server.
I have two or three "micro-trips" to make for work between now and the end of May. Good stuff, but time away from the kid that's just hard right now.
I just finished writing an article that was published last week for an internal corporate communications site. Now I have one more to write next week. Fun stuff, good audience, but it's hard to find time and energy to write the rest of what I want to be writing right now. (Or even a WYFP that's more than a ramble. Hm...)
And speaking of this little WYFP? task - it looked pretty foreboding when I started it thirty minutes ago. Just Another Thing To Do.
So many things to do, and a near-guarantee that none will be done very well. Story of my spring, I guess.
At least the most important details are taken care of, though.
The girls will be heading back up to spend the time with my aunt & uncle, in whose critical care kitten rescue they were clinging to live a year ago. My furry little anti-burnout devices will be welcomed back with open arms while I'm traveling this summer, and returned to me upon my return in August.
So those are MFPs tonight, random and inchoate though they may be. Nothing too huge, but all piled together they make a pretty yucky hairball. So - how 'bout you? Pull up the beverage of your choice, dig up a pootie or puppy pic, and let us know, What's your fucking problem?