LIfe is Stressful

This time of the year is very stressful. Management likes to have us do everything this time of year. Performance reviews were due to management yesterday for review before we do them with the staff. Our tactical plan is also due right now. It is the end of the quarter so all of my monthly and quarterly reports are due by Wednesday. And to top it off, the VIP Club person in Fulda scheduled our travel show for Tuesday and then decided to schedule her doctor's appointment for that day. I am suppose to handle it for her. I am not even suppose to be a VIP Club rep anymore!!! Well, the performance reviews are done, the tactical plan is nearly done, and I have some of the work done on my reports. Calgon take me away!!!!! I will be so glad when next week is over. I don't like to wish my life away, but when I am under a lot of stress like this, I don't sleep at night. Last night I slept okay until about 2:30 - then I was wide awake! I end up coming out and laying on the couch and watching TV until I can turn my brain off. Well, after Wednesday I should be able to sleep. Then the week after that I have to take the VIP group out to Deadwood. I wasn't suppose to have to do this trip, but the person we hired to take over VIP Club quit already! We just hired someone new, but she just started, so it isn't fair to send her out on a 4 day trip right now.

Speaking of performance reviews, I wonder how mine will turn out. I am curious as to what they are going to say on mine. I'm not nervous, just curious. I have worked my a@@ off since the merger nearly 2 years ago. I hope they recognize how hard I have worked since then! Oh well . . .

After the Deadwood trip I finally get to take some time off. I get back from Deadwood on a Friday, work Saturday and Monday then I am taking 4 days off. I have so much planned for that time off. Cleaning, purging, etc. I hope I can get it all done. I probably won't though. I will probably do stuff with friends and the grandbabies. I guess that is more important anyway. Cleaning house etc can wait. Counting the days until I can sleep.

I think my SAD is kicking in again. The last 2 days have been very cloudy and cool. So today I am feeling kind of down and depressed. It might be a reaction to everything going on around here. This past week has been a blur. Work has been just crazy busy. Trying to get the strategic plan for 2012 done, getting performance reviews done, had 2 days of continuing education and getting ready for an audit. The only thing left is the audit. Whew!!!!! I feel better that most of that stuff is behind me. Once the audit is done, then I have to focus on the Deadwood trip and the casino trip for the VIP club. I wasn't suppose to be doing VIP Club, but the person we hired to take my place with VIP club decided to go back to her old job. So that means VIP Club is back in my lap again. At least until we get someone else up to speed.

We have also been busy outside. It froze on Wednesday night so we decided to clean out most of the garden and cut down the peonies, rhubarb and asparagus. It took most of the afternoon to get that all done. I can't say I am sorry that we got the garden cleaned out. I am so tired of eating beans!!!!!! I am also tired of canning vegetables!!!! They will be very tasty this winter however.

Now I need to get busy quilting. I am still working on the wedding quilt! I hope to get it done this winter. Maybe I can give it to them for their 2nd anniversary!!!!!

Well, I better get the house cleaned. It is a real pit right now. Yipes.

Where did summer go?

I can't believe this weekend it Labor Day weekend already! Where did the summer go? I do love fall, but not so much winter. At least I don't like winters like we had the last 2 years. It does make me appreciate spring and summer though.

I am ready to be done in my garden. I have frozen lots of green beans and corn. I have also canned lots and lots of tomatoes. I have chopped tons of peppers and onions. Now I think it is time to be done. But it will taste wonderful this winter.

The thing I will miss most when summer is over is sitting out on the patio and sitting out by the fire pit. Nothing better than having an adult beverage out on the patio on a Friday or Saturday night.

But with fall comes football. I love going to the high school football games. There is such a sense of excitement, even when it is cold out. It won't be so bad after all.

A great Day Off

The past three weeks have been a blurrrrrrrr. Between catching up on my work and hiring a new employee I have been putting in a lot of hours at the bank. I am still not caught up! I haven't been feeling very well either. I've had a back ache, a headache and feel just yucky! This has been going on for about 2 weeks. I finally went to the doctor yesterdayand I have a bladder infection. I kind of suspected something like that. I originally thought kidney infection because of the backache, but it was just a bladder infection/UTI. Hope I feel better soon. It is even affecting my work. I have been making minor mistakes lately and I hate that.

Today I had the day off. It was fabulous. I slept in until 8:00 and just putzed for awhile. Then I called a friend and we went to Marshall. We had lunch there and hit most of the stores in town looking for a "mother of the groom" small silver purse for another friend. It was a lot of fun. When we got back we went to water aerobics. That was great. I can't get to it most of the time because it starts at 5:15 and I generally don't get home from work until 5:30. :(

Tonight I took all of my tomatoes and skinned them. Tomorrow Randi and I are going to be canning some tomato sauce. That will be delicious this winter!!!!!!!

Weekend

The week is finally over. It was a really long week. Getting back into the swing of things took a couple of days. It was really hectic at work too. Besides everything else I am trying to hire a new teller so I had to do interviews this week.

I think the house is back to normal after Kruse-a-palooza. I have cleaned and scrubbed and washed sheets and put them back on the beds an put away an array of stray things. Now I need to get out in the gardens and weed and pick beans. Maybe tomorrow morning and Sunday. It seems very quiet around here now! I miss everyone so much. On the other hand my brother from Vegas is here now. My nephew gets married tomorrow so he came home for the wedding. That should be a good time tomorrow at the wedding. The reception is at a very swanky place in Marshall.

And now I think it is time for a beverage or two!

4th of July

Well, we are coming to the end of a great weekend. Friday we spent just cleaning house and doing laundry and the boring things that have to be done. Saturday we go up and headed to Marshall to get a few things we can't get here in town. I haven't been out of town shopping in months so it felt really good. Leon is not a good shopper, but he made the best of it. Saturday night Bryan came over and we grilled steaks for supper and sat around the fire pit with a few adult beverages. It was great. We hadn't seen Bryan for quite awhile. Sunday we had church then Travis and the kids stopped for lunch afterward. We grilled hot dogs and the kids loved it. Later in the afternoon a few of our friends came over and again we grilled and had a picnic. Then sat around the fire pit and talked smart. We laughed so hard it brough tears to my eyes!!!! It was so much fun. Today we just putzed. After lunch Leon worked on cleaning out his "man shed" and I weeded gardens. Doesn't seem like much, but it is great therapy for me to just be home doing things I don't have time to do during the week. And now that great weekend is coming to an end. It is sad in a way because I have to go back to work. But on the other hand, we are that much closer to the start of Kruse-a-palooza . . . . . . . . :)

Minnesota Summer

It has been quite a week here. Monday and Tuesday the temps topped 100 degrees. Wednesday and Thursday were cold and rainy. Friday and today were beautiful. I had to work this morning, but when I got home I sure enjoyed the weather. We got the bandwagon out and washed it up since we have a parade next weekend. Then while Leon washed the vehicles, I cleaned house. Then it was time to sit on the patio and enjoy an adult beverage. Yummmm. Tomorrow it will be back outside to weed the gardens. I really don't mind weeding. I like having a reason to be outside. It is those little black gnats that are driving me crazy. They fly in your nose and eyes and even your mouth if it is open. They are really bad this year.

Randi and Travis have settled into there house. We have not been there for a couple of weeks, but the painting is done and most of the boxes were unpacked and things put away. They also had a good start on the deferred maintenance that needed to be done. There are still a few things that need some attention, but now they can take their time.

We haven't seen Denver and Danielle for a couple of weeks either. They have been busy with house warmings and weddings and things like that. Maybe they will come home next weekend for Father's Day. I hope so.

Well, back outside to enjoy some Minnesota Summer!!!!