A Time of Thanks

In this season of Thanksgiving I have been thinking about all I have to be thankful for. First and foremost I am thankful for my family. I have a husband who loves me and 2 fabulous children. Both of the children have married wonderful, loving, caring people. I also have 2 wonderful grandchildren who are the absolute love of my life! Then there is our extended family. There are so many families that don't get along, but this family is so incredibly close. They love me unconditionally for who I am and not what I am.

I also have good health. Over the years I have heard the quote "well, at least you have your health". It means more to me every year. Every time I hear about someone who has been diagnosed with a disease or has had a heart attack or stroke, I think about how lucky I am to be healthy.

I am so thankful for my friends. They are always there for me - to pick me up when I am down and celebrate with me when I do well. they always bring me back to center.I have the best friends and I love them!

There are also many other "things" in my life that I am thankful for . . . . . . a good job, a warm, cozy house, food on the table and clothes on my back. Some days we overlook all of these blessings. We tend to focus on the things we don't have or what ever is going on in our life that test us or don't go the way we think it should.

God has been so good to me. I give him all of the credit. I am sooooo blessed!

Another Day Off

Today is the last day of my days off. It makes me sad. I have gotten a lot done, but not everything I wanted to do. I could really get used to this being at home thing. If it weren't for the little issue of needing the income. It's not that I hate my job neccessarily, I am just tired of the drama and stress of my job. Banking is a very stressful profession.

I love being cacooned here in my little house. (Sometimes I wonder if I am a little "agoraphobic") But it makes me feel safe and happy. All of my "stuff" is around me. When I see other people's large beautiful homes, I feel a little jealous. I have thoughts like "why can't I afford a house like that"? Then I remember - it is just a house. I have everything I need here. Plus our kids live close and that is probably the most important thing.

Anyway, I have to remember my 6 year plan. If I work 6 more years, I will be able to access my 401k plan for income, the house will be paid off, we will likely buy a different car and that will also be paid off. The only issue at that point will be insurance. If we go with a high deductible policy, I think we could make it until I/we are eligible for medicare. It will all depend on what happens with the markets. Right now I am bullish on the markets going forward so I am quite aggressive with my 401k plan.

Okay, back to enjoying my last day off. My quilting is calling me.

Another Day Another Dollar

Oh, what a day. Today I took the VIP group to Larchwood Iowa to the new casino. It was a nice day and a nice trip. It was also my last official trip in control of the VIP Club. It was both a great feeling and a little nastalgia. I have done VIP Club for 14 years. I have been feeling very burned out after that amount of time. I felt like it was time for young blood with new ideas.

When I got back to the office I had a meeting with my boss and his boss. It wasn't a bad meeting. More like a plan for the new year. What ever responsibilities I got rid of with VIP Club, just got added more on to it - only in a different way. Now I have to figure out how to accomplish this new responsibility. It really wasn't a promotion - not really anyway. More of a lateral move with a little upward momentum.

I also have to figure out how to get 10 more vacation days in before the end of the year. I can take a few days next week, but then the following week is crazy busy. And I know that any time I take time back, it takes me days to get caught up again. For the most part nobody does my stuff when I am gone, I just do it when I get back. I am looking really forward to some days off though. Maybe I can some of those things done that didn't get done on my last couple of days off.

Back to Work

Well, my days of being on vacation are done. I got a lot done while I was at home though. The fridge and freezer are clean and organized. The closet in our bedroom is clean and organized - I purged a lot of old clothes I haven't worn for awhile. I got bathrooms cleaned, floors scrubbed and laundry caught up on. I even found time to make Lauren a Halloween costume! It was very healing just to be away from the office for awhile.

It was back to work this morning. I was a little stressed about getting caught up again, and then my boss called in sick! More stress! I will probably be there late today trying to get the essential things caught up on as I will be gone again tomorrow. This time I will be at an all day meeting out of town. Always something!!!!!

A Little Less Stress

Well, the Deadwood trip is done. It went very well!!!! Many of the comment sheets have come back and it appears everyone had a great time. That makes me feel like all the stress was worth it. I went back to work for one day - today. i tried to get caught up on the piles on my desk and the 50 emails that were waiting for me. I think after 11 hours I got most of it done. Now I have 4 days off. Ahhhhhh it feels good. I am going to clean house, organize closets, clean out the freezer and few other wonderfully exciting things. It will be great just to get away from the office for awhile. Actually I am rather excited about cleaning and reorganizing! Imagine that!! I just feel like I don't have enough time at home. so now when I do have time at home, I am really going to relish it.

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.