Stressful Week

This is such a stressful time for me. One of the big projects we are working on right now is strategic planning for next year. This project is so hard on me. I feel the weight of the world on my shoulders during this time. This year is extra hard as they have added a few new catagories to the project. This is also the time of year when they do our performance reviews. I just wish they would do mine. I have heard a couple of comments about my review and it makes me nervous. I don't think there is much more I could have done this past year. I practically lived at the office, especially the first 3 -4 months after the merger. Next we have the fact that I have a ton of account type things to work on! Probably the most I hve ever had to do in one week. That being said, we are going to have one employee gone today and one on Thursday. Yipes!!!! And my last stress for this week is the fact that for some reason they feel the need to do an assessment of how well I know my job. Sometime this week I need to take a test (51 questions) that will gauge how much I know. I am not sure where this is coming from. They don't do a teller assessment or anything - only the FSR's. Can't figure that out. Well, I want to get to the office early so I better get going.

HOliday Weekend

It has been a very quiet holiday weekend! I worked Saturday morning, but that is okay. I got a lot of things done. I got one big project completed and got a lot done on another. Spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning house. It really needed it too. I had not had a chance to clean for a couple of weeks. The floors were really dirty and so was the bathroom. Saturday evening we spent on the patio. The weather was perfect. A nice night to just enjoy the end of a Minnesota summer.

Yesterday we took Millie to church. It didn't go too bad. She got around better than I thought she would. After lunch I spent time working in the gardens. PIcked tomatoes and beans. There were actually enough beans to can another batch. I think I have canned 60 - 70 pints of beans so far! NO MORE!!!!!! I also refuse to can any more tomaotes. What ever we pick from now until the first freeze is only for fresh eating. Last night we spent on the patio again. The weather was perfect, but the bugs drove me in around 9:00.

Today was cool and it rained off and on all day. Since I couldn't be outside, I spent the day with my sewing machine working on the wedding quilt. I was nice to cacoon myself in my sewing room. I kind of feel relaxed and refreshed. But on the other hand, I haven't had any outside contact with people so I feel lonesome.

Well, I suppose I better get some stuff done to be ready to go back to work tomorrow. I need to get my outfit picked out and pressed, some laundry done and some snack foods picked out. Not really looking forward to going back to work. It is going to be really wild. We are always busy on the day after a Monday holiday. Put that together with having 2 employees gone - let's just say it has potential for a very long day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, today is the last day of the county fair. That is always a relief for me. We always have so much to do for the fair that we don't get to enjoy it too much. Leon is at the races with the fire truck so I am home by myself. I don't mind though. I enjoy being home alone sometimes. I get to do what I want and watch whatever I want on TV. I have enough to keep me busy that is for sure. I have the bathrooms cleaned and floors scrubbed. I have one more load of laundry to do and a report to do for work. Then I am going to enjoy some time on the patio.

Thursday night Randi, Travis and the kids are coming home. Yay! I haven't seen them since Kruse-a-palooza. They are only staying a couple of days, but at least I will be able to see them. Then the end of September we are going to head out there the kid's birthdays. I am really looking forward to that!!!!!! It will be nice to get away from work and actually relax. Between now and then I have a ton of stuff to get done at work though. I have 2 big projects that need to be done - one by the end of the month and one by September 12th.

Well, I have a date with a mojito!!!!!

I need some sleep!

Well, as good as it was to be on vacation, it is now back to the real world. The last couple of weeks since vacation was over has been incredibly busy!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know why, but at work it is like the dam burst. The customers are coming out of the woodwork! I just can't get caught up! And there are a couple of other things going on as well. It is incredibly busy at home as well. The yard needs tending to, the cleaning needs to be done, I need to get beans canned, and I seem to have meetings all the time. That feeling of drowning is coming back. I didn't sleep last night. This seems to happen every time I feel too stressed. I took a "Simply Sleep" a few minutes ago so I hope I can sleep tonight. I think after next week I will feel better. Some of the issues I have at work should be worked out by then. I sure hope so anyway. Our parade season and the county fair should be over as well. I just need some down time. Some time to spend with a cocktail out on the patio. I spent a few minutes out there last Saturday, but it wasn't nearly enough. Maybe I will have to invite friends over and have a bonfire on Saturday. Maybe that will help "the altitude of my attitude".

Kruse-a-palooza 2010

Well, another edition of Kruse-a-palooza is in the books. Starting with the wedding which was incredibly fun!!!!!! Everything was perfect!!!! The rest of the week was a lot of fun as well. At least I hope everyone had as much fun as I did. Lots of good food, beer, fun things to do, and most importantly getting to see all the people I love. Even though I had a ton of fun, it is nice to have my house back. Curt and Andrew stayed and spent the morning helping us take down the tent, put things away, clean the house and all the stuff that goes with the after math of Kruse-a-palooza. I took us about 2 1/2 hours to do what it normally takes us 2 days to do. I am now very lonesome. It is very quiet around here. I miss everyone so much. I am not really looking forward to going back to work on Monday either.

Wedding

Well, last weekend was all about the engagement party. The weatherman said we could have rain, so we set everything up in the garage. Boy was it a good thing we did. We had 2 inches of rain during the time of the party. It was a very nice party, but we didn't get to do a lot of the things we wanted to. We didn't get to do the fire pit or bean bag toss or anything like that.

And now on to the wedding. I work the rest of this week and then I am off for 2 weeks!!!!! Next week will be all about the wedding. Getting food ready, working on the quilt, helping get Danielle's sister's yard set up with tables and tents, etc. I am so anxious for this wedding to happen. It is going to be fun, fun, fun.

And then it will be all about Kruse-a-palooza! Getting bedding ready, figuring out sleeping arangements, stocking up on food. Figuring out what we are going to be doing every day. Whew, I am tired just thinking about all this. But it is going to be soooooooo fun!

Busy Days

Well, another busy weekend just went by. I had to work on Saturday. I don't really mind working Saturdays. Since the lobby isn't open, I can get a lot of stuff done. I got almost caught up on a lot of little things that have been sitting on my desk. Then Saturday afternoon we got started cleaning and doing laundry. I did my weekly cleaning around the house and weeded a little bit in the gardens. Saturday night we had some friends over and lit the fire pit. That was very nice. It felt good to relax and laugh a lot. Sunday was the power day. We cleaned the garage for the the engagement party. Put everything away, threw a lot of stuff, and scrubbed down the work bench and floor. Once that was done, we started the patio. We put up a ceiling fan out there that Randi and Travis gave us and then put rope lights up around the ceiling. It was also Father's Day so Denver came to visit and bring Leon his gift. He stayed for supper too so that was very nice. The only down side was that Danielle couldn't come. She was on call and had to stay in Brookings. Monday was a continuation of the cleaning blitz. All the little things that we don't mind living with, but you know you need to do if you are going to have company. Last night was band practice. It was so hot that the sweat was just running down my back. Tonight will be another night of preparations. Probably mowing, spraying the lawn and patio for mosquitoes and more weeding. Thursday is our concert. Then Friday Leon will have his regular treck to the races with the fire truck. Saturday we have a parade in Pipestone in the morning, then the party is Saturday night. Yipes. So much to do, so little time before the party starts. I better get busy.