Achy Breaky Back

I slept wrong last night and have a huge 'ache' below the shoulder blade on my right side.  Only hurts when I move....so I've been practically robotic all day staying as still as I can.  Pretty challenging considering that my days right now are juggling so many things, I barely keep it all together.  If success is measured by the number of people who have come to rely on my counsel, level headed-ness and general knowledge of (seemingly) all things, then I've reached the apex of my career.  I've even considering locking myself in my office - which sounded perfect - until I remember that the number one interrupting offender (my boss) has the same master key I do so...he will get in.  Though at least the last couple days, he's entered somewhat sheepishly as he realizes that my workload is crushing me and it's all his fault.

We started negotiations in late April and we are finishing now - while I'm simultaneously building a budget and putting together estimated actuals.  More guesstimated actuals but it's still supposed to be a projection of where this year's finances will end up.  Then that ending balance feeds into your next year budget - and viola!  You are supposed to estimate the actuals well so you are as close as you can be on your next year projected start balance.  I only have three more weekends between now and the 'drop dead' date for this massive undertaking - and as we are close to settling with our teachers, it's looking like a lot is about to change in terms of projections - for both this year and next.  It feels great to have the negotiations ending successfully - and I wish more than words can say that I could write it all down because we came perilously close to ending up in impasse - but we dodged that bullet and it looks like we're going to be OK.  Fingers crossed.  (Definition: in the negotiation process, impasse is when both parties have agreed they cannot come to an agreement and require a mediator.  It's not something you want to do ever - but it's what our process provides for if both sides are 'at that point'. And we were...pretty darn close to that point....but we worked it all out, thank goodness).

My boss realizes that our very late start has impacted me ginormously - during what is undoubtedly the hardest, longest haul each year - in a career and years that are full of ginormously hard things that require doing.  Ten years of this has at least made me pretty darn good at it all - so I know I will get it all done as I always have....but the past couple of days, as the stream of people flow in and out and I put on my 'can-do' face, I think 'geez, people...leave me the heck alone for a couple days'.

I had a nice day of escape last week - had a workshop in Sacramento on Thursday morning and went to Thunder Valley for Thursday night and Friday.  Didn't win but enjoyed three Blue Moons in the comfort of the casino then had a great night's sleep.  The next day, I decided to take a back roads trip through beautiful country to get to a different casino.  My car's nav system insisted on keeping me on the concrete jungle freeways until I finally (FINALLY, thanks to the help of my very patient husband) convinced her that I DID NOT WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE and ended up on many long and windy roads.  Passed through many little towns (Angel Camp was one) and got to experience the county fair in Angel Camp on the annual Jumping Frog Contest weekend.  It was a fun ride and I kept thinking 'J. should be with me - it would be even more fun if J. were here'.

Arrived at the casino and guess what?  All the computers were down.  So the free play they enticed me with to get me there?  Couldn't play it.  Could put $ in the machine but the electronic ticket that it spit out if I cashed out?  Couldn't be used in another machine.  A couple hours post arrival, I went to the cashier and turned in all my tickets ($55 - big spender, huh?) and then the computers finally came back up - and I played..and didn't win hugely but recovered a little - and then I headed home.  It was a nice day of fun -

And then the weekend was work.  More work.

Tomorrow, I am drawing my office window blind and closing the door.  I've never, ever done those things because I think it's part of my job to be available - but tomorrow, I am decidedly not available. I can't make progress with constant interruptions....starting and stopping over and over is exhausting and leads to redoing things that I need to confirm I finished.