Finally! Something Remotely Resembling Having a Life

It is done!  Went in and got down to it with my to-do list.  Took a break from budget madness for a bit to tidy up my desk and office.  Still had birthday celebration decor up and cards everywhere (it was a very nice day) and my desk looked like a freight train filled with paper overturned and left 20 carloads of pages in every color of the rainbow.  (I always start out attempting to color-code things as I go so I know what is what - but in the end, it's usually a mad-dash and I just use whatever paper I have.  Organization goes out the window and I just start printing section by section, draft after draft.  Fine tuning assumptions as I go - thinking things through more as my head clears.  Double checking things as fast as I can.

I am a fastidious recycler and had pretty much used up all the 'scrap' paper I had.  I run things through my printer both sides so I don't use brand new paper for the zillions of 'drafts' this report takes.  I got a ream of paper and filled my printer and did one final check.  Thank goodness for the break I gave myself - 'cuz I found a bunch of 'mistakes' that required fixing.  I get to the point when I think it's done; it's 'fine' and I'm ready to move on - and moving on too quickly may result in things that are hard to explain. There are gazillions of moving parts in putting together a school budget and it's a lot to keep up with throughout the process.  Add to that the changes the State made to our funding - this has been a doozy of a year.

Made the changes; printed the massive report on clean, never-used-before paper and headed home.  Azalea plant (a birthday gift from my boss) in tow.

Just took a dip in the pool with J. and am now enjoying a margarita!  Had to turn off the room fan 'cuz with a wet swimsuit on, it's kind of chilly.  This is the first 'down time' I've had in ages.

Next weekend, on what is my first weekend off in weeks and weeks, I head to Jackson for a few days.  I warned J. I plan to order a ton of room service.  The room is free.  So eating in my room will probably save us a fortune in gambling.  I've got plenty to read; plenty to watch; movies to see; naps to catch up on and enough 'fun money' in my pocket to enjoy a nice weekend of quiet, solitude and not being responsible for a damn thing.

I can't wait!