Sometimes I know when I've gone too far, committed myself to doing more than I can fit in to what's already on the schedule. This past week was an example of me still trying to do too much, knowing that I'm wearing myself thin in the process.
I moved to a new department at work this past Monday - SNAP, formerly food stamps. It's a nice atmosphere, nice people, but like any new work environment, I'm surveying my surroundings and the personalities. One new co-worker asked if I would not wear perfume anymore because she is basically allergic to all of it. I like to wear perfume, not a gallon of it, but just so there's a detectable note. No more of that, I guess, and only unscented hand lotion from now on. Also, it's odd how this department says how crazy busy they are, and that they can't do this or that because there simply isn't time. One week in and I'm not seeing it. I'm seeing people go for lots of smoke breaks, my neighbor to the right of my cubicle, playing a game on her phone while she sighs over the stacks of work she hasn't done yet. It's the easiest work too compared to the department I transferred from. I keep asking, "Do you need to do this...and do you need to do that?" And my neighbor just looks at me funny, like "No, we would never do that." It's quite funny how some think they are working so hard but really aren't at all and just like to whine that they are.
So anyway, I have to be at work earlier in this new department. I still have to take Aziza to school in the morning, but she doesn't need to get there until 8:30. I need to be at work at 8:00. I'm literally standing at the door at 7:35 saying "Let's go!" but she's still walking around looking for something, I don't know what. She's always looking for her stuff because she never remembers where she puts it. And the kicker is that she will ask me where it is like I took it, was using it, or I hid it from her. Meanwhile, if she does ask me, chances are I find it. It's getting closer to 7:40 and my stress level is rising. Why does she do this? She refuses to take the bus. She must go with me but can never be ready on time, and then I'm arriving late to work during my first week.
By Friday I was just exhausted. However, Aziza let me know she was sleeping at a friend's house, but that would be after I pick up her favorite GF pizza from Kristofer's. And that would have to happen after I shop for items I need to make pasta salad for Saturday's marching band lunch party before championships in Syracuse on Sunday. So I did all of that. Aziza ate her pizza, I drove her to her friend's house, and when I got home, I planned to make the salad after relaxing for just a little - it was Friday night after all. But after about 2-3 glasses of wine, and no dinner, I fell asleep on the couch. I wake to the sounds of my cats, Lizzie and Jasmine, chasing each other through the house. I look at the clock and see it's 2 AM. Clearly not making the salad now. I brush my teeth and realize I'll need to make the salad in the morning.
I get up this morning and it's a little later than I wanted. I need to make coffee, I need to feed the cats, and then I begin to make the salad; cooking the pasta, chopping veggies, cutting cheese into cubes, cutting the salami into strips. While the pasta cooks, I clean the cat litter box, sweep, wash my hands and grab my coffee cup from the bedroom nightstand table ( I watched 10 minutes of the news). I set the coffee down on the dining room table and basically forgot about it while I assembled the salad. Finally, it's done. In the fridge until I need to go pick up Aziza at her friend's house (at the sleepover) and take them both to the marching band events for today. They need to be there at 8:45 am and I need to be at the Binghamton High School by 9:30 to take a state civil service exam. So, I take a shower, I'm dressed, I throw out the garbage, put the pasta salad tray on the dining room table. I'm almost ready to go and as I grab my purse from the table, I fail to see the coffee cup and knock it over - coffee everywhere! Running over the table, spilling onto the carpet, and I'm scrambling to get whatever paper and books are on the table so they don't get ruined. It's now 8:40 and my phone is ringing. It's Aziza asking me if I'm coming and when am I leaving? I explain what's happening and she says, "Well, we need to be there in 5 minutes." I said, "Well, I guess that's not going to happen, is it?"
Long story short... I think I did really well on the exam!
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