Back at Work.

In brief, it sucks.
My reentry into the mid-west has gone fairly smooth. I returned to find my car's battery dead on Sunday night. Mike picked me up and I decided to avoid it for a day...come to find out they will jump your car for FREE at the airport (well, considering the price of parking its not exactly free). And I left my phone charger in Seattle so am awaiting its airmail arrival. Had to go out and get another one. But other than the snags with the car and the phone it was great to get home. I spent the last two days at home with Margaret sick. We slept a lot. And today I feel pretty good. The whole time zone switching has me a bit messed up--I have a hard time getting to sleep at night and an even more difficult time waking in the morning. However, I am sure that too will readjust in the next days.

I had a meeting this morning with my boss and one of my coworkers to start to outlining a new job description for me in the coming year. It went so-so. I felt like the conversation was a three way ping-pong game. First you take the ball, smack it to the guy on the left and then smack it back to the guy on the right. Nothing got resolved to the satisfaction that I wanted. We're having a staff retreat day on Friday and I will have to present more details of what we discussed. In short I think that I will now be responsible for Beloit and Madison in addition to what I already do. I wanted to be in Milwaukee, but it seems that is not in the cards.

Next round: negotiations for money and position in the organization.

I went through the million email that I had, returned some phone calls and am planning my three hour strategic planning meeting tonight. I forgot my diet mt. dew at home so I am sitting at my desk sans caffeine. Bleck. And the weather outside is nasty--snowing, raining, windy...should be a fabulous drive home tonight and then out to Waukesha.

Ok, enough bitching.

On a more holly-jolly note, I officially started my holiday craze yesterday. WAY LATE. But I shopped (finished about a third of gifts), wrapped, wrote out almost 100 cards and addressed them and cleaned and moved furniture in anticipation of the arrival of the tree. My very favorite part about Christmas is the tree (even though I hate actually buying one and schlepping it home, unless we're going to go cut one and then it is fun). I was looking at some of the ornaments last night, being nostalgic, and noticed how truly each ornament has a long story or history attached. I still have my first Christmas ornament, a wooden Christmas soldier. There are the funny clay ornaments that my mother bought at craft fairs in the '80s that have my name painted on them. There are the collection of now at least 20 spun-glass ornaments that my grandmother has purchased over the years. And even though she has 30+ grandchildren, we still look forward to getting the gift of yet another ornament each year. I actually sat there with tears thinking about "the good 'ole days." What a sap I am!! I am hoping to find time this weekend (maybe there's time???) to put the tree up and maybe even the lights. Monday night will be a cookie baking, tree decorating, Christmas music kind of evening....I can't wait. See, I pretend that I am not really into the whole "Holiday Thing," but once I get going....it is so much fun!

Back to work.
Good to be home.