Thursday, February 10, 2022

Thursday Ramble - I work too much


 I have maxed out on the number of vacation and sick leave I can have with my employer, meaning I don't accrue any until I use some.  So I took last Friday off, except that I well I didn't.  My time sheet says I was out sick.  But I woke up very early, like 5 AM, and couldn't get back to sleep, so I spent an hour in bed checking blogs, then got up, turned on the coffee and sat at my desk. 

One of the reasons I couldn't get back to sleep was my brain was focused on a writing project.  Eight years ago I had written a chapter for a book.  The editor emailed recently and asked me if I would be willing to update the chapter for a second edition.  It is a short chapter, about 2,000 words, it was out of date, but within my scope to update without too much research.  I agreed.  My brain was engaged thinking about that commitment (that is not due for 12 weeks.) 

I logged onto my office computer and send the first email at 6:29 AM, then dove into the chapter.  I stuck with it, and it was finished in 5 hours.  Parts of it needed to be entirely rewritten, parts of it didn't.  I added two new paragraphs. It will be sent in 11 weeks early. (I am happy with the update, there was a monumental change in the law the year after it was published, that made about one-third of the 2,005 words out of date.)  

I recently put my office email back on my phone.  I found myself laying on the bed Friday afternoon, sorting out details with finance on a project extension and an invoice that took 12 months to finally arrive that we need to pay (After a year of others being polite, now that it is my responsibility I simply emailed someone and said, send us the paperwork in 10 days, or WE WON'T PAY YOU!) The paperwork was sorted out in two days.  

But there I am working on my "day off."  The office pays me a phone allowance of $40 a month, they can have it, I want my phone back to being my phone, I want my afternoon back on my day off.  What has waited 10 months, can wait until Monday.  A failure to act on behalf of others, should not be a crisis on my day off for me.  

I will be back to counting down the months until I can retire. 17 if I want to push it, 22 most likely. 

15 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I have made good progress this week, but the shit never ends

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  2. I’m glad you’re talking again about your retirement. Don’t work yourself to death in the meantime. A day off is a day OFF!

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    Replies
    1. I need to get out of town, soon

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  3. Awww, poor Sweetie! You even eventually learned to pace yourself and be more reasonable in your previous position, you just need a bit to learn to do so with your new responsibilities. It's a learning curve. You always want to do a good job, and you're hyper-responsible and have new duties your responsible for. Also remember you JUST STARTED. What's the German proverb I periodically quote to you... "All beginnings are hard." Remember to be good and gentle to yourself!

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  4. It's too bad when a "sick" is actually a work day.
    I'd have lost my mind.

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    Replies
    1. maybe I should call in mentally unable to work

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  5. I used to be exactly like this. I'm much better at taking my own time these days.

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  6. After interruptions became so frequent that I couldn't get my own work done, I posted the following sign on my office door and it did the trick:

    "A LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON MY PART"


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    Replies
    1. I need that as my email auto reply

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  7. Please give yourself days off and time away from work. Your brain and soul need it.

    Sassybear
    www.idleeyesandadormy.com

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