The Underlying Theme

Whether you've been following my blogging for the past few months, or the past few years, you will have probably noticed something - I am one busy bee. But that's how I roll.

When work gets busy, that isn't really by choice. I did, however, choose the career I'm in, knowing it would keep me on my toes. My life outside of work and all that I do, that is 100% my choice! But it often seems that everything happens at once. Like August! I don't where the month has gone and I don't know how I ended up with so much on my plate. Between weddings, sorority life, and dancing August has gone whizzing by and this past week and next week have been and will be beyond insanity.

But, like I said, I choose it. I choose to dance, to volunteer, to be a bridesmaid, to be a friend, to be a wife. My busy, crazy schedule has always been part of who I am. It's one of the ingredients that makes me, me.

As I get older I find that I have slightly less energy and therefore find it slightly more difficult to juggle everything, but I am not about to give up one of the many things I love about myself to age. I've been told time and time again that as you get older it is very important to keep physically and mentally active.

I guess that's why nap time was invented!

Ask for a Millimetre, Take a Mile

I am back and forth about this entry, since it is about work. I usually try to refrain from blogging about work (especially anything negative), but this week has tried my patience.

I am following a new mantra in life: to be less critical/judgemental and to be more positive. I have tried and tried to look at the positive side of what has been expected of me at work this week, but it is very hard when you feel like you are being taken advantage of (even on a very, very small scale).

What I am going to complain about here may seem petty and small. And in the grand scheme of things, it really probably is. But it's the principle.

My director was approached in the spring and was asked if I could cover one or two days at most in front reception in August. Not the whole day, just an hour. I'm not supposed to being covering reception at all; but, for whatever reason, all the people who do normally cover reception all had been granted vacation at the same time. My director said that this one time would be fine. But I'm sure they'll ask again.

The reason I am not happy with this is twofold. They see this 'favour' as only 3 hours of my time. But it is three hours of my week where I cannot get my own work done. I can't access the programs I need, and the things I can bring down with me to work on, well I don't get very far because I am constantly interrupted.

I was told it would be two days maximum. But someone was granted an extra vacation day during the week that everyone else was away. And no one asked me or my director if I could do a third day. They just assumed and scheduled me in.

The other issue came up yesterday, during a week when I am already giving up my own work time to cover others. Again, I question the vacation scheduling. There is a big project that needs to be done this week. The person in charge of this was allowed to take their vacation at this time. Initially, I was simply asked to put an order through for printing. Of course, it wasn't that simple and it began to snowball. What should have taken 10 minutes of my time has taken hours and hours out of my last two days.

I don't want to seem selfish. I don't mind helping others. But I have work and deadlines too. Something that was never once taken into consideration this week.