The toll of two months of 50+ hour work weeks have finally crashed around my ears. I worked Memorial Day with the idea that it would help make the rest of the week more bearable. It didn't. This week was unbearable. Every night, I got home after 9 with barely enough energy to have dinner before I went to bed. I wound up hurting my knee somehow walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
On the up side, Super Boss and I were able to test and implement three salary plans this week. Two plans were just adjusted but the third was created from scratch. That hasn't happened in over a decade!
One night, Super Boss suggested that I look out the window to the hotel of the endless parade of naked people in front of windows. I laughed and said no. He insisted a small child was learning to walk. I gave him a "Really?" look and told him I am not that gullible (even though I totally am and he knows it). It was a good laugh and extra funny if you could hear what we were saying out of context.
Thursday wound up being a weepy day. The day started so well with Super Boss saying that he was really happy that I am a part of the team and that it is a comfort to him. I just thought hearing a sad song in the morning in my office made me misty. That just set up a theme. In the afternoon I had an hour long difficult phone call with an employee where I had to apologize over and over for the mistake from Fuck Up Former Analyst. For years employees have not paid for certain benefits and now that I'm fixing processes, they are getting bills. This employee completely tore into me. Super Boss must have heard a portion of the call because after I hung up, he came into my office shaking his head "Wow, how has your day been?" I dissolved into tears. He helped by pointing out that all my hard work is definitely showing positive results for the company.
Friday was Super Boss' weepy day. He had worked until 10 Thursday night and was in at 7 Friday. Friday was my flip the fuck out day. It all started with a mass email thanking me and HR Chief for all our hard work on employee reconciliations. HR Chief is not at all involved or has done anything. It is just me every month cleaning up years of mistakes for hundreds of employees. That put me in a mood. Super Boss sauntered into my office thinking the email was a good joke. I did my flat voice thing saying,"No it's just me" and then I listed in a not so calm manner all the other projects that are just me. This is not news to Super Boss - it's just the two of us. His shoulders drooped with everything I listed and he asked, "How can I help?" I threw up my hands and said "Hire somebody". He changed tactics by asking "What can I do?" I didn't have any idea so he left me to mull it over. I sat in my office for a couple hours listening to classical music, thinking and working when it finally hit me. I went to Super Boss' office and asked, "So, when you told me that you were worried that I will burn myself out, did you mean that?" He told me about his burn out last year and he got so choked up, he needed to switch topics. He totally gets it because we're basically the same in work ethic and crazy need for perfection or a check mark. As I said in his office, we just need a "Toe hold".
The end of June will be the same level of madness but at least we have a couple weeks to recover and recharge. I am taking a vacation day June 26 for a cookout in Western MA. I'm also seeing TJ Miller June 17 and Eddie Izzard in August. Scheduling in fun is key to have something to look forward to.
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