Grumpy

Sorry for the lack of posting this week.  I either just haven't gotten to it or just haven't felt like it.  I still don't feel like it, but can't let an entire week pass with only one post.

I went to bed grumpy last night and woke up even more so this morning.  You're just not going to get your normal Happy Addey post.  Sorry about that, but that's the way the world stands at the moment.

Anyhow, Monday was about as good as a Monday can be.  No major drama.  Just work, work and more work.  And the promise of having Tuesday off.  Boo was good for Gramma Sue, but has started crying every time he's done either nursing or having a bottle.

Tuesday was a good day.  A very good day.  I had off and got to play with Boo all day.  The morning was pretty laid back, other than Boo being both hungry and not wanting to nurse or take a bottle.  This really makes me think he's getting teeth, even if I'm not 100% sure I can see or feel them.  (Of course, if I stick my finger in his mouth I immediately get licked, so therefore, I have to wait until he's screaming to get a good look...)  His middle finger on his right hand is getting very red and sore looking from all the biting he's been doing on it.  Of course, I can't get him to chew on anything else that wouldn't hurt.  Oh well.  (I really did feel that yesterday's For Better or For Worse really was talking about Boo, not Farley.)

Anyhow, Tuesday afternoon we had a bit of an adventure.  We went down to the Nature Center!  Yep, I finally got my boy down to the center.  We got to say hi to several people I've known for ages and worked with.  It was great to see them all.  It was a little chilly and by the time we got finished talking with people, Boo was too tired to go on a walk.  (That, and knowing me, I'd choose the hardest trail to take his stroller down.... although, it would have been nice to go over to the pond, which is easy.)

After the Nature Center we stopped by at GrammaSue and PopPop's framing gallery.  I wasn't planning on stopping there long.  Long enough to say hi, give Boo a snack and then be on our way again. (I didn't have a bottle with me because I wasn't planning on going down... but he fell asleep after dropping Gak off at work... so....)   Well, instead, Boo spent a good hour or so hanging with his PopPop.  He did eventually get that snack he was wanting and we did eventually leave when he started crying because it was nap time.   But it was a good day and a wonderful visit.  I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Boo is doing very well with the solids thing.  He's gradually eaten more over the last few days.  He seems to like the rice cereal, and it's not bad, mostly just flavorless until you add milk.  (Of course, I had a better version for breakfast yesterday... home made rice pudding!)  Probably tomorrow after his doctor's appointment (5.5 months already!) we'll try giving him some applesauce or sweet potatoes and see how he likes that.  In my last post Aunt Flauta gave me some interesting links.  I've got to think about it a bit.  I know people are of mixed minds of those mesh bag feeder things, but I think they're OK.  I mean, it will help him understand the concept of biting (or gumming) off pieces, but won't let him get too big a piece.  Hopefully I'll remember to pick one up by Thanksgiving and then he can try real sweet potatoes.  Or at least gnaw on a baked one himself, cooled down of course.

Anyhow, since things at home are going swimmingly, I can only guess that it's work that's put me into this foul mood.  And, I know at least part of that is right.

Here it is, almost 2 weeks after the reporting period ended and we're still up to our eyeballs in work.  Here's the raw numbers, or as close as I have them.  There are 11 people in the department.  One of them is our manager, two of them have been here only 4 months or so, one of them is more of an administrative person than a tech and one works remotely and is transitioning to a project engineer anyhow.  So, that's the composition of the work force.  A few days before the reporting month started, there were 180-190 work orders spread out amongst us.  I had about 15 or so, which was a low number but I've also got the training to manage.  My friend Bill had a majority of about 50, but some of those he was to spread to us who have regulatory knowledge.  He gets assigned them all and then is supposed to "share the wealth", which he often doesn't do.  As of yesterday, we were at well over 300 work orders.  I'm up to about 30 myself, which is about right if you evenly divide things.  Bill, on the other hand, has over 90!  About 1/5 to 2/3 of mine are regulatory related.  I'm working my tail off (admittedly, not very well some days) trying to keep my head above water with the training things that I'd been putting off for a month and getting the regulatory crap out the door and done correctly without bothering Bill as much as possible.  Then, one of the guys who's been here 3 years now, an been doing some of this regulatory work for over 2 is asking Bill stupid questions about something from a site that isn't in the position of having to resubmit their reports to the EPA.  And it's not like they're questions that he couldn't have answered himself by reading the stupid error report he was sent.  I mean, it says right there, one hour with missing or bad X with the first (and in this case only) occurrence at mm/dd/yy hh.  I mean, how much clearer do you want it buddy??  It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that you go to the data for that hour and see what's going on.  And it isn't like the report failed, it was an informational error!  Meanwhile, I've got at least 2 sites and at least 4 units that have to resubmit their reports because of things that are yelling at me and aren't so straight forward.  (One had a test saved for the wrong unit and a typo in the test itself, two have records that look to be entered right but aren't flying and one that I'm still trying to figure out...)  And I've got people yelling at me about stuff for training.

Which do I do first?  Do I make the people who have to make sure the reports are in by Friday so their numbers match for some data the EPA is pulling wait?  Do I push off the people who are wanting training and wanting to pay for training wait?  When do I get to revise the book I need for the December training?

And don't get me started on the two new guys.  I'm about ready to drop kick both of them.

Anyhow, it is now almost 6:15 and I haven't showered yet.  I'm still not any less grumpy, but at least you've seen a glimpse into my little world this week.  If I didn't enjoy parts of this job so much and if the job market wasn't looking so scary, I'd seriously have to consider moving on.  I'd hate doing it to the loyal customers who I've been able to truly help over the years, but for my own sanity... Oh well.  The weekend is coming and I get to spend more time with Boo.  And Gak.

Peace to all and may your good things be great and your troubles few.