I am feeling a ridiculous amount of stress right now. I have been trying to get a project completed with a tech support person at our payroll service for the last two weeks. I made a mistake when first sending the info over in not saying "I need it done yesterday". I guess I was working under the assumption that this guy would work the same as other people at his company have for me in the past. I've never even needed to tell them a "timeframe". I send the information, they work on it and it is back to me in a couple of days. No problems.

I sent the whole package over to my normal contact person, and she forwarded the project on to one of the people working under her. The first thing he did was call me and ask when I needed this by. That's where I feel that I dropped the ball completely. I am not used to those type of questions, and silly me, I hate to be an authority figure of any type. My boss was gone that entire week, and he hadn't told me a timeframe either. I remember telling the guy that I wanted it in 2 weeks. Technically, I should have been able to expect this done by this Friday.

My boss came back on Monday, and asked for the status. I talked to me pal at the payroll service, and he told me he hadn't looked at it yet. Not too surprising to me - I can't imagine that it is very difficult to make the changes we need and he thought he had until Friday to complete it. My boss told me this morning to call and find out if we could have it done today. The Tech says to me "From our conversation, I thought I had months and months to work on it." I didn't even know what to say. On Tuesday, he said he would have it done in 2 days. I can't squeeze blood out of a stone; if he can't do it today, he can't do it.

I sit here now almost quaking in fear that my boss is going to call the payroll service and rip this guy a new one. I told my boss that it was my fault for not being more clear with the guy - but this is also not the level of customer service I am used to . I'm all for accepting people just as they are - but this guy is too "tech". He's not enough "people". In the conversation I just has with him, he asked me the "drop dead date" three times. Each time I told him "TODAY!!". Three times he asked me! I'm not sure he's even listening!

This is how our conversation ended:

Tech: "Why don't you take a look at it, see if there are any changes that need to be made, and call me back later".

Um, Isn't that exactly what I asked him to do a week and a half ago?

I talked to our "tech" guy here in the office. I told him what was going on and he had zero sympathy for the payroll service guy. I figured he would at least play devil's advocate for one of his brethren, but I must have caught him on a bad day.

Eegads. I am mortified by this situation - there is obviously something wrong with me if I am this upset about whether a complete stranger likes me or not because of how this situation turns out.

Pardon Our Dust........

Some of you may have noticed that my husband over at l'il ol LP seems to be off-line. He is experiencing technical difficulties, or as I like to think of it rebelling against the mainstram and creating an aura of peace and love. The white screen is tranquil, no?






"Have you tried turning it on and off again?"

I'll be damned.........

Your Rising Sign is Capricorn

Old fashioned and conservative, you carry yourself with dignity. You have a tough exterior, and you can be intimidating when you want to be. Hard working and ambitious, you can survive in the most cut throat work enviroments. Outside of work, you are a true friend to everyone in your small inner circle. You may have had a difficult time earlier in life. Capricorns are late bloomers and you may be coming into your own right now.

What's Your Rising Sign?

"look Mommy - I'm shaking my bootie!!"

Mommy looks out from the kitchen and sure enough - that bootie is shaking!

Is "bottie-shaker" and appropriate nickname for a three year old?

I'm thinking no, but it was darn cute!

I am a total clutz. I just spilled oatmeal and water down the front of my shirt while trying to open my office door.

Will I ever grow out of this?

This week has started out as busy as last week. Hopefully, things will die down after tomorrow. My left eyelid is twitching like mad, and I'm about to pour myself a nice glass of red wine.

I hate numbers. They confuse me. How am I ever going to help my boys with their math homework? I'm going to have to study their books at night while they sleep. How I ever ended up anywhere remotely near an accounting department is beyond me. In high school, when teachers used to talk about how "You will use this knowledge in every day life" I used to just laugh it off because, well, I was going to be a famous actress and famous actresses don't need to know how tall a tree is by measuring its shadow.

I was almost in tears by 4:45 today as I tried for the millionth time to get my last account reconciled. I decided to let it be until tomorrow morning. I am sure that looking at it with a fresh pair of eyes will help me out. If my office mates would stop chit chatting with me and trying to ask me questions, that would help out a lot too. The nerve! I can put my phone on "do not disturb", but apparently it's against protocol to hire a midget with sharpened teeth and a wicked case of halitosis to guard your office door from trespassers. Whatever. I am sure I will make it through the week without throttling anybody.

I am especially trying to not think evil thoughts about our HR person. She's just pissy because she didn't get a pay raise on the 1st like everyone else did. I wish she had gotten one, and I think it was rotten she didn't, but please don't make me suffer for it. I have to believe that the person we are has as much to do with our success at work as our actual skills. I don't think it's a coincidence that I have a good working relationship with everyone in the office as well as our off-site managers. She has managers who refuse to even talk to her directly anymore. She and I get along very well for the most part, especially considering that I showed up to work one morning and they had moved me into her office, and her out to a cubicle behind the front desk. That was a touch uncomfortable. I'm wondering what they will do to her next. She says she doesn't care, but her eyes tell me differently. I will do my best to think of her kindly from now on.

Here's to tomorrow and reconciled accounts.

Old baby and I were in the car on the way to day care this morning. Hubby was following me because we had to drop the van off at the mechanic to be worked on. I remembered the wiper blade for the rear window which I had left on the couch. I said "Darnit!" and stopped the car to get out and ask hubby if he brought it.

Old baby was rummaging around in his little backpack to play with his trains, and he says "Darnit!". I looked back at him and we shared a good laugh. He kept saying it though, over and over, so I finally asked him to please say "Awww Nuts!" instead of "Darnit!" He seemed OK with that plan, and we went along saying "Aww Nuts!" back and forth with each other.

Mommy: "Awww Nuts!"
Old Baby: "Awww Nuts!"
Mommy: "Awww Nuts!"

This is where it gets interesting:
Old Baby: "Awww Peach!"
Mommy: "Awww Lemon!"
Old Baby: "Awww French Toast"
Mommy: "Awww Cookies!"
Old Baby: "Awww Turkey Cheese Sandwich!"
Mommy: (laughs uncontrollably)
Old Baby: "Awww Teanuts!"
Mommy: (laughs so hard she cries and starts coughing because "Teanuts" is how he says "Penis")
Old Baby: (laughs uncontrollably)

What a silly boy!

Holy cow, people. I have been busy!

The final payroll of the year and the first payroll of the year are always my busiest two weeks of the year. After I send payroll today, I will heave a sigh of relief!

We had 3 new divisions to add for CA, a new earnings code for VA, and pay raises to input for almost 600 employees as well make adjustments to the mileage rates. I am going to drink an entire bottle of red wine when I get home.

We are disbanding our race team, and I know my boss feels terrible about it. This has been his dream for so long, and he has to back out because of money flow problems. They had a backer signed on, but they decided at the last minute not to front any money until June. We just couldn't hold out any longer. I'm sure my boss will pick it up again somewhere in the future and be all the wiser for it.

I am excited because I received a nice raise, quite a bit more than I was expecting. Now, as long as hubby receives a raise, we might actually be able feel comfortable again.

I hope to be a more frequent visitor here at my own blog from now on, as well as everyone else's!

Happy Birthday Gran

We miss you.

Happy birthday my love!

I can't wait for you to open your presents. So excited! Your birthdays are so much fun!